Can Some Foods Help Lower Your Cortisol Levels?
Key takeaways:
Cortisol is a hormone that helps your body respond to stressful situations.
Too much cortisol can cause side effects such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.
Some foods may lower cortisol levels or manage its side effects. To help balance your cortisol levels, try avocados, fermented foods, bananas, dark chocolate, and spinach.
You’ve probably heard that stress can be harmful to your body. But how exactly does it affect you physically? One way is through the release of hormones like cortisol, often called the “stress hormone.”
Cortisol helps regulate your immune system, release stored energy, and maintain blood pressure in times of stress. But high cortisol levels over time can have harmful effects.
While you can’t always remove stress from your life, you can take steps to manage your cortisol levels. This can include eating certain foods or taking supplements that may help lower cortisol.
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5 foods that lower cortisol levels
Some foods may help lower cortisol levels. Other foods can help prevent the side effects of high cortisol levels in your body.
Many cortisol-lowering foods are plant-based. There’s evidence to suggest that diets emphasizing plant-based foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, can help lower cortisol levels.
Here are the top five foods to eat for lower levels of cortisol.
1. Avocados
Avocados are rich in nutrients like B vitamins, vitamins C and E, and magnesium. All of these can help balance out the side effects of cortisol.
One lab study showed that the unsaturated fats in avocado oil can protect nerve cells from damage due to high cortisol levels. There’s also evidence that these unsaturated fats can help protect your heart health. A long-term study showed that people who ate two servings of avocado per week (one avocado total) had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Fermented foods
You may have heard that fermented foods are good for your digestive health, including:
Yogurt
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Kombucha
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But the probiotics in these foods may also help your body respond better to stress.
One study showed that people who took probiotic supplements performed better on memory tasks under stress than those who didn’t. Another small study found that people who took a prebiotic supplement had lower levels of cortisol.
3. Bananas
Bananas are loaded with nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. They’re also a source of tryptophan — an amino acid that’s important for brain function. Tryptophan is used to make serotonin, a chemical messenger that helps regulate mood, sleep, and gut health.
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Tryptophan may also directly affect cortisol levels. A small study showed that tryptophan lowered cortisol in some people.
4. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate contains polyphenols — plant compounds found in the cocoa beans used to make chocolate. Polyphenols have been shown to protect cells against the effects of high cortisol levels. In addition, polyphenols may reduce cortisol.
A small study showed that people who ate 25 g of dark chocolate daily with a high level of polyphenols had lower cortisol levels.
5. Spinach
Dark leafy greens, including spinach, are full of B vitamins like folate. These vitamins can reduce the impact of stress on your body.
One study showed that people who took a vitamin B complex supplement had improved mood and felt less stressed. Spinach is also full of phytochemicals that act as natural antioxidants and combat the effects of cortisol by lowering blood sugar.
Eating spinach can also improve your heart health. The nitrates in spinach are turned into nitric oxide, which helps relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
What can happen if your cortisol levels are too high?
Over short periods, high cortisol can be a good thing. But too much cortisol can lead to side effects, such as:
Weight gain
High blood pressure
High blood sugar
Muscle weakness
Weak bones (osteoporosis)
Mood changes
What’s the best thing to do if your cortisol levels are high?
If you’re concerned about high cortisol levels, talk with your primary care provider about changes you can make to your diet. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables is a great place to start. The phytochemicals in plant-based foods have a variety of health benefits, including managing cortisol levels.
Most people don’t need to have cortisol levels checked. But you should check them if you have signs of Cushing’s syndrome. This is a rare condition that develops when cortisol levels are very high.
Cushing’s syndrome can result from problems with your adrenal glands, which affects cortisol production. It can also develop if there are problems with your hypothalamic-pituitary axis — the signaling pathway to the adrenal glands. Sometimes Cushing’s syndrome can develop in people who take corticosteroids, like prednisone, for a long time. This is because these medications act like cortisol in your body.
Frequently asked questions
Green tea is a great option for managing cortisol levels. Several small studies have found that people who drink green tea tend to have lower cortisol levels.
Magnesium supplements may also help lower cortisol levels. Multiple studies have shown a relationship between magnesium and stress. It’s not clear whether low magnesium levels increase your stress response or if the stress response lowers your body’s magnesium levels. Either way, magnesium supplements may help restore balance.
There’s some evidence that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with higher cortisol levels. One small study found that vitamin D supplementation lowered cortisol levels in healthy adults.
The bottom line
Stress can increase your cortisol levels. Over time, high cortisol can lead to problems like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and mood changes. Adjusting your diet can help reduce these side effects. Plant-based foods rich in phytochemicals, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins can help counteract some of cortisol’s negative effects.
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