Do I Need a Cortisol Detox?

Cortisol, often misunderstood as the stress hormone, is a vital hormone for the healthy function of the entire body. However, prolonged overproduction of cortisol can lead to health issues that sap our energy, vitality, and quality of life.

Our modern lives are filled with everyday stressors that can heighten our cortisol levels and hinder our wellbeing. In response, many health influencers are advocating for a “cortisol detox” to help balance cortisol. Keep reading to understand what cortisol is, how it affects your body, the factors that raise it, and whether you should do a “cortisol detox” for optimal health and wellness.  

What is Cortisol? 

Cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, is often associated with stress. However, the body's stress response system is more complex and elegant than we often realize. It starts in the brain, within the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which communicate with the adrenals to regulate cortisol production. This system is known as the “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,” or HPA axis.  

While cortisol is often called the “stress hormone,” this is not its only role! In fact, cortisol plays a vital role in regulating our bodies' normal, healthy functioning. Several of its roles include: 

• Stress response: Cortisol is best known for regulating the body’s stress response, the physiological and mental processes that occur when we face an internal or external threat.   

• Immune response: Cortisol supports a balanced immune response; research suggests that too little cortisol can raise the risk of illness by making the body more susceptible to microbial stressors, while sustained elevation of cortisol can make the body "resistant" to its effects, also compromising the immune response. In other words, we need just the right amount of cortisol for a healthy immune response. (Source, Source)  

• Blood sugar: Cortisol helps increase our blood sugar levels when we need energy by promoting gluconeogenesis, which produces glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. However, too much cortisol can quickly bump up our blood sugar levels.  

• Circadian rhythm and energy: Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, typically peaking in the early morning and gradually decreasing throughout the day, which helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Too much cortisol can cause difficulties with sleep and energy.  

• Blood pressure regulation: Cortisol assists in maintaining normal blood pressure; when cortisol is too high or low, blood pressure may also swing too high or low.  

(Source, Source)  

What Raises Cortisol? 

Various factors in our daily lives are associated with high cortisol, including: 

• A diet rich in processed carbs (Source) 

• Emotional stress (Source) 

• Work or academic pressure (Source, Source)  

• Lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep (Source) 

• Caffeine consumption acutely raises cortisol; in this regard, it differs from the other factors in this list, which tend to chronically raise cortisol (Source)  

• Chronic pain (Source)  

• Shift work (Source)  

As you can see, it would be difficult to completely avoid factors that raise cortisol! This is why we need to focus on managing or regulating cortisol vs. decreasing it indefinitely.  

What are Symptoms of High Cortisol? 

How does high cortisol show up in our bodies? Symptoms of moderate to high cortisol levels resulting from prolonged, everyday stress can include: 

• Weight gain, especially in the abdomen 

• Sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep 

• Brain fog and inability to focus on simple tasks 

• Fatigue 

• Feelings of anxiousness and/or feeling down 

• Compromised immune function 

If your symptoms are more severe and you are experiencing additional symptoms such as elevated blood sugar, muscle weakness in arms and legs, high blood pressure and decreased bone density you should visit your healthcare practitioner. 

(Source)  

How to Regulate Cortisol Levels  

By this point, you should understand that you don’t want to (or need to) “detox” cortisol from your body. After all, if you “detoxed” all of your cortisol, your body wouldn’t function very well!  

What you CAN do is help your body regulate cortisol.  

What are the best ways to lower cortisol that is too high? Research suggests that our nutrition and lifestyle choices can make a big difference in lowering cortisol. In addition, targeted supplementation can help.  

Perfect Your Plate for Balanced Cortisol 

If you want to maintain healthy cortisol levels, eating a diet that maintains healthy blood sugar levels is key. Cortisol and blood sugar are intrinsically linked, and following an eating pattern that minimizes significant blood sugar fluctuations may help you regulate your body's cortisol levels. (Source, Source) 

A tricky part of getting high cortisol in check is that it can increase cravings for lower-quality foods, creating a vicious cycle of cortisol and food cravings. However, some simple nutrition strategies can help you break the cycle.  (Source) 

Key tips for balancing your blood sugar to support healthy cortisol levels: 

• Minimize your intake of refined, flour-based carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, and other baked goods.  

• Prioritize eating whole-food carbs, such as whole fruit, root veggies, sweet potatoes, legumes, and whole grains, that support balanced blood sugar. 

