Registered Nutritionist Jamie Wright on what cortisol actually does, why it isn't the villain it's made out to be, and what genuinely helps when your stress response is out of rhythm.
Key Takeaways
Cortisol is essential, not the enemy: the real issue is chronic dysregulation, not the hormone itself.
Sleep and stress recovery are the biggest levers for a healthy cortisol rhythm.
Balanced blood sugar, sensible caffeine and alcohol habits, and moderate movement all help; over-training and fasted sessions can add to the problem.
Viral fixes like "cortisol cocktails" and quick-fix supplements are overhyped.
Persistent symptoms warrant proper medical assessment, not another wellness protocol.
Jamie is a registered nutritionist (AFN) and personal trainer with a Master's in Human Nutrition specialising in obesity and weight management, and a Bachelor's in Sports and Exercise Science. He is the founder of Balance, Northern Ireland's leading nutrition and dietetics service, where he has supported over 1,500 clients—from office workers to Olympians—across body composition, performance, and relationship with food. Having navigated his own journey through eating disorders and injury, Jamie is driven by a passion for bringing clarity, confidence, and consistency to everyday nutrition.
I almost want to say "move over blood glucose spikes, there's a new bad guy in town!" every time cortisol is brought up.
As we've become all too accustomed to, a normal physiological process / element has been taken to the extreme, been integrated into predatory marketing and is now widely used as a driving force to separate people from their hard earned cash so that they invest in supplements that don't work, changes to their workout routine which are pointless and signing up to coaching programmes / courses that would genuinely cause chronically elevated cortisol because of just how much they cost.
We have to find the "middle ground" again in health and wellbeing communication. And, in this article, we'll be attempting to find that and help you understand exactly what cortisol is, its role in the body, when it actually becomes problematic but how that can be managed in an evidence-based fashion with tweaks to your nutrition, movement and other lifestyle changes that really work.
Firstly, what is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone – a signalling molecule that provides instruction for the body in response to certain stimuli – and is considered the primary "stress hormone". While I'm sure that's not reassuring at this stage it's important to understand all the functions of cortisol first before drawing your conclusion based on the "s" word (stress).
Cortisol has, what is described as, a diurnal rhythm – that is, it's high in the morning to wake you, gradually falling through the day.
If you were to look at the daily rhythm it would look a bit like this:
You even experience "pulses" of cortisol as well; these take place roughly 60 to 90 minutes throughout the day and night. They're referred to as the ultradian cortisol rhythm and play several important roles, most notably in brain health, as regular pulses help your brain handle stress, mood, and memory.⊕
There are notable points to mention regarding cortisol rhythm specific to women.
In contrast to glucose, spikes of cortisol are not considered (generally speaking when you look at the online discourse) to be "bad" – well, anyone who understands cortisol would say they're not necessarily "bad" – as they are a normal, healthy part of your body's natural rhythm and short-term stress response.
The issue is when we are experiencing chronically elevated or dysregulated levels of cortisol.
Long-term cortisol dysregulation (e.g. chronically elevated levels or a flattened morning peak) disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to widespread adverse effects on physical health and psychological wellbeing.
Chronic cortisol dysregulation is associated with:⊕⊕⊕
Metabolic changes –
Here are some of the evidence-based non-negotiables to self-care you can't sacrifice if you want to get your cortisol levels regulated.
Firstly, you just have to invest in our course… Just kidding. Here's what works:
Sleep is arguably the greatest health promoting behaviour and necessity that the majority of us treat like an afterthought. If there was a supplement out there that could provide the same level and number of benefits that a good night's sleep would then influencers may be able to justify some of the prices they charge for their products.
Think of sleep as the reset switch for your cortisol rhythm and the controller for its regulation. A healthy sleep pattern drops cortisol to its lowest point around midnight and ensures we experience the morning peak to wake us up.
When sleep is sacrificed this cycle breaks; keeping cortisol high at night, promoting wakefulness and erratic tiredness and fatigue (especially daytime fatigue) ultimately creating an unhealthy loop of stress and sleeplessness (having both a newborn and a toddler I can very much attest to this).
Here's what to do:
Nutrition can also play an incredibly important role in the regulation of your cortisol levels. Of course we spoke about certain principles of nutrition to build upon (regular meal times, protein, fibre etc.) but now I want to focus on some specific nutrients that we haven't discussed yet that you do want to include (as well as some whole food sources to incorporate into your diet to achieve this).
