Supplements to lower cortisol and stress: what the research actually shows
Ashwagandha lowers cortisol in trials, but feeling less stressed is a different question. What the research shows for ashwagandha, magnesium, B vitamins, rhodiola, L-theanine and phosphatidylserine, why 'adrenal fatigue' is a myth, and what lowers stress more reliably.
Short answer
Among supplements sold to "lower cortisol", ashwagandha has the most evidence. In a 2025 meta-analysis of 15 randomised trials (873 people), eight weeks of ashwagandha lowered cortisol, perceived stress and anxiety scores compared with placebo (1). Another 2025 meta-analysis confirmed a drop in cortisol but found no clear effect on how stressed people felt (2). Ashwagandha also carries real cautions: rare liver injury, thyroid effects, and it should be avoided in pregnancy (3).
The others are weaker. B-complex vitamins had a small effect on perceived stress in a meta-analysis (4). Magnesium may help mild anxiety and stress, but studies are poor quality (5). Rhodiola, L-theanine and phosphatidylserine have small or inconsistent studies (6, 7). "Adrenal fatigue" is not a recognised diagnosis, and "adrenal support" products can be harmful (8).
The things that reliably bring stress hormones down are less exciting but stronger: enough sleep, regular movement, less caffeine and alcohol, time to recover after hard days, and support when stress is chronic.
If you feel wired, tense and unable to switch off, that is real, and it is not weakness. Your body is doing what it is built to do under load. The goal is to give it more recovery, not to find the one pill that silences the alarm.
Note: this article is for general education and is not medical advice. If you suspect a cortisol disorder such as Cushing's syndrome or adrenal insufficiency, see a doctor for testing. Supplements can interact with medicines, especially thyroid, diabetes, blood pressure, sedative and immunosuppressant drugs; do not stop or change prescribed medicines without your doctor. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (in the US) or your local emergency number. Call 911 if a racing heart comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting. Stop a supplement and contact a doctor promptly if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes or dark urine.
What cortisol does, and what "high cortisol" usually means
Cortisol is the body's main stress hormone. It rises in the early morning to help you wake, rises again when you face a challenge, and falls in the evening so you can sleep. Short bursts of cortisol are normal and useful. Problems come when the stress system stays switched on for weeks or months without enough recovery.
When people search for supplements for high cortisol, they usually mean one of three things:
Feeling chronically stressed, with poor sleep, tension, irritability and fatigue. This is very common and is usually not a hormone disease.
Social media claims about "cortisol face", "cortisol belly" or "adrenal fatigue". Most of these are oversimplified or unproven.
A real cortisol disorder, such as Cushing's syndrome (too much cortisol) or adrenal insufficiency (too little). These are uncommon and need medical tests, not supplements.
Cortisol levels change through the day, so a single reading means little on its own. If you are worried about a medical cause, our guide to the cortisol test explains what doctors check, and high cortisol symptoms covers the signs that point to a real disorder.
Supplements for stress and cortisol: the evidence at a glance
| Supplement | What studies show | Strength of evidence | Main cautions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwagandha | Lower cortisol, stress and anxiety scores after about 8 weeks in pooled trials (1); cortisol down but perceived stress unchanged in another analysis (2) | Moderate | Rare liver injury, thyroid effects, pregnancy, interactions (3) |
| B-complex vitamins | Small reduction in perceived stress; no effect on anxiety (4) | Low to moderate | High-dose B6 can damage nerves |
| Magnesium | Possible benefit in mild anxiety and stress; poor-quality studies (5) | Low | Diarrhoea; avoid in kidney disease |
| Rhodiola | Some trials show less mental fatigue; all at high or unclear risk of bias (6) | Low | Interactions possible |
| L-theanine | Small trials show calmer feelings and lower stress responses | Low | Well tolerated |
| Phosphatidylserine | Blunted cortisol response to exercise in a small trial (7) | Low | Little long-term data |
| Omega-3 | Reduced anxiety symptoms in a meta-analysis, especially at 2 g a day or more (9) | Moderate for anxiety; little for cortisol itself | Bleeding risk with blood thinners |
| Vitamin C | Small studies of stress responses | Low | Kidney stones at high doses in some people |
| "Adrenal support" blends | No good evidence; may contain hormones (8) | None | Can suppress your own adrenal glands |
Ashwagandha for cortisol: the strongest case, with real cautions
Ashwagandha for cortisol is the most studied option. The 2025 meta-analysis of 15 trials found that after eight weeks, ashwagandha reduced anxiety scores (HAM-A), perceived stress scores (PSS) and blood cortisol compared with placebo (1). A separate 2025 meta-analysis of seven cortisol studies and six stress studies found cortisol fell by about 1.2 µg/dL, but perceived stress did not change significantly (2).
