“Adrenal cocktails”—mixtures of orange juice, coconut water, cream of tartar, and salt—are popular on TikTok, with users claiming they provide a range of health benefits, including weight management and stress relief. But there's no evidence to suggest these drinks provide adrenal health benefits, experts said.
So, when a trend comes along that claims to lower stress and boost energy, it's no surprise that it gets some attention. The so-called “cortisol cocktail,” as seen across social media, is a drink that users say may help to balance cortisol (the body's main stress hormone) to help you feel better fast.
TikTok video from 🖤 breeanna 🖤 (@breeannasandoval): ``Lets try the high cortisol viral drink ✨ 1/2c Orange Juice 1/2c Coconut Water Splash of Coconut milk 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar Generous pinch if salt (sea salt/celtic salt) Opt: squeeze 1/2 lime Day 1.
What is a cortisol detox? A cortisol detox, as per TikTok, is a way to rid your body of excess cortisol. It involves changing your lifestyle habits that could cause stress to the body in order to stop and reverse high cortisol levels.
“Adrenal cocktails”—mixtures of orange juice, coconut water, cream of tartar, and salt—are popular on TikTok, with users claiming they provide a range of health benefits, including weight management and stress relief. But there's no evidence to suggest these drinks provide adrenal health benefits, experts said.
Cortisol belly simply looks like abdominal fat, and there is no way to identify it by appearance. More important than its appearance is what cortisol belly can do to your health. Visceral fat is considered particularly dangerous because of its location near vital organs and its metabolic activity.
The vitamin C in lemons helps minimize the effects of cortisol in the body and, when combined with water, can help you stay relaxed, hydrated and energetic throughout the day. Vitamin C supplements can also be taken separately to help cope with stress.
Take deep breaths. Several studies reveal the benefits of deep-breathing exercises for at least five minutes, three to five times a day. Research shows that it helps to lower cortisol levels, ease anxiety and depression, and improve memory. To get started, try using a deep-breathing app like Insight Timer or Calm.
Experts say there's no evidence this drink can significantly reduce stress or weight by lowering cortisol levels, but the ingredients do offer some nutritional benefits that may give drinkers a boost.
Certain foods may help some people reduce cortisol levels. Foods rich in vitamin C, like oranges, strawberries, and bell peppers can be great choices. Nuts, seeds, and leafy greens, which are high in magnesium, may help lower cortisol. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon and mackerel, can also help.
But some cortisol passes into your urine and saliva. Measuring cortisol in these fluids is also an accurate way to estimate how much cortisol is in your blood. Because cortisol levels vary during the day, your provider may ask you to collect a few saliva samples at home at different times.
Foods high in added sugars, caffeine, and processed ingredients can raise cortisol levels, worsening stress and leading to negative health outcomes. Over time, this can increase the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even weight gain due to the body's stress response.
Cortisol also slows functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. It changes immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 is especially helpful for your immune system, hormones, heart health, and energy. According to one study, 8 weeks of omega-3 supplementation may reduce morning cortisol levels and symptoms of emotional exhaustion. While fish oil pills often have some omega-3, they may also contain omega-6.
Promotes digestion:
Drinking lemon water on an empty stomach will help cleanse your digestive tract and help your liver produce bile, which is essential for better digestion. Now that you know the many health benefits of beginning your day with a glass of warm lemon water, you must definitely try this health tip!
Furthermore, cinnamon extract treatment in our study caused a decrease in HPA axis hormone levels (cortisol, ACTH and CRH), which showed the efficacy of the cinnamon extract in improving regulation of the HPA axis.
Too much cortisol can cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome also can cause high blood pressure or bone loss. Sometimes, it can cause type 2 diabetes.
Magnesium may help to control the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in the brain, resulting in a calming effect on the body. Magnesium may help to manage your stress response system and cortisol levels.
The current study indicates that vitamin D has the potential to reduce cortisol levels and the cortisol:cortisone ratio. Suboptimal levels of vitamin D have been associated with impaired exercise performance, as it reduces muscle action and skeletal mineralisation [Wyon et al. 2014; Fitzgerald et al. 2015].
Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, lean proteins and healthy fats to provide all the micronutrients required to deal with stress. Following a Mediterranean diet has been shown to lower cortisol.