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How to Reduce Cortisol Naturally

Updated: Jun 23

Cortisol has become a trending topic in recent years, with high cortisol levels linked to excessive stress, fluid retention, weight gain, inflammation, and various other undesirable symptoms. But articles and social media posts that discuss the “dangers” of cortisol get it very wrong…


It isn't a negative thing to produce cortisol. In fact, it’s essential.


Let’s get into what cortisol actually why you need it (in certain amounts), and what happens when your body produces . Plus, we’ll cover some effective dietary and lifestyle strategies you can implement to help reduce your cortisol levels and support your health.


What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands, which are a pair of small organs sitting on top of your kidneys. Cortisol is commonly referred to as the “stress hormone.” When you’re stressed, the adrenal glands release cortisol into your bloodstream to help your body respond.


This stress response may involve changing your metabolism, inflammation, heart rate and/or blood pressure to help you deal with whatever stressor you’re facing.


Cortisol plays a key role in your ‘fight or flight’ response, or your body’s reaction to any threats or dangers it encounters. For example, if you come face-to-face with a lion, your body will release cortisol to elevate your heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline levels, preparing you to run and find safety.


Cortisol is also heavily linked to your sleep-wake cycle (or your circadian rhythm). If you have healthy stress levels, your cortisol production should decrease overnight to allow you to sleep well. Then, in the morning your cortisol levels should helping you wake up and feel adequately energised to begin your day. This is a , healthy and normal pattern of cortisol fluctuations.


What causes cortisol production?

Your body naturally produces cortisol in varying amounts throughout the day, aligned with your sleep-wake cycle. This helps you feel energised and alert during certain hours of the day, and allows you to feel drowsy and ready for rest at the appropriate time too.


However, your production of cortisol can be influenced by many other factors, including illness or infection, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, sleep problems, poor nutrition, over- or under-exercise, certain health conditions, traumatic events, and high stress levels.


While cortisol is important for your health, your levels need to be balanced, peaking and falling at the right times each day. Producing cortisol – particularly over a prolonged period of time – or even too can cause health complications.


Short-term spikes in cortisol are generally healthy and normal. These peaks in cortisol levels occur to help your body respond to whatever scenario you find yourself in. However, when these increased levels become more persistent or long-lasting, we often start to see hormone imbalances, inflammation and other unwanted side effects. 


Ongoing physical and emotional stressors like poor diet, difficult relationships, lack of sleep, overworking, excessive exercise or insufficient nutrition can result in chronically elevated cortisol. These factors communicate to your body that it needs to ramp up cortisol levels to help you manage the situation you’re in. But when these factors continue unresolved, or cause stress for long periods of time, your cortisol levels also remain heightened. Often, this is where people begin to struggle with the symptoms and health impacts of high cortisol.


Your body can’t always identify the difference between a threat and an threat. Sometimes your body interprets internal stress signals as a sign that danger is present, activating your fight or flight response and causing other physiological changes to your heart rate, hormones and so on. For this reason, sometimes mental and emotional experiences like stress, conflict and poor lifestyle habits can trigger your body to increase cortisol production unnecessarily.


The consequences of high cortisol levels

If you produce too much cortisol over an extended period of time, you may experience unwanted physical and mental symptoms and side effects. 


Physical symptoms can include:

  • Weight gain (especially around the stomach and face)

  • Thinning skin

  • Muscle weakness

  • Irregular periods

  • Poor immune function and slower healing (increasing your risk of infection or illness)

  • Sleep problems

  • Digestive issues

  • Increased blood sugar levels and blood pressure (putting you at higher risk of disease including diabetes, stroke and heart disease)

  • Fertility complications.


Mental and emotional symptoms of excessive cortisol can include:

  • Mood swings

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Irritability

  • Problems with memory and concentration.


All of these side effects can reduce your quality of life, and compromise your physical and mental health. Luckily, most people can regulate their high cortisol levels naturally, using a variety of effective nutrition and lifestyle strategies. Making these necessary changes can provide symptom relief, and prevent longer-term health issues.

Nutrition strategies to help naturally reduce cortisol

Stress and high cortisol levels can negatively impact your food choices and behaviours, causing many people to eat a less nutritious, balanced diet. This makes the following nutrition strategies even important to implement, to help rebalance your cortisol levels and support your general health.


Working with a dietitian to create a personalised plan targeted towards your individual goals and circumstances is the best place to start if you want to lower your cortisol levels (or address general health concerns you may have).