That mismatch is worth taking seriously. A lower number on a blood test is not the same as feeling better. Many trials were short, small, done in a limited number of countries, and some were funded by manufacturers.
The safety picture matters too. According to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, ashwagandha (3):
has been linked to rare cases of liver injury;
is not recommended for people with autoimmune or thyroid disorders and may interact with thyroid medicine;
should be avoided by people with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, because it may increase testosterone;
should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding;
may interact with diabetes, blood pressure, sedative, anti-seizure and immunosuppressant medicines;
is not recommended before surgery, and may be safe short term (up to about three months), with long-term safety unknown.
Stop ashwagandha and see a doctor if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, nausea or unusual tiredness.
Does magnesium lower cortisol?
Does magnesium lower cortisol? There is little direct human evidence that magnesium lowers cortisol in healthy people. A small trial in older adults with insomnia found that magnesium improved sleep measures and lowered cortisol, and some studies suggest stress increases magnesium loss in urine. But the systematic review of magnesium for anxiety and stress rated the evidence as poor quality (5).
Magnesium is a reasonable, low-risk option if your stress shows up as poor sleep and muscle tension, especially if you have a reason to be low in magnesium. The NIH upper limit for magnesium from supplements is 350 mg a day for adults; avoid it with kidney disease, and ask a pharmacist first if you take antibiotics, bisphosphonates or other prescription medicines (10).
B vitamins for stress
The B vitamins are needed to make energy and neurotransmitters. In a meta-analysis of 16 randomised trials, B-vitamin supplements produced a small improvement in perceived stress in both healthy and at-risk adults, but no clear effect on depressive symptoms or anxiety (4). Benefits were more likely in people with poor diets or low mood at the start.
If you try a B-complex, check the vitamin B6 content. Many products contain 25–100 mg, and nerve damage has been reported at doses well below the older US upper limit; the European upper limit is now 12 mg a day.
Rhodiola, L-theanine and phosphatidylserine
Rhodiola is sold as an "adaptogen" for stress and fatigue. A systematic review of 11 studies found some benefit for mental fatigue in three of five trials, but every study had a high or unclear risk of bias (6).
L-theanine, found in tea, has small trials showing calmer feelings and lower physiological stress responses, often in combination with caffeine. It is generally well tolerated.
Phosphatidylserine is marketed for cortisol. In a small trial, 600 mg a day for 10 days blunted the cortisol rise after moderate-intensity exercise (7). That is an interesting finding about acute exercise, not proof that it lowers everyday stress hormones.
Cortisol supplements for women
Cortisol supplements for women and best cortisol lowering supplements for women are popular searches, often linked to perimenopause, weight around the middle and poor sleep. There is no supplement proven to lower cortisol specifically in women. The same evidence applies: ashwagandha has the most data, with the cautions above, especially around pregnancy and thyroid conditions.
For many women, what feels like "high cortisol" in their 40s is a mix of perimenopause, broken sleep and long-term load. Our articles on stress or perimenopause, stress and weight gain and cortisol and weight gain look at that overlap.
"Adrenal fatigue" and the adrenal cocktail
"Adrenal fatigue" is the idea that long-term stress wears out the adrenal glands, causing tiredness and other symptoms. The Endocrine Society states that there is no scientific proof that adrenal fatigue is a real medical condition, and no test can detect it. Doctors worry that the label can delay diagnosis of real problems such as adrenal insufficiency, depression or sleep apnoea (8).
The Endocrine Society also warns against "adrenal support" supplements. Some contain hormones, and taking adrenal hormones when you don't need them can make your own adrenal glands stop working, sometimes for months, and can lead to a life-threatening adrenal crisis (8).
The "adrenal cocktail" popular on social media, usually orange juice, coconut water and salt, is a fruit-and-electrolyte drink. It is unlikely to harm most people, but there is no evidence that it lowers cortisol or "supports" the adrenal glands. Our article on the cortisol cocktail looks at the viral drink in detail.