Omega-3 fatty acids support the body's physical and psychological response to stressors by incorporating into cell structures, increasing movement in and out of cells and by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory elements.
A comprehensive Dose-Response Meta-Analysis on Omega-3 and Anxiety Symptoms evaluated 23 randomised controlled trials with 2,000+ participants. The researchers found that omega-3 supplementation yields a dose-dependent reduction in psychological anxiety and stress symptoms, with the greatest improvement observed at an optimal dose of 2 grams per day.⊕
Dose – While recommendations vary across health organisations, a minimum daily intake of combined EPA and DHA is between 200 to 250mg with organisations typically pushing people to achieve double this and more.
I've alluded to it throughout but there is a lot of circulating nonsense online around cortisol – I've picked a few of my "favourites" (not sure if that's the right word to use for these) that I get asked about in the clinic all the time.
HIIT training spikes your cortisol so you should avoid it (especially menopausal women): Treating people, and specifically women, as fragile creatures who can't handle intense training is inaccurate. Again, acute elevated cortisol levels are a normal response. High-intensity or prolonged exercise causes a temporary rise in cortisol, typically peaking around 20–30 minutes post-exercise, as part of a normal adaptive stress response. It's chronically elevated cortisol that is the issue.
You can easily "feel" or spot high cortisol: Influencers and wellness trends blame daily tiredness, night waking or "cortisol face" on high levels, whereas true medical disorders like Cushing's syndrome are rare and diagnosed via clinical testing.
I can't lose weight because of my cortisol levels / I have a cortisol belly despite being on a diet: Even in the presence of chronically elevated cortisol you will still achieve weight / fat loss in an energy deficit. While there is a layer of truth to centralised body fat accrual with chronically elevated cortisol, it's more likely the individual is over/emotionally eating, has poor sleep hygiene and isn't moving as much as they believe they are.
You should see a doctor if stress or potential cortisol imbalances cause severe symptoms that disrupt daily life, such as constant exhaustion, rapid and unexplained weight gain, severe sleep problems, high blood pressure or persistent anxiety and mood changes.
High cortisol symptoms include: rapid weight gain, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleep issues and more susceptible to bruising. High levels of cortisol may be diagnosed as Cushing's Syndrome.
Low cortisol symptoms include: extreme fatigue, unexplained weight loss, dizziness, low blood pressure, and nausea. Low levels of cortisol may be diagnosed as Addison's Disease or Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency.
Again, if you're presenting with these symptoms, no wellness-y voodoo, supplements or breathwork will put a dent in them. They require the support of an experienced health professional.
Despite what social media influencers and the majority of the internet are telling you, cortisol is not some big evil hormone that we need to be constantly fighting against. It's actually very important and serves a number of incredibly important roles in the human body.
The aim is not to have low cortisol at all times. The aim is to have a healthy rhythm and to be actively managing stress, overwhelm, and overload throughout the day, throughout the week. Spikes in cortisol are normal and are the body's normal response. The big issue that we have to address is chronically elevated cortisol.
As we've laid out in this article, chronically elevated cortisol can lead to a range of health issues. There are also strategies that you can use, simple little tweaks that you can incorporate: changes to your diet, to your training, to your sleep and much more. These will help negate the risk of experiencing chronically elevated cortisol.
Of course, if you feel like this is a more significant issue, reach out to your healthcare provider. Please don't be sucked into wellness-type programmes, courses, supplements, and fear-led marketing that does nothing more than separate you from your hard-earned cash.
Cortisol is a hormone: a signalling molecule that instructs the body in response to certain stimuli, and it's considered the primary stress hormone. It's essential, not evil. It activates the fight-or-flight response, regulates blood sugar, metabolism and inflammation, and plays roles in sleep-wake cycles, immunity, hydration and blood pressure. It follows a natural daily rhythm: high in the morning to wake you, gradually falling through the day. The aim isn't permanently low cortisol but a healthy pattern – high when you need it, low when you don't.
Genuinely high cortisol can show up as rapid weight gain, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleep problems and easy bruising, and at its most severe is diagnosed as Cushing's syndrome via clinical testing. The catch: these symptoms are non-specific, and very few people ever have their cortisol measured. What gets labelled "high cortisol" online is often just the combined effect of poor diet, lifestyle, sleep and stress – and no single fix will sort that. If symptoms are severe or persistent, see a doctor.
