Top 10 Best ️‍Natural Ways to Lower Your Cortisol Levels | cortisol reducer

Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands. It helps your body cope with stressful situations because your brain triggers its release from the sympathetic nervous system - the (fight or flight) system - in response to many types of stress.

While the short-term release of cortisol can help you run away from danger quickly, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, this hormone can hurt you more than it helps.

Over time, this can lead to a range of health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia or sleep disturbances, mood irregularities, and low energy levels.

This article discusses 10 ways to help naturally lower your cortisol levels.

What happens when cortisol is high?

Over the past 20 years, studies have increasingly found that moderate to high cortisol levels can lead to an array of health problems, such as :

Chronic disease. A long-term increase in cortisol can increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and other chronic diseases.

Weight gain. Cortisol can increase appetite and signal the body to change metabolism to store fat.

Lack of energy/difficulty sleeping. It can interfere with sleep hormones, which can impact the quality and duration of sleep.

Difficulty concentrating. Also referred to as (brain fog) some people report difficulty concentrating and a lack of mental clarity.

Weakened immune system. An increase in cortisol can hamper the immune system, making it harder to fight infections.

Cushing's syndrome. In rare cases, very high cortisol levels can lead to Cushing's syndrome, a rare but serious condition.

High levels of cortisol can be caused by many underlying problems such as hyperactivity or cancer of the pituitary or adrenal glands, chronic stress, and side effects of medications (eg, prednisone, hormone therapy).

Additionally, existing chronic conditions (eg, obesity) can lead to higher cortisol levels, causing a (chicken or egg) type scenario.

Therefore, it is best to work with a qualified healthcare professional to determine the root cause of your health problems. Along with this, you may want to introduce effective lifestyle habits that can help you better manage your cortisol levels. Here are some recommendations:

1. Get the right amount of sleep

Get the right amount of sleep

Prioritizing your sleep can be an effective way to lower cortisol levels. Chronic sleep problems such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, or shiftwork have been linked to higher cortisol levels.

A review of 28 studies of shift workers found that cortisol levels were higher in workers who slept during the day (night shift workers) rather than at night (day shift workers).

Those who work shifts have been linked to poorer health outcomes, such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and worsening mental health.

Additionally, insomnia is a sleeping condition that refers to difficulty sleeping. It can be caused by many factors, including stress and obstructive sleep apnea. This can lead to an increase in circulating cortisol which affects your daily hormonal patterns, energy levels, and other facets of health.

If you work nights or on a rotating basis, you don't have full control over your sleep schedule, but there are things you can do to optimize sleep :

• Have a bedtime routine. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine (e.g. taking a shower, reading a book, etc.) can tell your brain and body to start relaxing for the night.

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. A regular sleep schedule has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to improve sleep.

• Exercise earlier in the day. Regular exercise can improve the quality of sleep but should be done at least 2-3 hours before bed.

• Limit your caffeine intake. Try to stop consuming caffeinated foods and drinks about 6 hours before bed.

• Avoid nicotine and alcohol. Both substances can affect the quality and duration of sleep.

• Limit exposure to bright light at night. About 45 to 60 minutes before sleeping, reduce your exposure to bright and/or blue light. Instead of grabbing your phone in bed, try reading a book or listening to a podcast.

• Go to sleep in a quiet room. Limit interruptions by using white noise, earplugs, and silencing your phone.

• Take a nap. If shiftwork shortens your sleep hours, napping can reduce drowsiness and prevent sleep deficit. That said, napping can worsen the quality of sleep in non-shift workers.

Good sleep hygiene can help keep cortisol at a normal rate. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine 6 hours before bed, and not using your cell phone right before bed are effective strategies.

2. Exercise, but not too much

Exercise, but not too much

Depending on the intensity of the exercise, it can increase or decrease cortisol.

Strenuous exercise increases cortisol soon after but will decrease a few hours later. This short-term increase helps coordinate the growth of the body to meet the challenge. Additionally, the size of the cortisol response decreases with routine training.

Regular exercise has been shown in numerous studies to help improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and improve overall health, which may help reduce cortisol over time.

Interestingly, regular exercise has also been linked to greater resilience to acute stress and may reduce negative health effects associated with stress, such as high cortisol levels .