How to lower cortisol without supplements
This article is about supplements. Our guide on how to lower cortisol covers lifestyle approaches in depth, and foods that lower cortisol covers diet. In short, the approaches with the best evidence for calming the stress system are:
Sleep: regular sleep and wake times, and enough sleep opportunity. Short sleep raises next-day stress and appetite.
Movement: regular moderate exercise lowers baseline stress over time, even though intense workouts raise cortisol briefly.
Slow breathing: a few minutes of slow breathing shifts the nervous system towards rest.
Caffeine: less, and earlier in the day. Caffeine raises cortisol and can worsen anxiety and sleep.
Alcohol: less. It disrupts sleep and often worsens anxiety the next day.
Recovery after hard days: a deliberate wind-down rather than more stimulation.
Connection and support: social contact is one of the strongest buffers against stress.
Therapy: cognitive behavioural therapy and related approaches help when stress or anxiety is persistent.
If your mornings start with a racing mind, our article on waking up anxious explains the morning cortisol rise and what helps.
How to test a stress supplement on yourself
Measure your stress, not just your mood. Note sleep, energy and stress levels for one to two weeks before you start.
Choose one supplement and one dose.
Run it for six to eight weeks, the length of most trials, without starting other new things.
Compare averages, not single days, and allow for big life events.
Stop if nothing changes, and stop immediately if you develop side effects such as jaundice, dark urine or palpitations.
Living with chronic stress: the questions people ask next
What is the best supplement to lower cortisol?
Ashwagandha has the most evidence for lowering cortisol, from trials lasting about eight weeks, but its effect on how stressed people feel is less consistent, and it has safety cautions including rare liver injury and thyroid effects. Other supplements, such as magnesium, B vitamins, rhodiola, L-theanine and phosphatidylserine, have weaker or smaller studies. Sleep, exercise and reducing caffeine and alcohol have stronger evidence than any supplement.
How long does ashwagandha take to lower cortisol?
Most trials measured effects after about eight weeks of daily use. Some people report feeling calmer sooner, but that is hard to separate from expectation. Ashwagandha may be safe short term, up to about three months; long-term safety is not known. If you try it, decide in advance how you will judge whether it works.
Can I take ashwagandha and magnesium together?
Some products combine them, and the NIH sources we used do not describe an interaction between the two. That is not proof that the combination is right for you, and starting both at once makes it impossible to tell which one, if either, is helping. Check with your doctor first if you have a thyroid condition, take sedatives, diabetes or blood pressure medicines, or are pregnant.
Do supplements for stress work right away?
Most do not. Trials of ashwagandha, magnesium and B vitamins ran for several weeks. L-theanine may have a more immediate calming effect for some people. If a product promises instant stress relief, be wary of added stimulants or sedatives, and check the full ingredient list.
Is high cortisol dangerous?
Brief rises in cortisol during stress are normal and not dangerous. Long-term stress can affect sleep, mood, blood pressure and blood sugar. Persistently very high cortisol from a medical condition such as Cushing's syndrome is uncommon and causes specific signs, such as easy bruising, purple stretch marks, rounded face, weight gain around the middle with thin arms and legs, and high blood pressure. If you have these, see a doctor for testing.
Can stress supplements interact with my medicines?
Yes. Ashwagandha may interact with thyroid, diabetes, blood pressure, sedative, anti-seizure and immunosuppressant medicines. St John's wort, sometimes used for mood, can weaken many medicines, including birth control pills, some antidepressants, warfarin and digoxin (11). Rhodiola, valerian and kava can add to sedatives. Ask your pharmacist to check your full list, and do not stop or change prescribed medicines without your doctor.
Before you blame yourself
People who look for cortisol supplements are usually exhausted from carrying a lot for a long time. It is easy to read constant tension as a personal failing, or to believe the internet when it says your hormones are "broken". Usually they are not. Your stress system is responding, as designed, to more demand than recovery.
The fix is rarely one product. It is finding where recovery is missing, often sleep, evenings and boundaries, and giving it back in small, steady ways.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if stress or anxiety lasts more than a few weeks and affects sleep, work or relationships; if you have signs that could suggest a cortisol disorder, such as rapid weight gain around the middle, purple stretch marks, easy bruising and high blood pressure, or severe tiredness with weight loss, dizziness and darkening skin; or before starting ashwagandha if you have a thyroid or liver condition.
