Too much stress can be hard on your body. Here's how supplements can help.
When it comes to preventative health recommendations, few are more common than admonitions to get one's stress levels down. Such recommendations make sense considering that experiencing too much stress has been linked to a host of adverse health outcomes like premature aging, poor sleep quality and hair loss to digestive issues, a weakened immune system and even cardiovascular disease.
While there are many ways of measuring how much stress a person may be dealing with, the most reliable biomarker for stress estimation is one's cortisol levels.
Here's what cortisol is, and how it can be lowered or better regulated through lifestyle modifications or dietary changes related to food or supplementation.
What is cortisol?
Often referred to as the "stress hormone," cortisol is an important hormone that the body produces in the adrenal glands, which are located atop the kidneys. Because the chemical is triggered whenever you experience a stressful event and supports the body's fight-or-flight response, it's often thought of in a negative way.
But its production can also be a good thing as cortisol helps to "regulate metabolism, improve focus and provide energy," says Amy Goodson, a nutritionist and registered dietitian at The Sports Nutrition Playbook. It also plays a role in maintaining healthy blood pressure and in stabilizing blood sugar levels.
What makes the hormone worrisome is when it's released too often or for extended periods of time. "Cortisol is good in the short-term, but if cortisol levels remain high for too long, it can start to have detrimental effects," says Marc Dingman, a biobehavioral health scientist at the Pennsylvania State University.
How to lower cortisol
Avoiding overproduction of cortisol starts by avoiding the things that cause stress and by employing relaxation techniques such as "deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness," says Goodson. She adds that regularly engaging in moderate-intensity exercise can also help regulate the hormone—and prioritizing seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night "can also help balance cortisol levels."
Dingman adds that psychotherapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and increasing your amount of social interaction are also proven ways to lower your cortisol levels. Learning effective time-management skills, listening to soothing music, spending more time in nature and positive self-talk are other examples of "a number of stress-relieving techniques that are effective in managing stress," he says.
What supplements lower cortisol?
Balanced dietary choices and supplementation can also play a role in reducing stress. This starts with cutting down on sugar and caffeine intake and "avoiding substances like alcohol and nicotine," Dingman says.
Eating more of the foods associated with stress reduction is also important. "Foods that may help reduce cortisol levels include dark leafy greens because they are rich in magnesium and B vitamins, fatty fish that are high in omega-3s, citrus fruits and bell peppers because they are high in vitamin C and complex carbohydrates like whole grains because they help stabilize blood sugar," Goodson says. She also praises probiotic foods like Greek yogurt and kefir for supporting gut health and recommends getting enough dairy, lean meat and eggs.
These nutrients in supplement form can also be helpful to take if recommended by one's primary care provider or dietitian. "The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil supplements may help regulate stress and inflammation, potentially lowering cortisol," says Goodson. "And taking magnesium could also play a role in relaxation and may help lower cortisol levels, particularly in individuals with deficiencies."
She adds that B vitamins like B5, B6, B9 and B12 support adrenal function and neurotransmitter production, "which can help regulate cortisol levels and reduce stress." And Dingman points to supplements like phosphatidylserine and ashwagandha for being helpful in modulating the body's stress response.
While taking any such supplements may be helpful, "supplementation should not be the first or only approach to managing stress," advises Goodson. "It’s best to focus on dietary improvements and lifestyle changes first as supplements are not a substitute for healthy habits."