Content creators are selling powders to supposedly address high cortisol levels, which they say cause puffy face and waist. Northeastern experts share the truth behind cortisol.
Spend a few minutes scrolling social media and you’ll likely come across videos about cortisol.
Facebook, TikTok and other apps are littered with videos with people talking about the signs of high cortisol such as poor sleep, belly fat and having a round “moon face.”
Equally prevalent are videos advertising different hacks to lower your levels, including drink mixes that will allegedly help address the litany of symptoms associated with the condition.
But is having high cortisol as common as those content creators make it seem? And can something as simple as a drink mix help solve all the issues allegedly caused by it?
Northeastern University experts say no.
“I doubt the validity of any of these powders,” said Ram Hariharan, data science faculty member and director of programs for the College of Engineering at Northeastern’s Seattle campus.
Cortisol is a hormone that regulates the storage and mobilization of energy, said Elizabeth Bachen, a psychology professor at Northeastern University who studies how stress affects one’s health. It also helps balance immune activity, supports the sympathetic nervous system and aids in memory.
Bachen said cortisol is part of the HPA axis, a system that helps the body respond to stress.
Usually, in these situations, the elevated cortisol will reach the hippocampus and the pituitary gland where there are a lot of cortisol receptors. Once the body realizes that its cortisol levels are too high, it will slow down the production of other hormones until the levels go down.
“Our bodies have a natural way of regulating our cortisol response,” Bachen said. “Once our levels are good, it shuts down the production and release of cortisol from our adrenal glands.”
But there can be negative consequences for this. Bachen said that under chronic or recurring stress, functioning of the HPA axis can become compromised and lead to cardiovascular disease and hypertension, rheumatic diseases, insulin resistance and diabetes, slower wound healing, cognitive decline, and risk for other diseases associated with underlying inflammation.
While social media might make it seem like a common occurrence, high cortisol levels are usually associated with chronic or prolonged stress, Bachen said. This is usually prompted by an extreme event like childhood trauma, being in combat or serving as a caregiver for several years.
Daily stressors, despite the feeling they might cause, don’t necessarily lead to a rise in cortisol, Bachen said. In fact, something to relieve stress, like an increase in physical activity, could lead to a rise in cortisol instead. But these levels usually adjust.
“It would be a mistake to just say that the typical kinds of stressors that we encounter in our lives, like sitting in traffic or meeting work deadlines are going to lead to these really adverse outcomes associated with cortisol,” Bachen said. “Everyone defines (extreme stress) differently. But we’re talking about chronic, severe forms of stress.”
Cushing syndrome can also cause high cortisol, said Hariharan. Symptoms of this condition are weight gain in the face and belly, high blood sugar and blood pressure, and a fat hump between shoulders.
This syndrome is common among people between the ages of 20 and 50, which is also the demographic often talking about cortisol online, Hariharan said. But Cushing syndrome is relatively rare, Hariharan added, affecting about 10 to 15 adults per million.
Hariharan encourages people who suspect this is an issue to see their doctor where a spit, blood or urine test can be used to measure their levels.
But as enticing as they may seem, the drink powders and social media hacks won’t address the problem.
“I’ve never heard of powder doing anything to cortisol, ever,” Bachen said.
If someone is concerned about weight gain, poor sleep or any of the other “symptoms” of high cortisol, Bachen said they might benefit from larger life changes.
“Cortisol production is only one part of the stress response,” she said. “In general, I would say that instead of worrying about cortisol itself, people should recognize its importance to survival and overall functioning of the body, and focus more on overall health and well-being, including finding adaptive ways to reduce and cope with stress, maintain important social ties, eat a healthy diet and get regular physical activity and sufficient sleep.”