In the meantime, effective nutrition and dietary strategies to help naturally regulate your cortisol levels include:


  • Eat a Mediterranean-style diet. This balanced, anti-inflammatory style of eating prioritises healthy fats and plant-based whole foods. Include plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, oily fish (like salmon, sardines and mackerel) and extra virgin olive oil in your regular diet to help naturally lower your cortisol levels and support your overall health. Adding in some fermented and cultured foods like Greek yoghurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, kimchi and sauerkraut can also support your gut health and immune function, and assist in regulating cortisol.


  • Include carbohydrates and fibre in your diet. Particularly for women, insufficient carbohydrate intake can act as a physical stress on your body, causing dysregulation and spikes in cortisol. Low-carbohydrate and low-calorie diets fail to provide your body with the energy and glucose it needs to feel safe and function normally. These diets can almost “trick” your body into entering fight or flight mode, as it perceives it’s in danger of famine or malnourishment.


    Naturally, this can cause huge spikes in cortisol levels, so it’s important to make sure you’re properly fuelling your body and eating nutritious, whole foods and carbohydrates each day.





  • Smart supplements: Some natural herbs and supplements including Ashwagandha have been proven to help regulate stress levels and manage stress. Always speak to a dietitian or healthcare provider before using any new supplements, to ensure they’re helpful, safe and relevant for your unique circumstances.


Lifestyle strategies to naturally reduce cortisol levels

Research shows that lifestyle strategies are even effective than dietary changes to help lower cortisol levels – particularly when introduced the nutrition strategies we’ve just discussed.

Try the following lifestyle strategies to help naturally reduce your cortisol production:


  • Movement: Research shows regular, moderate exercise can help lower inflammation and stress in your body, improve sleep, and decrease cortisol levels. However, intensity or excessive exercise can have the opposite effect, to the stress on your body and potentially increasing cortisol further. Gentle or moderate movement like walking, swimming, Pilates, yoga, barre and resistance training are great options to support balanced, regulated cortisol levels. Try to move your body daily – it doesn’t have to be for an extended length of time, nor should it feel exhausting or demanding. Tune into your body and energy levels, and move in a way that physical and mental stress, rather than adding to it.

  • Social connection: Studies demonstrate that maintaining healthy relationships, prioritising regular social connection, and with the people in your life can powerfully promote happiness, reduce stress, and lower your cortisol levels. Try to commit to regular group activities, spend time with people who fill your cup, and work on conflict management to support your emotional and physical health. All of these strategies may help to naturally regulate your cortisol levels.

  • Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices including meditation, yoga and relaxation techniques have been shown to effectively reduce cortisol in both the short- and long-term. Mind-body therapies and talking therapy may also help alleviate stress and regulate hormones. 


    Breathwork and controlled breathing exercises can help to activate your parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest” functions). Imagine your parasympathetic nervous system is at the end of a see-saw from your nervous system (which is responsible for controlling cortisol levels).


    By actively “switching on” your sympathetic nervous system, you shift the balance from the sympathetic, cortisol-producing system. This helps rebalance your body and stress levels, and reduce cortisol. You’re your body that you’re in a stressful situation – you’re safe, so you don’t need more of your stress hormone to support you at this time.


  • Sleep: Sleep is one of the most powerful strategies for managing stress – and therefore cortisol imbalances. Getting insufficient sleep – in terms of or – has been proven to increase cortisol, so make it a priority to get 7-9 hours per night. If you struggle to fall asleep due to racing thoughts or an overactive mind, try introducing a consistent night time routine, and going to bed around the same time each evening. This indicates to your brain that it’s time to wind down, time to solve the 99 problems you’ve stored up to overthink as soon as your head hits the pillow.


  • Time in nature: Spending 20-30 minutes in nature can significantly lower cortisol levels. Why not enjoy your daily movement and enjoy the stress-relieving, cortisol-lowering benefits?


  • Stress management: The most obvious (and frustratingly simplistic) strategy to help lower stress and cortisol levels is to eliminate or reduce whatever physical and mental stressors in your life that you can. While it’s not always as easy as deciding to quit a stressful job or vowing to never argue with your partner again, identifying patterns in your lifestyle that leave you feeling highly stressed is a good place to start.


From there, consider how you can try to some of this stress. For example, can you delegate some of your work tasks to reduce your own workload and alleviate the pressure you’re under? Can you have an open conversation with a friend who seems to enjoy conflict a too much, and explain how their behaviour makes you feel? Small, practical changes can have a significant impact on your stress, and help regulate your cortisol levels naturally.


By actively implementing some of these lifestyle and dietary strategies, you can support your mental and physical health, manage stress, and naturally lower your cortisol levels. Regulating cortisol can achieve symptom relief, including improved digestion, reduced fatigue, and greater feelings of relaxation and resilience to stress. It can also prevent stress-related illnesses and health complications, and may improve your long-term metabolic health, hormone balance and general wellbeing.

 
 
 

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