07/21/2024
Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic
Our body has two key states it moves between – the sympathetic and the parasympathetic state.
In the sympathetic state “fight or flight” the body is responding to stressful or dangerous situations and prepares you to either run from danger or fight back.
In the parasympathetic state “rest and recovery” the body controls its ability to relax.
When healthy, our body can effortlessly move between these two states. There is a key enzyme (called 11 beta-hydroxysteroid – I know it’s a mouthful!) that must be present to convert the active cortisol to inactive cortisol (to go from the sympathetic to parasympathetic states with ease). To make this conversion happen, a process occurs within the enzyme that requires magnesium (for the geeks in the room, this is the conversion from NADP to NADPH).
Worth noting here is that you can be told your magnesium is fine (from serum blood tests), but actually your storage magnesium (magnesium inside your red blood cells – aka RBC magnesium) often is insufficient for keeping up with the demands on the body for optimal health.
If the average stressed person has low magnesium (which is the state of most people on the planet today), then the body cannot recycle cortisol back to its normal resting state and instead, cortisol will build up in the body, causing more inflammation and heart-related symptoms.
If you'd like some guidance unpacking your stress, we can help. Get in touch today.
