ok before you go screwing with your cortisol too much, realize that cortisol, even though it breaks down tissue, is still vital to your health. Cortisol is released by the Adrenal cortex (middle region) of the adrenal gland; if you remove this, you will die in a few days (you can survive without the medulla though). Obviously, you're not removing your adrenal cortex, but keep in mind that cortisol does have its functions.