Why social media is obsessed with cortisol

Warnings about "cortisol face" and "cortisol belly", caused by stress, are starting to give a vital hormone a bad reputation on social media.

A "cortisol cocktail" is being touted online but can it tackle cortisol and should we even want it to?

How cortisol got a 'bad rep'

Cortisol is one of several hormones that help regulate how our body responds to stress. It's produced by the adrenal glands and is an essential hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body, doing all sorts of important tasks including regulating how your body uses sugar for energy, decreasing inflammation, controlling blood pressure and helping optimise your sleep-wake cycle.

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We actually "couldn't live" without cortisol, because it's a "necessary mechanism of survival", said Vogue, but it has still managed to develop a "bad rep" in the wellness community, leading to a range of suggestions on how to counter it, including the "cortisol cocktail".

The ingredients of the cocktail vary but they generally include half a cup each of orange juice and coconut water, roughly one-quarter of a teaspoon of salt, and extra potassium or magnesium powders.

"Proponents" of the drink believe it can reduce high cortisol levels and assist with "adrenal fatigue", said The Independent. This allegedly leads to a "range of benefits", including "reduced stress" and "improved energy levels".

But there are question marks over the drink's effectiveness because it's "unlikely to meaningfully lower your cortisol levels". It's "high in sugar and salt", and excessive salt intake should especially be avoided by people with high blood pressure, while the high sugar content means the cocktail may not be suitable for people with diabetes.

The best way to keep our cortisol levels healthy is simply to reduce stress, using techniques such as mindfulness, meditation and relaxation. Anti-inflammatory foods and healthy sleep can also help, said Vogue. Being "focussed on the moment" can "help change the structure of the brain and improve stress resilience", said Ruth Clegg, the BBC's health and wellbeing reporter.

'Outlandish advice'

But the messages of doom about cortisol continue to spread. "I feel like warnings about cortisol" have "hijacked my social media accounts", said Clegg. It is the "latest devil to rise to the fore on social media", said Men's Health, and it's "increasingly gaining a bad reputation".

Warnings abound from personal trainers who "will tell you to avoid long runs" because they can lead to "cortisol belly", said The Guardian, and influencers say "cortisol face" is down to "too much pressure in the office".

But cortisol is actually a "hero among hormones" and "something to celebrate", so you can "happily ignore" much of the "outlandish advice". We should "forget cortisol belly, cortisol face and cortisol-reducing cocktails" because, without cortisol, we "wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning".