7 min readThe so-called Cortisol Cocktail is all over TikTok right now. Fans swear it will help lower levels of the stress hormone in the body. Experts explain if it really has an effect on your stress levels.
There’s only so much you can do to minimize daily stress. But if it feels like you’ve already leaned into mindfulness, exercise, and putting down your phone more without feeling any different, TikTok has a solution for you. It’s called the Cortisol Cocktail, and people claim it really works to lower cortisol levels.
The name is a nod to cortisol, the hormone produced by the adrenal glands (a pair of triangle-shaped glands on top of each kidney), which typically spikes as a response to stress. Some cortisol production is normal and even helpful, but chronic exposure to the hormone raises the risk of weight gain, muscle weakness, and high blood sugar, among other things, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Meet the experts: Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D., is a plant-forward nutrition and wellness expert and co-author of Sugar Shock; Mir Ai, M.D.., is medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., is a San Francisco Bay Area-based registered dietitian and co-author of Energy to Burn: The Ultimate Food and Nutrition Guide to Fuel Your Active Life; Alissa Lupu, R.D., a nutritionist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Keri Gans, R.D.N., dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast
The Cortisol Cocktail is a non-alcoholic concoction you can whip up using ingredients you may already have at home. It also features several refreshing components to make you feel like you’re sipping on something special.
But is the secret to minimizing the impact of stress on your body as simple as sipping on a fun homemade drink? Here’s what dietitians and a doctor want you to keep in mind.
What is a Cortisol Cocktail?
There are a bunch of videos on TikTok promoting the Cortisol Cocktail, and—heads up—some have tie-ins with coconut water companies. But they all make similar claims that this drink will help lower levels of cortisol in your body, boost your energy, ease tension, and even balance your hormones (which, also seems to be a talking point on social media these days).
“This is useful to drink until you start to feel better,” wrote one creator under a video. “This drink provides everything your adrenal need[s] to start working.”
A fellow Cortisol Cocktail fan even credited the drink with helping her to lose 54 pounds. She also noted that she has “more energy” now than before she had kids.
Every Cortisol Cocktail recipe is slightly different, but it usually involves a mix of coconut water, fresh lemon or orange juice, magnesium powder, a little salt, and sparkling water.
Do Cortisol Cocktails work?
There are a lot of promises surrounding the Cortisol Cocktail. Experts say there’s some truth behind these claims, although they’re overblown. “Some ingredients in the so-called Cortisol Cocktail, like magnesium and electrolytes, do play a role in how our bodies manage stress,” says Samantha Cassetty, M.D., R.D., is a plant-forward nutrition and wellness expert and co-author of Sugar Shock.
She points out that magnesium is known as a “relaxation mineral” because it helps to regulate the nervous system and may even help blunt the effects of stress. “Electrolytes from coconut water, orange juice, and salt can support hydration, which is important for overall energy and mood,” Cassetty says. “However, no drink alone can significantly lower cortisol levels. These nutrients may help your body feel more balanced, but they’re not a magic bullet.”
Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., a San Francisco Bay Area-based registered dietitian and co-author of Energy to Burn: The Ultimate Food and Nutrition Guide to Fuel Your Active Life, agrees. “There are several studies that suggest magnesium may help with the control of cortisol levels, but there are no randomized controlled trials that show a cause and effect,” she says.
Upton also says that there’s “more hype than true help” with the Cortisol Cocktail controlling cortisol levels. “Coconut water has a health halo and naturally has magnesium, so that is likely why these cocktails have coconut water,” she says.
There’s no research to suggest this drink will help lower cortisol levels, says Mir Ali, M.D., is medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. “Some of these ingredients may have mild anti-inflammatory effects, but I haven’t seen any convincing evidence that it will lead to significant results based on these ingredients,” he says.
Who might want to try the Cortisol Cocktail?
There’s so much hype online about how regularly having a Cortisol Cocktail can impact your mood, sleep, and hormones. But, at the end of the day, it’s really just another way of hydrating, according to Keri Gans, R.D.N., dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast.
