Cortisol is one of the hormones released by humans following exposure to environmental conditions that are perceived as a threat to survival. Cortisol is therefore a stress hormone, and it plays an important role in adaptation to external threats. Chronic stress is damaging to humans and modulation of cortisol levels can improve health in cases of prolonged release. In particular, cortisol is damaging to mental health, and may be a primary cause of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Evidence suggests that certain plant chemicals can modulate cortisol levels because they interact with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This axis directly controls the release of cortisol and other stress hormones and by modulation of its function, certain plant compounds may have significant anti-stress effects. Many plants are understood to have mood elevating properties and their ability to interact with the primary stress hormone in humans may be directly related to these mood elevating properties.
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