Seek urgent help. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (in the US) or your local emergency number (12). Call 911 if a racing heart comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting (13). Stop a supplement and contact a doctor promptly if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes or dark urine, which can signal liver injury (3).
How to bring this up with your doctor
What to ask for, by name. "Could my symptoms be related to a cortisol problem, and would testing make sense?" If you are considering ashwagandha: "Is it safe with my thyroid, liver and medicines?"
What to bring. Notes on sleep, stress, energy and mood for a few weeks; any physical symptoms; all supplements and medicines with doses.
What to say, out loud. "I've felt constantly stressed and [tired / wired / unable to sleep] for [N] weeks. I'd like help with the stress itself, and to rule out anything medical."
If you're told it's just stress. Ask: "What would help with the stress, and what signs would make you want to test cortisol or thyroid?"
How long until you notice a difference? Most supplements take weeks, not days. See how long supplements take to work, and how to tell if one is working.
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How Welltory helps — and what it cannot do
The limits first. Welltory is a general wellness product, not a medical device. It does not measure cortisol, diagnose adrenal or any other conditions, or tell you whether a supplement works.
What it can do is show your body's stress load and recovery over time, so you have your own record to look at while you try a change. It is an observation of your data, not a measure of your cortisol or proof that a supplement worked.
Stress and recovery episodes. Welltory marks stress and rest episodes through the day based on your heart rate data. On iOS with Apple Watch or Oura, when it asks "What happened?", tap, type or talk: "deadline", "argument", "late coffee", "started ashwagandha", "evening walk". Over weeks, My Patterns shows which tags tend to come with stress and which with recovery; some sections need a paid plan.
Sleep and morning state. Sleep Analysis uses Apple Watch or Oura data on iOS and syncs sleep from Samsung Health, Fitbit or Garmin Connect through Health Connect on Android (Sleep Analysis for Android). On iOS, Battery starts each morning from your resting heart rate on waking and your sleep (Today screen).
HRV over weeks. Long-term stress often comes with lower heart rate variability. If you measure HRV in the morning, do it at the same time after waking, before coffee, in the same position (accurate HRV measurements), and compare the six to eight weeks before and after a change.
A record for your doctor. From the web app you can export a CSV (Dashboard → choose a chart → Export) (export guide). Patterns are associations to discuss with your doctor, not proof that a supplement lowered your cortisol.
How we made it
We based this article on two 2025 meta-analyses of ashwagandha, a meta-analysis of B vitamins and stress, a systematic review of magnesium for anxiety and stress, a systematic review of rhodiola, a trial of phosphatidylserine and exercise, a meta-analysis of omega-3 and anxiety, US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health guidance on ashwagandha and St John's wort, the NIH magnesium fact sheet and the Endocrine Society's position on adrenal fatigue. Urgent-help guidance follows the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and MedlinePlus. Search questions came from what people in the United States most often ask about lowering cortisol. For the product section, we checked every function against the Welltory Help Center on October 21, 2026.
Made with AI tools, then edited and fact-checked by the Welltory team. See our Editorial & AI policy.
Jane Smorodnikova, co-founder of Welltory, built the methodology behind how we read physiological data.
Written by Tatsiana Yashyna.
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This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Supplements can interact with medicines and are not right for everyone; talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or combining them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have kidney or liver disease or take prescription medicines. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (in the US) or your local emergency number. Call 911 if a racing heart comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting. Stop a supplement and contact a doctor promptly if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes or dark urine. Welltory is a general wellness product and does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Sources were retrieved on October 21, 2026.
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Written by Jane Smorodnikova
The founder and CEO of Welltory. A recognized tech leader with two Master's degrees and experience at MIT, she has scaled Welltory to over 17 million users.
Written by Tatsiana Yashyna
Deputy COO at Welltory. With a background in medicine and years of working with health data, she translates research and real physiological signals — sleep, stress, heart rate, and hormones — into clear, evidence-based explanations that help people understand what their bodies are telling them.
References
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- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ashwagandha. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ashwagandha
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- Endocrine Society. Adrenal fatigue. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/adrenal-fatigue
- Su KP, Tseng PT, Lin PY, et al. Association of use of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with changes in severity of anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open 2018;1(5):e182327. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6324500/
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: fact sheet for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. St. John's wort. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/st-johns-wort
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. https://988lifeline.org/
- MedlinePlus. Heart palpitations. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003081.htm