• Include protein with every meal. Protein interfaces with hormones in our bodies (including the gut) to help regulate blood sugar. The main dietary proteins include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, high-protein dairy products like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, and legumes. (Source)  

• Avoid eating “naked carbs” or carbs all by themselves. This means if you have a piece of fruit as a snack, you should eat a source of protein alongside it, such as some cheese or a hard-boiled egg. Pairing protein and carbs at each meal and snack will help keep your blood sugar nice and steady, creating an optimal environment for balanced cortisol.  

In addition, eating foods rich in magnesium may also help you maintain a healthy cortisol balance.  

Magnesium is an essential macromineral, a mineral that the body needs in large amounts. One of its primary roles is regulating stress hormone metabolism. Eating your daily greens is a great way to increase your magnesium intake! Additional magnesium-rich foods include nuts, seeds, avocado, and salmon. (Source)  

Move Your Body to Manage Cortisol 

Research shows that moving your body regularly and moderately –  can beneficially influence cortisol levels. Your body naturally experiences a rise in cortisol with most forms of physical activity. However, fascinating experimental research suggests that cortisol release during exercise is inversely related to cortisol release in response to an everyday life stressor; in other words, the short-lived stress (cortisol) response triggered by exercise may make us more resilient to stressors we encounter outside of exercise, in our daily lives. (Source) 

Exercising too intensely or at too high a volume can promote an unhealthy cortisol pattern. So, while your daily CrossFit habit or marathon training season may be invigorating, you may want to exercise less intensely if your goal is to balance cortisol. (Source)  

Embrace Mindful Moments  

The research is clear: Mindfulness practices can help us maintain a healthy cortisol balance in our bodies. There are many mindfulness practices to choose from, so have your pick!  

Meditation is a popular choice, especially with the rise of convenient guided meditation apps like Headspace and Calm. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that meditation and mindfulness practices were most effective at changing cortisol levels for the better, even more than strategies like talk therapy. However, meditation isn’t everyone’s cup of tea! Other evidence-based practices that influence cortisol include yoga and spending time in nature. For example, one study found that spending just 20-30 minutes in nature three times a week reduced salivary cortisol, a stress biomarker. (Source, Source, Source)  

The key is to find a stress management practice that you can incorporate consistently to help you manage cortisol.  

Smart Supplements for Cortisol 

Can supplements help you regulate cortisol? Research suggests that certain supplements can help us maintain balanced cortisol. Three of the best supplements for balancing cortisol include the mineral magnesium and the adaptogenic herbs ashwagandha and rhodiola.  

Magnesium is an essential macromineral, a mineral that the body needs in large amounts. One of its primary roles is regulating stress hormone metabolism. Preliminary research shows that magnesium deficiency dysregulates the HPA axis, the system that coordinates cortisol production; in people with suboptimal magnesium levels, restoring magnesium levels with supplementation may help them balance their cortisol levels. (Source)  

Adaptogenic herbs are botanicals and other plant substances that help the body manage stress among other things. Two adaptogens that have been extensively researched for their role in managing stress include ashwagandha and rhodiola. 

Ashwagandha is the primary strengthening tonic in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, lauded as a "Rasayana," or rejuvenator. A growing body of research confirms its beneficial effects on the stress response. Studies show that ashwagandha regulates stress-related elevations in cortisol in aging men, and a 60-day randomized controlled trial found that ashwagandha supplementation in men and women reduced morning cortisol levels significantly more than placebo; morning cortisol levels tend to be exaggerated in those under daily stress. (Source, Source)  

Rhodiola rosea is another botanical that has beneficial effects on cortisol. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study revealed that rhodiola supplementation reduced the cortisol response to stress upon waking in a group of men and women. Rhodiola is proposed to help the body manage stress by regulating cortisol levels and increasing heat-shock proteins, small signaling molecules that increase stress resilience. (Source, Source)  

The Bottom Line on Cortisol 

Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of cortisol and the importance of regulating this vital hormone versus detoxing from it. Maintaining a healthy cortisol balance is essential for overall well-being, and the good news is that you can manage your cortisol through your daily choices! From blood sugar-balancing nutrition decisions to exercise and mindfulness, there are many tools you can use to maintain healthy cortisol. In addition, certain supplements can offer targeted support to help your body cope with everyday stress and maintain hormonal harmony. Remember, it’s about finding balance—nourishing your body, calming your mind, and supporting your system with the right tools to thrive.  

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