Supplements to Lower Cortisol

What cortisol does, and when it becomes a problem

Whether you are wired at night time and exhausted by morning or craving sugar at 4 p.m. It’s easy to blame cortisol. 

Cortisol is a hormone made by your adrenal glands. It follows a daily rhythm, peaking soon after you wake up, to get you going, and falling to its lowest point at night so you can sleep. It raises blood sugar when you need energy, helps control inflammation and supports blood pressure. Short spikes during stress are normal and useful.

Problems come from long-term imbalance derived from Chronic stress, poor sleep or shift work; these can flatten or shift cortisol’s rhythm. 

In my practice, when a person is exhausted, I usually look for real, treatable causes such as thyroid problems, anemia, sleep apnea or depression.

If you are waking up at 3 a.m. with your mind racing, Check out our guide How Is Stress Affecting Your Sleep?

Five supplements to reduce cortisol, ranked by evidence

1. Ashwagandha root extract: In a trial of 64 adults with chronic stress, 300 mg of root extract taken twice daily for 60 days, lowered serum cortisol and stress scores compared to the placebo cohort.² In a second trial of 60 stressed adults, 240mg daily of a different extract for 60 days lowered morning cortisol and anxiety scores compared to placebo.¹ Both trials were small and short, used specific branded extracts, and were at least partly industry-linked, so results from one product can’t be assumed for another. Ashwagandha can be detrimental to the liver; see section 03.^6,7

2. Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil): In a randomized trial of 138 middle-aged adults, 2.5g of omega-3 were administered daily for four months. This led to about 19% lower overall cortisol during a lab stress test when compared to placebo.³

3. Magnesium: A systematic review of 18 studies found hints that magnesium may help subjective anxiety in anxiety-prone people. The authors rated the evidence as poor quality, and none of the studies used a validated stress measure.⁴ Check out our article on Magnesium Bisglycinate Benefits for more info.

4. L-theanine: L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea. In a four-week crossover trial of 30 healthy adults, 200mg a day improved self-reported stress-related symptoms and sleep quality compared with placebo.⁹

5. Lemon balm: In a crossover study of 18 healthy volunteers, a single 600mg dose of a standardized lemon balm extract increased self-rated calmness during a lab stress test, but also reduced self-rated alertness.¹⁰ Check out our article on Ingredient Spotlight : Lemon Balm for more info.

Cortisol, stress and your liver

Cortisol and your liver work closely together every day. When cortisol rises, one of its main jobs is telling the liver to make and release glucose so your brain and muscles have fuel. That’s helpful in an emergency. When cortisol stays high for a long time, as in Cushing’s syndrome, the constant signal promotes fat buildup in the liver.⁸

Your liver also does much of its maintenance work overnight, as we explain in Natural Intelligence , Documented ( the liver at night) so disrupted sleep matters.

In my practice my first approach is usually more holistic through mindfulness and sleep. I avoid  ashwagandha due to some liver warnings. Even though clinical trials haven’t reported liver problems, real-world cases of liver injury linked to products containing ashwagandha have been documented. Some reports in France¹¹ and Denmark banned the ingredient.¹² The U.S. National Institutes of Health’s LiverTox database says ashwagandha should be avoided in people with cirrhosis or advanced chronic liver disease.⁷

Curious how your liver connects to your heart and gut health? Read Liver-Cardiovascular Axis and Liver–Gut Axis.

Techniques which lower cortisol better than any pill

• Regular sleep and wake times. A consistent schedule anchors cortisol’s daily rhythm.

• Morning daylight. Getting outside early helps set your body clock.

• Regular exercise. Moderate activity improves stress resilience. Very long, intense sessions without recovery can do the opposite.

• Less alcohol and late caffeine. Both disrupt sleep.

• Breathing, mindfulness or talking therapy. These have stronger evidence for stress and anxiety than any supplement.

• Connection. Time with people you trust buffers stress.

References

1. Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Malvi H, et al. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(37):e17186. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017186. PMID: 31517876. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31517876/

2. Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-262. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.106022. PMID: 23439798. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/

3. Madison AA, Belury MA, Andridge R, et al. Omega-3 supplementation and stress reactivity of cellular aging biomarkers: an ancillary substudy of a randomized, controlled trial in midlife adults. Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(7):3034-3042. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01077-2. PMID: 33875799. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33875799/

4. Boyle NB, Lawton C, Dye L. The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress—a systematic review. Nutrients. 2017;9(5):429. doi:10.3390/nu9050429. PMID: 28445426. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28445426/

5. Cadegiani FA, Kater CE. Adrenal fatigue does not exist: a systematic review. BMC Endocr Disord. 2016;16(1):48. doi:10.1186/s12902-016-0128-4. PMID: 27557747. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4997656/

6. Björnsson HK, Björnsson ES, Avula B, et al. Ashwagandha-induced liver injury: a case series from Iceland and the US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network. Liver Int. 2020;40(4):825-829. doi:10.1111/liv.14393. PMID: 31991029. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31991029/

7. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Ashwagandha [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2024 Dec 3 [cited 2026 Sep 30]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548536/

8. Minasyan M, Suchy W, Fedak A, et al. Liver impairment and medical management of Cushing syndrome and MACS. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025;16:1660316. doi:10.3389/fendo.2025.1660316. PMID: 41210495. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12591882/

9. Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, et al. Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2362. doi:10.3390/nu11102362. PMID: 31623400. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836118/

10. Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Psychosom Med. 2004;66(4):607-613. doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000132877.72833.71. PMID: 15272110. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15272110/

11. Food Compliance International. France issues opinion on the potential adverse effects of ashwagandha [Internet]. [place unknown]: Food Compliance International; 2024 Jun 17 [cited 2026 Oct 2]. Available from: https://foodcomplianceinternational.com/industry-insight/news/4439-france-issues-opinion-on-the-potential-adverse-effects-of-ashwagandha

12. McKeown M. Why did Denmark ban ashwagandha? [Internet]. Montreal (QC): McGill University, Office for Science and Society; 2023 Jun 2 [cited 2026 Oct 2]. Available from: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/why-did-denmark-ban-ashwagandha