“A cortisol cocktail may help someone replenish fluids and electrolytes after prolonged exercise or excessive sweating,” she says.
But if you have a magnesium deficiency, which isn’t uncommon, it may help replace what you’re missing. A 2026 data analysis published in The Journal of Nutrition looked at magnesium levels in more than 5,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2021 and 2023. Based on a blood magnesium threshold of less than 2.06 mg/dL, they found that 67.8% of American adults may be at risk for chronic latent magnesium deficiency, a condition where blood magnesium levels appear within the normal range, but your body’s magnesium stores are depleted. (It was even higher in people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease.)
Still, “for most people, the main benefit of the Cortisol Cocktail is hydration, not lowering cortisol,” Gans says.
Is Cortisol Cocktail safe?
While potential perks of the Cortisol Cocktail aren’t clear, experts agree that this is a safe drink to have.
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“Generally, this type of homemade electrolyte drink is harmless for most people, especially when used occasionally to support hydration or replenishment,” Cassetty says. “But it’s important to understand that cortisol is a hormone—not something you can just ‘flush out’ with a drink.”
Magnesium is an important and beneficial mineral, but Cassetty notes that some people may end up getting diarrhea from it. “The juice is also high in sugar, and so if blood sugar management is an issue, juices should be avoided,” says Alissa Lupu, R.D., a nutritionist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “If sodium is restricted for cardiovascular concerns, again, this drink should be avoided.”
Cassetty warns that the drink “may provide a false sense of security,” keeping people from actually addressing the root cause of their stress or exhaustion.
One more thing to consider, per Cassetty: Many Americans have too much sodium, and adding salt to drinks without a medical reason, like heavy sweating from exercise or heat, could push that sodium intake even higher.
How to make a Cortisol Cocktail
If you’re still interested in giving it a try (though, again, there isn’t much scientific evidence to support the claims around the drink), every recipe for the Cortisol Cocktail is slightly different, but most follow this general guide:
1 cup coconut waterJuice from ½ lemon¼ cup orange juice1 teaspoon of magnesium powder¼ teaspoon saltSparkling water on topCan the Cortisol Cocktail help you lose weight?
“Cortisol belly” is a big phrase that comes up when people talk about the Cortisol Cocktail. This is used to describe excess weight gain around your midsection, although it’s not technically a medical term. It’s true that chronically high cortisol levels may influence how your body stores fat, but sipping on a Cortisol Cocktail is unlikely to counteract that, Gans says.
“There’s no evidence that a cortisol cocktail promotes weight loss or specifically reduces belly fat,”Gans says. “While chronically elevated cortisol can contribute to abdominal fat storage, drinking magnesium and electrolytes won’t make that fat disappear.”
Dr. Ali agrees that the drink alone is unlikely to help you lose a significant amount of weight. “This drink might be helpful to some people—if you’re drinking this, it might fill up your stomach so you eat less,” he says. “But 90% of weight loss is diet. If patients are careful with what they eat, they will be able to lose weight.”
What to do if you’re worried about your cortisol levels
If you’re struggling with symptoms of chronically high cortisol, like unexplained weight gain, fatigue, and muscle weakness, experts warn against relying on a homemade beverage to manage them—check in with a doctor instead. It’s possible that these symptoms stem from an underlying health condition, and it’s important to get a proper medical evaluation to find out, Dr. Ali says.
But if your concerns are more about feeling burned out, Cassetty recommends working on your stress management toolbox. “That might include consistent sleep, regular movement, mindfulness or breathing exercises, and nourishing meals throughout the day,” she says. “While a drink like this may help you feel more supported, long-term cortisol balance comes from how you manage the stress itself—not just how you hydrate.”
Still, proper nutrition plays a major role in how you feel. “Focus on your overall eating habits rather than on a trendy drink,” Gans says. “Eating regularly, getting enough calories, and choosing a variety of nutritious foods can support your body’s response to stress.”
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