That said, doing too much can have the opposite effect. Therefore, aim for around 150-200 minutes of mostly light to moderate exercise each week and allow yourself time to rest between workouts.

Regular exercise can help you manage stress better and promote good health, which can help lower cortisol levels. That said, avoid overdoing it and aim for around 150 to 200 minutes of light to moderate-intensity exercise each week.

3. Learn to recognize stressful thinking

Learn to recognize stressful thinking

Paying attention to stressful thoughts can help you reduce them.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a strategy that involves becoming more aware of stressful thoughts, accepting them without judgment or resistance, and allowing yourself the ability to process them.

Training to be aware of your thoughts, breathing, heart rate, and other signs of stress helps you recognize stress when it starts.

By focusing on being aware of your mental and physical state, you can become an objective observer of your stressful thoughts, instead of falling victim to them.

Recognizing stressful thoughts allows you to formulate a conscious and deliberate reaction to them. For example, a study involving 43 women in a mindfulness-based program showed that the ability to describe and articulate stress was linked to a weaker cortisol response.

Other studies have also shown a drop in cortisol levels after regular mindfulness practice.
Therefore, try adding a mindfulness-based practice to your daily routine for better stress management and reduced cortisol levels.

Practicing mindfulness can help you identify stressful thoughts and better deal with them. Mindfulness-based practices such as meditation can help you reduce stress and lower cortisol levels.

4. Breathe

Breathe

Deep breathing is a simple stress-reduction technique that can be used anywhere. Similar to mindfulness-based practice, controlled breathing helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, known as the 'rest and digestion' system, which helps lower cortisol levels.

Studies have shown a decrease in cortisol after participants incorporate deep breathing into their routines.

This type of practice is popular in mindfulness-based practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong, where the emphasis is on breathing and the body-mind connection.

Numerous studies confirm that these practices can help reduce cortisol and manage stress.

Deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and lowering cortisol levels. Meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong are all great ways to practice deep breathing.

5. Have fun and laugh

Have fun and laugh

Another way to lower cortisol is to have fun and laughter.

Laughter promotes the release of endorphins and suppresses stress hormones such as cortisol. It's also linked to better mood, reduced stress and perceived pain, lower blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.

Interestingly, genuine, forced laughter can reduce stress levels.

For example, laughter yoga - a form of yoga that promotes deliberate bursts of laughter - has been shown to lower cortisol levels, reduce stress, improve mood, and increase perceived energy levels.

Developing hobbies can also promote a sense of well-being, which can lead to lower cortisol levels. A study of 49 middle-aged veterans found that gardening lowered levels more than conventional occupational therapy.

Another study of 1,399 people found lower cortisol levels in those who regularly engaged in hobbies they really enjoyed.

Finally, studies have also shown that relaxing music can lower cortisol.

Looking after your own happiness can help lower cortisol levels. If you're feeling stressed out, try listening to music or making yourself laugh.

6. Maintain healthy relationships

Maintain healthy relationships

Friends and family are a source of great happiness in life, as well as great stress. These dynamics play out in cortisol levels.

Cortisol is incorporated in small amounts in your hair. The amounts of cortisol along a hair correspond to the levels of cortisol when that part of the hair was growing. This allows researchers to estimate levels over time.

Studies of cortisol in a hair show that children with stable, warm home lives have lower levels than children from high conflict homes.

In couples, conflict leads to a short-term rise in cortisol, followed by a return to normal levels.

A study of conflict styles in 88 couples found that mindfulness without judgment led to a faster return of cortisol to normal levels after an argument. Therefore, practicing compassion and empathy towards your partner - and recovering them - can better manage your cortisol levels.

Support from loved ones can also help reduce cortisol in the face of stress.

For example, one study found that having a loving interaction (verbal or physical) with a romantic partner or platonic friend before stressful activity resulted in a decrease in stress-induced markers such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Relationships with friends and family can lead to happiness and stress. Spend time with those you love and learn to forgive and deal with conflict for better emotional and physical health.

7. Take care of a pet

Take care of a pet

Relationships with pets can also lower cortisol.

In one study, interaction with a therapy dog ​​reduced distress and cortisol during a minor medical procedure in children.

