Anyone who knows me knows I don’t handle stress well, and given the negative impact prolonged periods of stress can have on physical and mental health, it’s important to find healthy ways to reduce stress levels where you can. For me, it’s usually spending time with loved ones or exercising. I’ll also never say no to a cookie.
I recently heard about the TikTok craze “cortisol cocktails” via a friend. She told me that sipping at a simple cortisol cocktail recipe could be beneficial for my stress, so I decided to try it out.
I’m always keen to try new recipes, as I find spending time in the kitchen quite relaxing. This way, I thought, I get to combine the relaxing activity of making a mocktail with the benefits of potentially cortisol-kicking ingredients.
Usually, I would avoid fitness fads like the plague, but given that the ingredients she directed me to are all natural, I thought, what’s the harm?
I also want to stress (pun intended) that before I talk about what I learned from drinking cortisol cocktails, I chose to only briefly consult an expert after this experiment. If you plan to try this yourself, always check the ingredients first and seek advice if unsure.
Here’s what happened.
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone released by the body in response to a stressor, whatever that might be. It’s produced by the adrenal glands, and isn’t (in itself) a bad thing. We actually need cortisol, as it’s a survival response that would have helped our ancestors escape danger, and it’s crucial for the nervous system.
Cortisol helps regulate your response to stress, metabolism, blood pressure, blood sugar and sleep. That said, the modern world overwhelms us all with potential stressors that aren’t lions chasing us (life-threatening stress), which means the nervous system can become unbalanced, leaving us exhausted and our hormones out of whack. Lifestyle choices can make stress worse — take a lack of sleep or exercise, for example.
In the name of hormonal balance, I hoped a cortisol cocktail would help me.
I started drinking cortisol cocktails — here’s what I noticed
I’ve been making more of an effort to reduce my alcohol intake. Functional health drinks have skyrocketed in popularity lately, with anything from adaptogen coffees to CBD sparkling water replacing alcohol in many people’s refrigerators.
It was only a matter of time before someone decided that a mocktail could reduce stress and inflammation and boost well-being. But does it?
Here’s the recipe I followed, courtesy of TikTok. I’ve left the amounts out, as I tend to just wing it:
- Coconut water
- Orange juice
- Cream of tartar (optional, and I didn’t use it)
- Magnesium powder
- Himalayan salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Half a lemon
- Sparkling water (optional).
It tastes unbelievable — and contains a lot of the good stuff
There are health benefits to consuming lemon, salt, magnesium, oranges and coconuts, but that aside, this drink tasted delicious, so it wasn’t hard to stick to the combination, and the ingredients don’t break the bank, either, when sourced locally.
Drinking lemon water, or just consuming lemons in general, provides the body with essential vitamin C; alongside oranges (which support the adrenals) and other citrus fruits like grapefruit, it provides the compound flavonoids, helping to fight inflammation and disease.
Coconut water is great for hydration, which supports many bodily processes, plus it tastes good. Then there’s salt, which catches a bad rep, but is actually very good for the body in moderation. Sodium is a mineral and electrolyte that maintains fluid balance while supporting nerve and muscle function, and adding salt to your water daily can also help you stay hydrated and retain minerals if you tend to pee a lot.
If that’s not enough, cayenne pepper is thought to help boost metabolism and digestion, plus it has a high vitamin and mineral content. Finally, magnesium supports sleep and muscle repair.
With all that knowledge behind me, I felt smug sipping away at my daily mocktail.
I felt more hydrated and energized
Not too long ago, I got into making immunity cubes — 4 chopped lemons, a stick of fresh ginger, cracked black pepper and fresh chilli, blended — and freezing them. I add hot water to these cubes in the morning, and it helps me out a little through the winter. Placebo or not, I can’t go without.
I saw my daily cortisol cocktail as a summer alternative that helped put a skip in my step and felt more indulgent than water. You can zhuzh it up with sprigs of mint or a handful of crushed ice, and it only takes five minutes of prep.
Drank first thing in the morning? Yes, I did feel slightly more energized and hydrated during the day, but this didn't replace my coffee.
Dr. Renee Young is a licensed naturopathic doctor and the founder of Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness, a provider of alternative healthcare solutions to patients in the U.S. and internationally. For over 20 years, she's been helping patients solve complex health challenges, especially in the areas of hormone health, autoimmune conditions, and longevity medicine.
"The goal is to give the adrenal glands an easy supply of glucose, sodium, potassium and vitamin C right after waking, when cortisol is naturally high," says Dr. Renee Young, a licensed naturopathic doctor and founder of Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness.
"A small sugar boost helps stabilize blood sugar, the minerals replace what was lost overnight and vitamin C supports the enzymes that make and recycle stress hormones.
"Sodium and potassium feed the aldosterone pathway that supports blood pressure and fluid balance, and many people notice less dizziness and better energy when they get these minerals in early."
She adds that the quick carbohydrate from juice "tops up liver glycogen," and signals to the brain that fuel is available, which may curb cravings.
It hasn’t balanced my hormones — as far as I know
Unsurprisingly, I’m not healed from stress. That said, like I mentioned earlier, cortisol isn’t inherently bad, but it’s about finding balance.
While I didn’t change anything else during the time I made these mocktails, I would probably prioritize exercise (even if it’s just some form of daily movement outdoors), a balanced diet high in protein, sleep and breathwork first.
Sure, that’s harder work than drinking a mocktail, but generally, the best things for your health do take consistent work. However, this drink helped me boost hydration and topped up my vitamin and mineral intake.
Verdict
From a naturopathic view, Dr. Young says gentle support makes sense "when it's part of a bigger plan." But she recommends it as a short-term tool alongside longer-term habits that support your nervous system.
How you set yourself up for the day is important, and an early morning ritual can help instill positive habits and boost energy levels. A cortisol cocktail is a quick way to add a healthy habit, and it certainly brightened up my mornings.
"For most healthy adults, this cocktail works well as a mid-morning pick-me-up, provided it’s swapped in for, not added on top of, other sugary drinks. It’s a helper, not a fix," says Dr. Young, who recommends blood sugar control, mineral-rich meals, deep sleep, and light exposure early in the day.
"Real stress recovery still depends on regular meals, movement, and rest. And of course, anyone managing diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney issues should check in with a clinician, since added sugar and salt may not be the right fit for every situation."
If you think you might be deficient, managing a condition, or your hormones are unbalanced, visiting a hormone specialist or your physician should be your first port of call, using tweaks like these happy mocktails as support.
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