Episode Details

Hair Cortisol Signals Mental Health Risk in Children with Chronic Illness

Published 2 months ago

One in four children lives with a chronic physical illness, creating hidden stress that can be measured through hair cortisol concentration
In one study about cortisol in children, three distinct patterns emerged — Consistently high (most problematic), consistently low (system burnout), and high-to-low (most hopeful, showing adaptation and resilience)
Children under mental health care showed significantly elevated hair cortisol levels compared to healthy peers, indicating chronic stress across various psychiatric disorders regardless of irritability
Dietary interventions focus on quality carbohydrates while avoiding ultraprocessed foods. Severely compromised digestive systems can benefit from temporary pure glucose before reintroducing fiber-rich foods
Simple lifestyle changes effectively reduce cortisol. Examples include br