Can what you eat really reduce stress? Here’s the truth about cortisol
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Stress isn’t just in your head – it’s in your hormones too. Nutritionist Angela Dowden reveals how tweaking your diet could help balance cortisol levels and keep stress in check. From omega-3s to magnesium-rich meals, here’s what to eat to stay calm and carry on.
![[Dowden’s book offers stress-busting recipes designed to help balance cortisol levels through healthy eating]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/11/07/22135753-8d811fd4-8e9c-4ddd-9322-2f9d4d249287.jpg)
We’ve all heard about adrenaline – the hormone your body produces when you find yourself in a stressful situation – but what about cortisol?. “Put simply, it’s one of the stress hormones,” explains registered nutritionist Angela Dowden, who places it “in the same category” as adrenaline.
![[Stress can feel overwhelming, but small dietary changes might help bring cortisol – and calm – back into balance]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/11/07/22145728-6d0a70bf-86e0-42c3-914f-28b30553e95e.jpg)
“We’re meant to produce it, it is produced in a daily pattern. We produce a lot when we wake up in the morning, so it gears us up to the day. Production should then slow over the period of the day, with fluctuations here and there.”. Cortisol is produced in response to stress, so if you find yourself spinning out, you might see a spike in your levels – and food can have a potential impact on this.
![[One of the veggie dishes in Dowden’s new book is beans and peppers with harissa]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/11/07/22140631-febb837f-b236-4edc-9a34-5bdc0f5c2f38.jpg)
“It’s really good to be aware and think about what stress might be doing to you, and how you could eat to make sure that your cortisol and stress levels are a little bit more in balance,” Warwickshire-based Dowden, 58, says – but she also warns: “I’m not wanting people to be obsessed by it”, particularly as there are so many other factors which can affect your stress levels.
![[Berries are rich in flavanols]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/11/07/22145523-ace30dca-f595-4242-84b8-494a543e3b19.jpg)
Still, Dowden suggests it’s beneficial “having a general awareness that there is this hormone, it does this every day. It should go up, it should go down, and your levels can be impacted by stress. Being aware of that and adjusting your diet to be healthier is not a bad thing at all.”.
