Medical Hypotheses
Volume 51, Issue 4 , Pages 289-291, October 1998

Cortisol's purpose

1908 Country Club Road, Hendersonville, NC 28739, USA

Received 10 February 1997; accepted 14 May 1997.

Abstract 

It is proposed that cortisol's primary purpose is to mobilize the body's defenses against water-losing intestinal diseases and corticosterone's against serum diseases. They do this by inversely controlling those immune cells, enzymes, and hormones, etc. that affect survival during infection. These glucocorticosteroids affect fight-or-flight mobilization as an adjunct made possible because most processes that enhance immunity have a reverse effect on fight-or-flight.

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PII: S0306-9877(98)90049-4

Medical Hypotheses
Volume 51, Issue 4 , Pages 289-291, October 1998

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