HPA Axis
Cortisol synthesis, adrenal cofactor supply, calming neurochemistry
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the body's central stress thermostat: a signal cascade ending in cortisol release from the adrenal glands. Making cortisol consumes vitamin C and pantothenic acid (B5), both concentrated in adrenal tissue, while magnesium and B6 regulate how strongly the axis fires. The calming counterweights — glycine, taurine, and L-theanine — help shut the response off once the stressor passes. Chronic activation depletes these inputs and leaves the axis stuck 'on,' the physiological signature of burnout: high evening cortisol, poor sleep, and slow recovery.
How your supplements + diet feed this pathway right now — the cofactors driving it, where the gaps are, and your own lab readouts.
The load-bearing nutrients — if these are deficient, this pathway slows down. Click any to see daily targets, food sources, and supplements that supply it.
Nutrients that contribute to this pathway but aren’t the single load-bearing inputs.
Lab markers that report on how well this pathway is running. When one of these is out of range, this pathway is often where the upstream issue lives.
Save a lab session under My Journey → Biomarkers to see your own values for these.
Pathways that share a load-bearing cofactor with this one.