Purify The Mind And Body
Do you feel exhausted? Burned out? Do you often ask yourself, Why am I so tired all the time? Do you crave sugar and caffeine? Do you get frequent cold and upper respiratory symptoms? Gaining weight despite diet and exercise? Do you have muscle and joint pain? Do you feel irritable or anxious and less able to handle stress? You could be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue!
How To Lower Cortisol With Deep Breathing
When youre under stress, your chest gets tight and your breathing becomes fast and shallow.
These are automatic reactions that are part of the stress response.
Unfortunately, this unnatural breathing patterns has now become normal for most adults.
You can learn to minimize your physical reaction to stress by consciously breathing from your diaphragm.
A few minutes of diaphragmatic breathing will lower levels of cortisol and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to induce a state of calm.
To breathe from your diaphragm, focus on keeping your chest still while expanding your stomach.
You can place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach to monitor your breaths.
How To Reduce Cortisol: Take The Next Step
Chronic stress leads to the continual release of the stress hormone cortisol.
And a chronically elevated cortisol level is very harmful to both your physical and mental health.
Fortunately, you can moderate cortisol production with healthy lifestyle adjustments.
Eating the right foods, getting a moderate amount of exercise, breathing properly, and employing stress reduction techniques like meditation and tapping can offset the damaging effects of cortisol and decrease its production.
Additionally, you can take cortisol-lowering supplements.
Its easy to get caught up in aspects of life that stress you out work, money, relationships, and health issues, to name a few.
Give yourself permission to have fun!
Engage in activities like hanging out with friends, playing with your pet, and enjoying art, music, and creative hobbies that feed your spirit and make you happy.
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Anxiety And Stress Relief
Sipping on a hot cup of tea can help you feel at ease, and research suggests that it not only relaxes the mind, but it also does so without causing drowsiness .
In a review of five randomized controlled trials that included 104 participants, four trials linked L-theanine with reduced stress and anxiety in people experiencing stressful situations .
Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry focused on people living with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Researchers found that L-theanine decreased anxiety and improved symptoms .
More Stress Reduction Techniques And Activities That Lower Cortisol

Here are a few more stress reduction techniques and relaxing activities that have been shown to work, at least in part, by reducing cortisol.
EFT Tapping
A mind-body stress relief technique thats gaining in popularity is the Emotional Freedom Technique, usually referred to as tapping.
It works on the same principles as acupuncture, but no needles are involved.
Acupressure points are simply tapped with the fingertips.
This is a simple technique that anyone can learn to do on their own.
It takes only ten minutes to do a session of tapping.
Amazingly, just a single tapping session can slash cortisol levels and decrease the severity of stress symptoms by 50%.
Massage
Numerous studies support what most of us already know that getting a massage is profoundly relaxing.
A review of the current research on the benefits of massage found that a massage significantly reduces cortisol and increases the feel-good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine by 28% and 31%, respectively.
Essential Oils
I like to call lavender the Swiss army knife of essential oils because it does so many things.
Its relaxing properties are legendary and we now know that one of the ways it works is by reducing cortisol.
Interestingly, inhaling any scent good or bad affects cortisol levels.
Unpleasant smells increase cortisol while smells you find pleasant decrease it.
These synthetic fragrances are made of chemicals that can literally make you sick.
Creative Expression
Spending Time in Nature
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The Best Herbal Supplements To Reduce Cortisol
There are many herbal remedies known to alleviate stress by reducing cortisol.
The following have both long histories of use for stress and the scientific evidence to support that they reduce cortisol in humans.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a traditional Ayurvedic herb used mainly to treat anxiety.
It belongs to a select group of herbs referred to as adaptogens natural remedies that counter the physical and mental effects of stress.
” Ashwagandha excels at stress reduction and decreases cortisol significantly more than many other supplements.
Adaptogens are neither stimulating nor sedating, but bring the body into a state of balance known as homeostasis.
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Arctic Root
Arctic root is another adaptogenic herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to increase vigor and stamina.
It reduces cortisol and increases resilience to stress, but is slightly energizing rather than sedating.
Bacopa
Ginkgo
Cordyceps
How To Treat Adrenal Fatigue
So many people suffer from adrenal fatigue! The three basic tenets involved in healing our adrenals are:
- Diet and healthy lifestyle changes
- Proper supplementation to give our adrenals the nutrients they need to function properly
- Detoxification of heavy metals
Most people are gluten-sensitive, so a gluten-free diet is best. Gluten increases inflammation and weakens our immune response, leading to leaky gut. Because there is a close link between gluten sensitivity and dairy sensitivity, many people need to remove dairy products as well, especially pasteurized dairy. Sugar, alcohol, and caffeine all drive the adrenals to produce more cortisol in the short term, but deplete the adrenal glands in the long term. Finally, having a nutrient-rich diet full of green leafy vegetables and healthy fats support the adrenal glands ability to function properly.
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How To Reduce Cortisol The Stress Hormone
Last updated August 7, 2021.Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.
Chronic stress can lead to an elevated cortisol level, resulting in mental, emotional, and physical health issues. Learn how to reduce cortisol naturally.
If its been awhile since youve felt truly relaxed and happy, you may be suffering from a common modern malady an excess of cortisol.
Cortisol is a major stress hormone that contributes to mental health disorders and a wide range of physical illnesses.
In this article, we review the many proven ways to decrease cortisol naturally.
What Happens When Cortisol Is High
Over the last 20 years, studies have increasingly revealed that moderate to high cortisol levels may lead to an array of health issues, such as :
- Chronic disease. Long-term increased cortisol may increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and other chronic diseases.
- Weight gain. Cortisol may increase appetite and signal the body to shift metabolism to store fat.
- Lack of energy/difficulty sleeping. It can interfere with sleep hormones which may impact sleep quality and length.
- Difficulty concentrating. Also referred to as brain fog, some people report trouble focusing and lack of mental clarity.
- Impaired immune system. Increased cortisol can hamper the immune system, making it more difficult to fight infections.
- Cushings syndrome. In rare cases, very high cortisol levels can lead to Cushings syndrome, a rare but serious disease.
Elevated cortisol levels can be caused from many underlying issues such as overactivity or cancer of the pituitary or adrenal glands, chronic stress, and medication side effects .
Further, existing chronic disease may lead to higher cortisol levels, causing a chicken or the egg type of scenario .
Therefore, its best to work with a qualified health professional to establish the root cause of your health issues. Along with this, you may want to introduce some effective lifestyle habits that may help you better manage your cortisol levels. Here are some recommendations:
Read Also: How To Get Cortisol Levels Checked
What Are The Benefits Of L
L-theanine and ashwagandha are quite complimentary in terms of their benefits, but the mechanisms of action are quite different. Ashwagandha works more on a hormonal level, especially with cortisol. L-theanine works more on the neurotransmitters.
Benefits of L-Theanine:
Here is an interesting study showing that KSM-66 ashwagandha is beneficial for stress and anxiety.
The study concluded that:
high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individuals resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.
Integrative Therapeutics Cortisol Manager
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- Certified vegan. Contains no gluten, dairy, or wheat.
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Cortisol Levels & Weight Gain
If you want to try lowering cortisol naturally, eating a variety of healthy foods may help you lose weight. Because a high cortisol level has been shown to negatively affect metabolism rates and generate abdominal fat, by eating healthier and lowering your cortisol level, you can lose weight more quickly.
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Dosage Form | Tablet | Take 1 capsule 1 to 2 times daily preferably with meals or as directed by a healthcare professional. | Capsule |
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The Best Supplements That Support Healthy Cortisol Levels
Going through a period of prolonged stress and suspect your cortisol levels could use some help or optimization? There are plenty of ways to begin to bring the hormone back to baseline. If you’re looking for a daily supplement to support a robust stress response, these three ingredients have all been shown to support healthy cortisol levels in clinical research:*
How To Reduce Cortisol With Medication:
Natural ways of reducing cortisol provide a safer alternative to cortisol reduction. But, sometimes, no amount of diet or exercise helps, as is the case with Cushing syndrome, which occurs when your body is subjected to high levels of cortisol for a prolonged length of time.
In instances where natural methods dont help, your doctor may recommend medication to lower cortisol.
Tip:Always check with your physician to see what medications, if any, they recommend for cortisol reduction.
