Best Supplements to Reduce Cortisol?

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What are the Best Supplements to Reduce Cortisol?

This blog post was inspired by a great question about cortisol, the stress hormone, and adrenal adaptogens vs. L-Theanine and which are the best supplements to reduce cortisol?

Both have been used as supplements to lower cortisol but they have very different impacts on your body.  They can safely be used together or separately depending on your needs.

It’s a great question because understanding cortisol and how to reset it is crucial for combating chronic health issues, inflammation, reversing autoimmune disease and preventing it.

 

👇 symptoms that indicate cortisol (stress hormone) levels are off 👇

 

 

Cortisol and the Importance of Relaxation Techniques

Cortisol can get disrupted and stuck in stress mode, leading to a long list of health issues.

It is vital to engage in daily relaxation activities like:

• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Meditation
• Repetitive prayer
• Deep breathing exercises
• Progressive muscle relaxation

The science is clear — it’s the daily consistency with these relaxation techniques that provide you with the most benefits.  Five minutes a day of meditation is better than 30 to 60 minutes a few times a week.

These relaxation activities create calm in the body and help lower cortisol if it is too high and bring it up if it is too low.

Remember, when it comes to cortisol, there is a sweet spot right in the middle. Just like with blood pressure or blood sugar, you don’t want to be too high or too low. Shifting from a “stuck in the stress mode” to the relaxation mode.

Relaxation techniques  also have a profound impact on optimizing epigenetics by turning off bad genes and turning on good genes in every cell of the body.

Harvard did a study that documented how daily meditation optimizes epigenetics and does it very quickly. The researchers rechecked epigenetics after only eight weeks of teaching people how to do meditation.

Researchers found the meditators were already flipping hundreds of genes the right way and stated this is exactly what you want to do to treat and prevent all types of autoimmune and chronic disease.

 

Addressing Physical Stress

In addition to relaxation techniques, it is essential to address the physical stressors causing cortisol imbalances.

These can include:

• infections
• vitamin deficiencies
• hormone imbalances
• gut disruptions
• food sensitivities.

Addressing these factors can also help balance cortisol to move from stress mode to relaxation mode.

 

Nutraceutical Quality Supplements for Stress and Anxiety — is a MUST !!!

When taking a cortisol supplement (or any supplement for stress and anxiety) the best is always a high-quality, nutraceutical-grade cortisol supplement, like the ones found in my online store.

 

WHY are nutraceutical supplements important?

Before selling to the public, pharmaceutical companies are legally required to test their products for purity and content.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the over-the-counter supplement industry. That’s why most over-the-counter supplements are of such poor quality – they don’t contain what they should and may even include harmful substances.

Nutraceutical-grade supplements are made by companies that subject their products to rigorous independent testing to ensure purity, effectiveness and accurate labeling before they’re released to the public.

This ensures your body is getting exactly what it is expecting and nothing hidden or harmful.

All of the supplements in my store are nutraceutical-grade including the cortisol supplements we are going to address next.

 

Supplements to Reduce Cortisol: Cortisol Levels Reset vs. L-Theanine Cortisol Assist

L-Theanine Cortisol Assist and Cortisol Levels Reset (an adrenal adaptogen) supplements are both natural substances that come from different sources.  They can be taken to help reduce stress, improve overall well-being, and enhance cognitive function. All of which contribute to helping you balance cortisol levels.

Adrenal adaptogen supplements are plant-based formulas that target the adrenal glands and the body’s stress response.  Excellent if your body has been stuck in the stress mode for a long time.

L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that promotes relaxation and calmness by increasing the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Excellent for providing almost immediate relief from anxiety, stress or disturbed sleep.                                                                             

L-Theanine benefits 😃

L-Theanine, Cortisol Assist, in particular, is known for its calming properties.

When your body is under chronic stress,  it can be difficult for you to create a sense of calm. By supplementing with L-Theanine, you can help restore calmness to your body, which is crucial for healing and well-being.

If you’re experiencing stress, anxiety, or sleep issues, L-Theanine supplements can provide almost immediate relief.

 

The Science of L-Theanine:

• L-Theanine is an amino acid found primarily in green tea leaves. It has been shown to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve cognitive function without causing drowsiness.
• L-Theanine works by increasing the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, which promote a calm and relaxed state.
• Amino acids play a crucial role in our body’s functions. They are the building blocks of proteins, which are then broken down into individual amino acids. These amino acids have various functions, including forming neurotransmitters, hormones, cell walls, and enzymes. Having the right balance of amino acids is essential for our overall health.

 

Benefits of L-Theanine work by:

• Increasing the production of calming neurotransmitters in the brain
• Reducing the levels of stress hormones like cortisol
• Enhancing alpha brain waves, which are associated with a relaxed and focused state of mind

 

Here are some situations where L-Theanine can be a good supplement to reduce cortisol:

• Anxiety and stress: L-Theanine is often chosen for its ability to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety without causing drowsiness, making it suitable if you need to stay alert and focused during the day.
• Sleep support: Though non-sedating, L-Theanine can help improve sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing stress, which can make it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep and get back to sleep (you can take it if you wake up in the middle of the night).
• Cognitive function: L-Theanine is known for its ability to improve focus, attention, and mental clarity, making it useful if you want to enhance your cognitive performance.

 

L-Theanine Dosing Suggestions:

• You can take one L-Theanine in the morning, two at bedtime, or even one capsule every three to four hours as needed.
• For adults, it’s recommended not to exceed six capsules per day.

However, if you don’t notice any improvement in your sense of calm after taking L-Theanine, it’s likely that there may be another cause for your symptoms.

Over time, as you create calm in your body, you may not need to rely on L-Theanine supplements as much.

 

L-Theanine Instead of Xanax

L-Theanine is an excellent supplement for managing stress, anxiety, and sleep issues. It can help you feel calmer and more relaxed without the need for medications like Xanax.

Medications such as Xanax and almost every other medicine that is used to treat insomnia will actually disrupt our sleep quality. Ambien is also a classic example of this. We want both sleep quantity and sleep quality. These medicines may help with sleep quantity but they actually create worse sleep quality.

So if you’re looking for a natural way to create calm in your life, give L-Theanine a try.

 

Now Let’s Dive Into Adrenal Adaptogens:

For individuals in their mid-teens or older, adrenal adaptogens are often necessary to help rebalance cortisol levels.

A saliva cortisol test can determine if your cortisol levels are high or low.

But even without the test, if you have any of the above symptoms, it’s a good guess that adrenal adaptogens can help balance your cortisol levels by bringing them down if they’re high and raising them if they’re low.

This allows your cortisol rhythm to return to normal, ensuring your body is in a position to support the other areas of healing needed to reverse and prevent all autoimmune and chronic disease.  It will also give you a good night’s sleep and a refreshed start in the morning!

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Understanding Cortisol, DHEA, and the “Running from a Bear” Analogy and why Adrenal Extracts Can Be Counterproductive to Reducing Cortisol

Cortisol can get stuck in the stress mode (fight or flight mode) and cause another important adrenal hormone, DHEA, to rise.

DHEA helps prevent heart attacks, strokes, keeps the brain sharp, and prevents osteoporosis. However, DHEA cannot sustain high levels forever, and when it crashes, cortisol can start to decrease as well, leading to various health issues.

Imagine you’re running from a bear 24/7 – that’s what being stuck in stress mode feels like.

Your body needs DHEA to prevent heart attacks, strokes, brain fog, osteoporosis, and joint pain while you’re “running” from the bear. It’s so smart, it’s designed to not give out when it’s on high alert “running from a bear”. However, when DHEA crashes, you feel worse, and cortisol levels start to become a ticking time bomb for serious health issues.

 

In some cases, adrenal extracts may seem like a solution for low cortisol levels.

However, using adrenal extracts can be counterproductive. We now know that a brain that “is on fire” will force cortisol to go low as a last ditch effort to protect itself from the chronic infections that are killing it.

