Key Takeaways
\nGreen tea, as well as beverages that contain minerals and herbs like magnesium, ginseng, and ashwagandha, may lower cortisol.Kefir, yogurt drinks, and barley juice could lower cortisol because they naturally contain GABA, a neurotransmitter that reduces cortisol.The “cortisol cocktail” (which contains orange juice, coconut water, and salt) may not effectively reduce cortisol.<\/p>\n
Cortisol is a hormone that spikes when you are under stress. Beverages containing specific nutrients may help lower cortisol, but the evidence supporting their use is lacking.\n<\/p>\n
1. Green Tea <\/p>\n
Green tea may help lower cortisol due to its epigallocatechin-3-gallate<\/a> (EGCG) content. EGCG is an antioxidant compound in green tea that interrupts the activity of certain chemicals the body uses to make cortisol<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n One study of people with moderate stuttering found that drinking six cups of decaffeinated green tea daily for six weeks lowered cortisol levels and improved mental health.\n<\/p>\n 2. Ginseng Tea <\/p>\n One study found that four-week supplementation with ginseng<\/a> reduced cortisol levels by 16%. However, taking ginseng supplements likely delivers much higher levels of ginseng than in tea.\n<\/p>\n While ginseng tea may help reduce cortisol, there is no direct evidence that drinking it lowers cortisol, but this could be a future area of research.\n<\/p>\n 3. Magnesium-Infused Drinks <\/p>\n There is some evidence that magnesium<\/a> supplements, often used to reduce anxiety and stress<\/a>, may lower cortisol levels. One study found that magnesium can reduce the post-exercise cortisol spike.\n<\/p>\n In another study, participants were given either 350\u00a0milligrams (mg) of magnesium citrate complex or a placebo (inactive) pill for 24 weeks. At the end of the study, the magnesium group had lower levels of circulating cortisol.\n<\/p>\n In that study, participants took magnesium as a pill. However, magnesium is often sold as a powder you can mix with water to create a magnesium-infused drink. It’s possible that drinking this could lower cortisol levels. However, you should consult a provider before taking new supplements.\n<\/p>\n 4. Ashwagandha-Infused Drinks <\/p>\n Ashwagandha<\/a> is a medicinal herb made from the roots, and sometimes leaves, of a shrub plant. There is a growing body of evidence that supplementing with ashwagandha can reduce cortisol levels, as well as feelings of stress and anxiety.\n<\/p>\n Drinking ashwagandha-infused drinks may therefore help lower your cortisol. Studies have found doses of 240 to 1,250 mg per day of ashwagandha extract reduce cortisol, so look for beverages that contain at least those amounts.\n<\/p>\n 5. Yogurt-Based Drinks <\/p>\n Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt<\/a> and kefir<\/a>, may help lower cortisol due to their high levels of probiotics. Some evidence suggests probiotics might reduce cortisol levels, but more research is needed to confirm these results.\n<\/p>\n Yogurt and kefir can also contain gamma-aminobutyric acid<\/a> (GABA), a neurotransmitter that can reduce anxiety and stress. GABA disrupts the production of cortisol in the adrenal glands, lowering levels.\n<\/p>\n 6. Barley Juice <\/p>\n Barley juice is a beverage made from barley grass. It is another natural source of GABA, a neurotransmitter that may help reduce cortisol.\n<\/p>\n There are no studies that have directly looked at the link between barley juice and cortisol levels in humans. Therefore, it’s not possible to say for certain if barley juice can lower cortisol, or how much you’d have to drink to get that effect. However, it’s a possible future area of research.\n<\/p>\n 7. Orange Juice <\/p>\n There is some evidence that taking high doses of vitamin C<\/a> daily may lead to faster cortisol recovery after stressful situations and possibly lower overall cortisol levels, although the results are mixed.\n<\/p>\n Studies on vitamin C lowering cortisol have used 1,000 to 3,000 mg doses. To put this into perspective, one cup of orange juice contains 124 mg of vitamin C. You would have to drink 8 to 24 cups of orange juice daily to replicate the amount of vitamin C used in those studies.<\/p>\n 8. Coconut Water <\/p>\n Coconut water<\/a> is high in potassium and a great source of electrolytes. Hypokalemia, or low potassium, is a common problem for people with\u00a0Cushing’s syndrome<\/a>, a serious disorder caused by exposure to high cortisol levels.\n<\/p>\n However, most healthy people don’t have to worry about low potassium or cortisol levels like those seen with Cushing’s syndrome.\n<\/p>\n While coconut water offers health benefits, drinking it doesn’t lower cortisol.\n<\/p>\n Does the Cortisol Cocktail Work? <\/p>\n The cortisol or adrenal cocktail<\/a> is a wellness trend offering nutrients from ingredients like:\n<\/p>\n Orange juice (providing vitamin C)Coconut water (providing potassium)Sea salt (providing sodium)<\/p>\n However, it’s unlikely that it can lower your cortisol.\n<\/p>\n Supporters of the cortisol cocktail claim that these ingredients provide nutrients that will “soothe” your adrenal glands<\/a>, which sit on top of your kidneys and produce cortisol (along with many other hormones).\n<\/p>\n Researchers have examined whether certain foods or nutrients affect cortisol levels, but the results are unclear. No study has examined the cortisol cocktail and whether it affects cortisol levels.\n<\/p>\n Other Ways to Lower Cortisol <\/p>\n Drinking your way to lower cortisol may be challenging, and limited evidence supports specific beverages to lower cortisol. Effective ways to lower cortisol naturally<\/a> include:\n<\/p>\n