Another study in 48 adults showed that contact with a dog was better than support from a friend during a socially stressful situation.

A third study tested the cortisol-reducing effect of canine companionship in pet owners versus non-pet owners.

The latter group experienced a greater drop in cortisol when given canine companions, likely because the pet owners had already benefited from their pets' friendship at the start of the study.

Due to the well-known stress-reducing benefits of pets, many long-term care homes and university/college campuses have introduced pet therapy as a natural cortisol and stress-reducing activity.

Several studies show that interaction with a pet reduces stress and lowers cortisol levels. Even if you don't own a pet, interacting with another person's pet can provide similar benefits.

8. Be your best self

Be your best self

Feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy can lead to negative thoughts and high cortisol levels.

For some causes of guilt, fixing the source will mean changing your life. For other causes, learning to forgive and accept yourself and others can help you move forward and improve your sense of well-being.

Developing a habit of forgiving others is also essential in relationships.

A study of 145 couples compared the effects of different types of marriage counseling. Couples who received forgiveness interventions and conflict resolution techniques experienced reduced cortisol levels.

Resolving guilt improves life satisfaction and cortisol levels. This may involve changing your habits, forgiving others, or learning to forgive yourself.

9. Tend to your spirituality

Tend to your spirituality

If you consider yourself to be spiritual, developing your faith can also help improve cortisol levels.

Studies show that adults who have expressed spiritual faith have experienced lower cortisol levels in the face of stressors such as illness.

Prayer is also associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.

If you do not see yourself as spiritual, these benefits may also be available through meditation, developing a social support group, and performing acts of kindness.

For those with spiritual inclinations, developing faith and participating in prayer can help manage cortisol. Whether you are spiritual or not, performing acts of kindness can also improve your cortisol levels.

10. Eat a nutritious diet

Eat a nutritious diet

Nutrition can influence cortisol for better or for worse.

While all foods can be eaten in moderation, being mindful of the foods you eat can alleviate symptoms of stress and help you better manage your cortisol levels.

Regular high consumption of added sugar can lead to high levels of cortisol. Interestingly, a diet high in sugar can also suppress the release of cortisol during stressful events, making it harder for your body to deal with stressful situations.

Additionally, one study found that a diet high in added sugars, refined grains, and saturated fat resulted in significantly higher cortisol levels compared to a diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and polyunsaturated fats.

Research has shown a strong relationship between a healthy gut microbiome - all the microbes living in your gut - and better mental health. Therefore, consuming foods to support a healthy gut can help reduce stress, anxiety, and improve your overall health.

Other helpful foods for managing cortisol include:

• Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains a high amount of flavonoids, which have been shown to attenuate stress reactivity in the adrenal glands, resulting in decreased release of cortisol.

• Whole grains. Unlike refined grains, whole grains are high in polyphenols and plant-derived fiber, which can promote stress levels and gut health.

• Legumes and lentils. They are high in fiber, which promotes a healthy gut while controlling blood sugar.

• Whole fruits and vegetables. Whole fruits and vegetables contain an abundance of antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds that fight free radicals that damage cells.

• Green tea. Green tea contains a calming compound known as L-theanine, which has been linked to reduced stress and increased mental alertness.

• Probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are friendly, symbiotic bacteria found in foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Prebiotics, like soluble fiber, provide food for these bacteria. Both probiotics and prebiotics are linked to better gut and mental health.

• Healthy fats. A diet high in unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat is associated with better overall health and mental well-being. In particular, omega-3 fatty acids are better linked to brain health and stress reduction. Good sources include oily fish, nuts, and seeds.

• The water. Dehydration has been linked to a temporary increase in cortisol levels, which makes it even more important to drink water throughout the day.

For better gut and mental health, choose a diet rich in nutrients and high in whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics.

Conclusion

Cortisol is a hormone that is released during times of stress. Although important for responding to physiological and psychological stressors, chronically high cortisol levels can lead to poor health.

In addition to talking to a healthcare professional, adopting healthier lifestyle habits can help lower your cortisol levels naturally.

If you're looking for a natural way to lower your cortisol levels and overall stress, be sure to try the simple lifestyle tips above.