No single food lowers cortisol, so be wary of anyone claiming otherwise. What helps is balanced blood sugar: regular meals, a palm-sized portion of protein with each main meal, plenty of plants and wholegrains for fibre, and fewer ultra-processed sugary foods and drinks. Nutrients studied in the stress response include omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin D. They support the body's stress systems over time rather than acting as quick fixes.
You see, it's important to note that cortisol is essential, not evil. And the issues lie not in its presence alone but when it becomes dysregulated.
Additionally, many of the online gurus continually push "low" cortisol levels as the ultimate goal; it's not, and that follows the same sort of issues we see with constantly striving for a consistently lower blood glucose level (the obsessive glucose "spikes" monitoring that's advocated for).
The aim isn't to have continually "low" levels of cortisol (or glucose), but instead to achieve a healthy pattern – high when you need it, low when you don't.
Cortisol is directly involved with:⊕
It also plays important roles in the sleep-wake cycle regulation, immunity, regulating hydration status (water and electrolytes) as well as blood pressure and circulation.
Having cortisol permanently lowered therefore would directly affect (in a negative way) these functions and cause us to feel worse, not better. Getting caught up in the marketing of influencers pathologising another normal aspect of our physiology will do you far more harm than the daily shifts in cortisol levels you're supposed to experience.
Firstly, for women experiencing a regular menstrual cycle there are slight shifts in baseline cortisol that can occur alongside fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone phases. Additionally, cortisol levels (and the rhythm we've referred to) is significantly impacted when hormonal birth control is a factor too (given the impact these contraceptives have on circulating hormone levels).⊕⊕
Secondly, women who are experiencing menopause will also have changes in their circulating cortisol levels and cortisol rhythm.⊕ It would be accurate to say that this transition wreaks some havoc on cortisol regulation and would explain symptoms of that transition (sleepless nights, mood swings, energy level problems, fatigue and weakness). Additionally, the phase of menopause that person is in (early stage, perimenopause and post-menopause) all have unique effects on cortisol levels and responses. It's often why they are the demographic most heavily marketed to.
Mental Wellbeing and Neurological Impacts –
So, do the influencers actually have a point?
Yes and no. It is true that chronically elevated cortisol is a serious issue that should be addressed. But their methods – expensive, non-evidence based supplementation, arbitrary changes to training programmes, costly courses or coaching from those with no medical / health background (or experience) – are not the answer.
Let's dive into what can make a difference and simple strategies you can plug and play straight away into your daily routine.
Recovery is a result of all the tweaks (and then some unique to your situation) which we'll mention in this article but, for this section, I specifically wanted to give you simple breathwork strategies that will help shift your body from a sympathetic "fight-or-flight" state into a parasympathetic "rest-and-digest" mode.⊕
Irregular blood sugar levels directly stimulate cortisol release, especially during low blood sugar drops (hypoglycaemia). This can happen when you've had a significant "spike" and then the corresponding insulin response sends you into a more hypoglycaemic state or if you go a long time without food.
When glucose falls too fast, the body treats it as an emergency. It releases cortisol and adrenaline to force the liver to pump out stored sugar and stabilise energy. This can also trigger a stress-induced overeating response, especially in those with more challenging relationships with food.
Simple things you can do today to better manage your blood sugar levels and keep them balanced.
If you feel like you're currently managing cortisol dysregulation then it may be advised to pull back on training a bit, essentially to avoid overtraining (which you may be at more risk of if you have a limited capacity to recover right now).
While everyone is different and you should always listen to your body and go with "feel" over hard and fast rules, following these simple principles may help you start to recover.
Unsurprisingly, having a load of either (or both!) of these in your diet are not going to help in restoring a healthy cortisol rhythm and better regulated levels.
Caffeine directly stimulates the central nervous system, prompting the adrenal glands to increase secretion of cortisol.⊕ Reducing your daily intake of caffeine can help but don't go "cold turkey". Chances are you may be somewhat dependent on caffeine and coming off it entirely will leave you feeling unwell, fatigued and physically shaky. I'd recommend reducing your intake by 25% first, 50% the next and then considering whether you need to drop it a further 25% (so a 75% reduction from baseline) beyond that point.
