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Yes, some TikTok hacks are game-changers, but not everything you see on TikTok should be trusted completely. One current trend circulating on TikTok is the cortisol cocktail: a (supposedly) tasty non-alcoholic cocktail of different juices, waters, and nutrients that influencers claim to reduce cortisol levels. The drink’s proponents insist it’s hydrating, replenishes electrolytes and energy levels, helps with weight loss, and most notably reduces stress. One TikTok user claims this is the perfect summertime beverage, as “lowering your cortisol levels is the easiest way to have a big glow up.” However, medical professionals want you to know this drink has no scientific backing, meaning there’s currently no proof of this drink actually reducing cortisol levels and, ultimately, reducing stress.
One 2023 study shows 49% of all Americans report frequently experiencing stress and that 69% of women between ages 18-49 frequently experience stress. Experiencing stress, particularly high stress, frequently can affect sleep quality, hormone and anxiety levels, blood pressure, and immunity, so naturally anything that claims to help manage stress may seem highly desirable. Nonetheless, the cortisol cocktail isn’t the end-all-be-all remedy you’re looking for.
Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University, suspects a large majority of the cocktail’s consumers may be experiencing the placebo effect. Wen told CNN she believes people “may genuinely feel better simply because they believe they are doing something beneficial for their health” and the act of making and drinking the cocktail is calming in itself due to its ritualistic nature. While benefits like consuming essential vitamins and minerals come with drinking a cortisol cocktail, if you’re looking to reduce stress, many medical professionals suggest exercising regularly, maintaining good sleep hygiene, participating in intentional mindfulness practices, and eating a balanced diet instead.
Understanding cortisol and the cocktail’s ingredients
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Users on TikTok have made the cocktail with coconut water, orange and lemon juice, (chelated) magnesium powder, sea salt, and sparkling water. Coconut water is rich in potassium and antioxidants, orange and lemon juice are high in vitamin C, magnesium may improve mood and sleep quality, and salt provides the body with essential minerals such as sodium. Other TikTok users have used packets filled with a mixture of ashwagandha, l-theanine, magnesium, vitamin D3, and beetroot powder to concoct the cocktail. The combination of any of these ingredients can enrich the nutrient profile of the beverage, yet the blend should not be relied on to reduce cortisol nor stress levels nevertheless.
There has been much online communication about so-called adrenal fatigue: a phenomenon in which stress overpowers the adrenal glands, causing people to feel drained physically and mentally and makes managing daily life unbearable. While cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands, leading many to believe a cortisol cocktail would reduce adrenal fatigue, Wen adamantly states this phenomenon is not recognized as a medical diagnosis despite validating the symptoms associated with it.
Drinking a cortisol cocktail should not be substituted for seeking medical attention. The symptoms experienced by someone yearning for the beverage’s efficacy may be a result of other, unrelated medical issues. If you are experiencing high stress and-or high cortisol levels, consult with a doctor before you become a makeshift bartender.