Remember, when cortisol goes high, it suppressed the immune system allowing the infections that drive chronic disease to get into the body or activate if they are already there (such as Epstein Barr Virus). By forcing cortisol to go low, the brain is trying to give our immune systems a chance to wake up and go after these infections finally.

Instead, using adrenal adaptogens like Coristol Levels Reset and relaxation techniques can help reset cortisol levels no matter if they are high or low or a combination of both. While you are getting rid of the infections at the same time by using pH Structured Silver Solution.

 

What are adrenal adaptogen supplements:   

• Adaptogens are a class of herbs and plants that help the body adapt to stress and maintain homeostasis. Some common adaptogens include Rhodiola Rosea, and Panax Ginseng.
• Adrenal adaptogen supplements usually feature a mix of herbs that lower cortisol, working to support the adrenal glands. These glands produce hormones, including cortisol, as a response to stress, and the herbal blend effectively helps regulate their function.
• Adrenal adaptogens, such as the Cortisol Levels Reset available on my website help cortisol find calm and facilitate healing.

 

Adrenal adaptogen supplements work by:

• Supporting the adrenal glands in producing an optimal balance of stress hormones
• Modulating the body’s stress response, helping to prevent excessive or chronic stress
• Enhancing energy levels, reducing fatigue, and improving overall well-being

 

Here are some situations where you might want to us Adrenal adaptogen supplements to reduce cortisol:

• Chronic stress: If you are dealing with ongoing stress, adrenal adaptogens may help support the body’s stress response and prevent burnout.
• Fatigue: Adaptogens are known for their ability to improve energy levels and reduce fatigue, which can be beneficial if you  have a demanding lifestyle or if you are experiencing low energy.
• Hormonal imbalances: Since adaptogens help regulate the production of stress hormones, they can be useful if you are experiencing hormonal imbalances related to stress, such as adrenal fatigue or insufficiency.

 

AndrenaMed Dosing Suggestions & Cortisol Testing:

• Take one at breakfast and one at lunch.
  • Kids generally don’t need an adrenal adaptogen.  Their bodies are so good at healing themselves. 
  • It’s mid-teens and adults that need the extra support.

You will want to take an adrenal adaptogen until you feel 70-90 % better overall. That is, everything that was bothering you initially, whether a big issue or a small problem, is 70-90% better overall, then you can try to stop the adrenal adaptogen.

If you feel just as good without it, you don’t need it anymore. Hopefully, you will now stay good long term as you do your health maintenance work.

If you stop it and start to feel worse again, you have not fully reset cortisol yet. Restart the adrenal adaptogen, use it for another 2-3 months and try to come off it again.

There is no downside of using an adrenal adaptogen long term if you find that it helps you manage stress long term.

After 3 months, retest with a saliva cortisol test.  If a saliva cortisol test is not an option, don’t waste your time or money on a blood test.

You can do a self evaluation by reviewing the list of cortisol signs above and/or reviewing other blood work to see if signs of high cortisol are still there.

 

Blood pressure indications that cortisol may still be stuck:

• You should not have blood pressure of 90 over 60, 80 over 50, and 95 over 65 (unless you’re like a Tour De France bike rider.)
• These kinds of readings indicate an issue with cortisol and chronic hypotension

 

Blood work indications that cortisol levels may still be stuck:

• High LDL cholesterol and/or
• High total cholesterol
• Low DHEA
  • >150 women (reference range 29.4-220.5 ug/dL)
  • >350 men (reference range 48.9-344.2 ug/dL)

 

Can these Cortisol Supplements be taken together?

Adrenal adaptogen supplements and L-Theanine can generally be taken together, as they work through different mechanisms and can complement each other to balance cortisol levels.

• L-Theanine is great to have on hand if you want to quickly produce that feeling of calm either during the day, before sleep or even if you wake up from sleep.  Over time your body may not need it and it doesn’t hurt to keep some handy if keeping calm is a concern for you.
• Cortisol Levels Reset is really important to have if you know your cortisol has been stuck for a long time and you want to focus on the reset process.

 

 

In conclusion, understanding cortisol and resetting it through relaxation techniques, L-Theanine and adrenal adaptogens can help improve your overall health and well-being.