Some of the more common medication recommended to treat high levels of cortisol, according to Livestrong.com, include Neuromodulatory Agents, Steroidogenesis Inhibitors, and Cortisol Receptor Antagonists.
-
Neuromodulatory Agents
Medications such as octreotide, bromocriptine, and cyproheptadine modulate the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone, or ACTH, from the pituitary gland. While these drugs achieve their intended results in different ways, studies have suggested that they effectively reduce cortisol production.
-
Steroidogenesis Inhibitors
A steroidgenesis inhibitor reduces the production of cortisol by slowing down one or more of the enzymatic steps involved in the cortisol production process. Some of the more common medications used for this include mitotane, cytadren, and ketoconazole, which inhibit cortisol production in different ways.
-
Cortisol Receptor Antagonists
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- HIGH POTENCY: Adaptogen Elite contains 1,455mg of adaptogenic herb and root extracts, with 60 capsules per bottle .
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Natural Ways To Lower Your Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is a stress hormone the adrenal glands release. It helps your body deal with stressful situations, as your brain triggers its release through the sympathetic nervous system the fight or flight system in response to many different kinds of stress .
While the short-term release of cortisol can help you run quickly from danger, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, this hormone can hurt you more than it helps .
Over time, this can lead to an array of health issues such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia or difficulty sleeping, mood irregularities, and low energy levels (
This article discusses 11 ways to help naturally lower your cortisol levels.
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Phosphaditylserine To Reduce Cortisol
In simple words, phosphatidylserine is a type of fat that can be found in every cell membrane of the human body. It also contains the mineral phosphorus. Several human studies have found out that phosphatidylserine improves cognitive function, attention and memory. Plus, PS is one of the top supplements for reducing cortisol, fatigue, ADHD symptoms and cognitive decline.
Phosphatidylserine has countless human results, along with an FDA-approved health claim regarding its ability to reverse neurodegenerative disease in humans. This is due to its naturally potent action on nourishing the brains neurotransmitters, hormonal health and mental health. You can’t go wrong with taking phosphatidylserine to reduce cortisol levels. This is at the top of the list for a reason, which is why we added it to our natural cortisol-lowering supplement, Cortigon.
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Is It Risky To Take L
According to FDA, L-theanine supplement is generally recognized as safe. Thats means that FDA recognizes it as a supplement for human consumption if its used as per its packaging directions.
Nevertheless, breastfeeding or pregnant mothers, people with blood pressure and children are advised to seek go-ahead from their doctors before starting to take l-theanine supplement:
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How To Discuss Sleep With Your Patients
L-theanine may help boost other cognitive skills. Research shows L-theanine can increase attention span and reaction time in people who are prone to anxiety. It may help improve accuracyone study shows that taking L-theanine reduced the number of errors made in a test of attention.
Sometimes, L-theanine is used with caffeine to enhance cognitive skills. Studies show that combinations of L-theanine and caffeine can improve attention span, enhance the ability to process visual information, and increase accuracy when switching from one task to another.
Helping maintain a healthy weight. The anti-anxiety and sleep-promoting abilities of L-theanine may help people to maintain a healthy weight. After all, getting enough sleep and limiting stress are both key to sticking with a healthy diet and avoiding weight gain.
L-theanine may also play a more direct role in weight maintenance. Theres scientific evidence indicating L-theanine may help to limit fat accumulation and weight gain as well as protect against obesity.
Stress And Your Hormones

When youre stressed, your adrenal glands start pumping out a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can be really useful in life or death situations. It increases your blood sugar, giving you the energy you need to either fight the threat you face or flee from it. It slows down other body processes to direct everything youve got to the threat at hand.
To give you that extra boost of energy, cortisol stops other bodily functions that arent essential in an emergency situation, like immune response, digestion, and reproduction. This is no big deal if the stress is temporary. But if you have high levels of stress daily, it becomes a serious problem that impacts your fertility and your health.
Chronic stress can interfere with your body making the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can stop reproduction.
Beyond your fertility, high cortisol levels weaken your immune system, put you at risk for diabetes, and contribute to obesity. High cortisol is also tied to mood problems and, of course, anxiety.
Regardless of where your problem starts with stress or with your hormones it eventually becomes a vicious cycle. Stress continues to drive your hormonal imbalance, and your hormonal imbalance makes you feel more stressed.
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