Alcohol, also not the best for your cortisol regulation journey. Drinking alcohol acts as a physical stressor that activates the HPA axis.⊕
While a single drink may initially feel relaxing, heavy drinking, binge episodes and alcohol withdrawal spike cortisol production.
Over time, this dysregulates your natural stress response, keeping baseline stress hormones high.
If your alcohol intake is more infrequent but in high volumes consider setting yourself an abstinence challenge – rope in a partner or friend to this challenge to help with your accountability. I'd also recommend making plans as an exciting alternative to having a drink so that you're not suffering with the dreaded FOMO.
I know you're looking up the trending cortisol cocktails as a possible alternative to alcohol but, and I'm sorry to burst the bubble, there's no evidence to suggest these mocktails will do anything to address hormonal imbalances and dysregulation. I'd imagine all they'd achieve is probably having to visit your dentist more often given the sugar content of some.
If alcohol intake is more chronic, of course we'd recommend reaching out to a health professional to help support you on your journey, but taking a similar approach to caffeine, with gradually reducing your intake, may be best.
Magnesium acts as the nervous system's "gatekeeper" by regulating neurotransmission. It physiologically blocks excitatory receptors to prevent neuronal hyperexcitability and supports gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathways, which promote mental relaxation. Essentially, it helps to put a plug on acute stress responses and promote relaxation and calmness.⊕
One interesting aspect of the relationship between magnesium and stress is that acute and chronic stress triggers urinary excretion of magnesium, creating a depletion cycle that makes you progressively more vulnerable to stress (and less able to combat it).
Dose – In the UK, the National Health Service recommends 300 mg daily for men and 270 mg daily for women (aged 19 to 64). Optimal doses are dependent on the individual and best to discuss with a healthcare professional before introducing supplementation. If you do choose to supplement, it would be best to go for products that include glycinate, citrate or threonate forms of Magnesium – oxide is the most common but has a very low bioavailability and can lead to some digestive problems.
B vitamins function as direct enzymatic cofactors (supporters of enzymes) in the creation of key calming and balancing neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and norepinephrine.
Inadequate B-vitamin intake may impair certain metabolic pathways leading to elevated systemic homocysteine. This has been associated with heightened mental strain and emotional distress.⊕
Vitamin D acts like a "key" that unlocks certain areas in your brain responsible for emotions and mood. When you have adequate levels of vitamin D, it helps your brain make the neurotransmitter serotonin, which keeps you feeling happy and calm.⊕
Vitamin D is like the battery charger for your mental health. If you lack sunshine or vitamin D, your brain struggles to keep your mood steady, leaving you less able to cope with stress, feeling down or anxious.
Dose – Government recommendations sit around 400IU per day however increasing to 1000IU per day may yield greater health benefit.⊕
You have "adrenal fatigue": The wellness industry in particular peddles this notion that chronic stress fries your adrenal glands making you incapable of regulating cortisol. If cortisol production is genuinely impaired, that's adrenal insufficiency/ Addison's disease, which is serious and requires an endocrinologist – not supplements and breathwork.
There's no evidence that trending "cortisol cocktails" do anything to address hormonal imbalance or dysregulation, beyond possibly more trips to the dentist given the sugar content of some. Expensive, non-evidence-based supplement stacks aren't the answer either. If cortisol production is genuinely impaired, that's a medical condition requiring a doctor, not supplements. Start with sleep, stress recovery, balanced meals and sensible caffeine and alcohol habits before spending a penny.
There's a layer of truth here: chronically elevated cortisol is associated with centralised fat storage. But even then, you will still lose weight or fat in an energy deficit. If weight loss has stalled, it's more likely down to overeating or emotional eating, poor sleep and moving less than you think, rather than cortisol alone. Rapid, unexplained weight gain alongside other symptoms is worth discussing with a doctor.
The unglamorous fundamentals: consistent sleep and wake times, breathwork or other nervous-system recovery, balanced blood sugar through regular protein- and fibre-rich meals, moderate movement without over-training, and keeping caffeine and alcohol in check. Tend to your mental health, and be consistent – a healthy cortisol rhythm comes from what you do daily, not from a single hack. If severe symptoms persist despite these changes, seek support from a health professional.
