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Spend enough time on the wellness side of TikTok, and odds are youre going to hear about cortisol.
Getty Images/Amanda K Bailey
Specifically, the idea that your body should have a lot less of it.
But is it even possible to meaningfully change your cortisol levels with a supplement?
We tapped experts and dove into the science to find the truth behind this trend.
How does cortisol affect your body, and should you even worry about having high levels?
Cortisols rep as the stress hormone makes it seem like the bad guy.
Most famously, cortisol is a key player in your body when things start to go awry emotionallyorphysically.
Say you had to run from a bear, Dr. Kumar says.
You see the bear, your cortisol goes up and tells your brain, Hey!
Make this person react, move, go!
Supplements, shampoos, and serums that offer impressive results are everywhere right now.
Supplements are talked about like theyre super well-studied, like theyll have this very specific result.
And thats just not true.
Take ashwagandha, an evergreen shrub indigenous to tropical areas in Asia and Africa.
The medicinal plant is the star ingredient of every popular cortisol-related supplement that SELF evaluated.
But he says magnesium is a small cog in the wheel of your bodys stress response.
With so many potential variables at play, hes skeptical about the minerals ability to impact your mood.
But current evidence shows they likely dont have adirectimpact on your bodys cortisol.
Similarly, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory effects and has been linked to improved sleep and reduced depression symptoms.
But again, thats not the same thing as directly influencing cortisol production.
experiments done on cells in a test tube) or rodent studies.
But even if its benefits are the real deal, Dr. None of these supplements [are likely to] directly lower cortisol, argues Dr. Kumar.
And remember, trying to lower your cortisol levels wouldnt necessarily fix whatever problem youre attributing to it.
As Byrne puts it: The root cause of someones stress is not a lack of ashwagandha.
Stress is complicated and multifactorial.
And if thats the case, its important to reflect on how youre tending to your bodys basic needs.
Behavioral things go a long way toward managing stress, Dr.
Balk says, like getting enough movement or trying meditation and othermindfulness practiceslike deep breathing.
This could signal a health condition like Cushings syndrome and require more testing and specific treatment.
Theres no simple solution to stress, particularly if its impacting your ability to function and thrive.
But shelling out major bucks for supplements wont be as effective as tried-and-true lifestyle changes.
So stash your moneyand focus on getting back to the basics.
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