Low Cortisol Remedies

Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to hormones from the pituitary gland. These hormones are produced in response to stress. When cortisol is produced in your body, it tells your body to start producing more sugar and all of your body's processes become attuned to survival. Helping you survive is why you have cortisol.

Talk to Your Doctor

• Before you try to start a remedy for low cortisol, have your saliva tested by your doctor to find out if you have low cortisol or high cortisol. Because both conditions can have the same symptoms, it is important to find out exactly what you have. If you have high cortisol, the remedies below will probably not be helpful for you. Low cortisol results from your body releasing so much cortisol that your adrenal glands become exhausted by the production. High cortisol levels are a result of too much stress.

Lifestyle

• There are several lifestyle changes you should make to help with your cortisol levels. Finding a way to reduce your stress is a top priority. There is no best way to reduce your stress, so you have to find what works best for you. Next, make time for rest. Rest can help your cortisol levels get back to normal, as your body is not responding to stress by producing too much cortisol. A low glycemic diet (one minimizing the carbohydrates you consume) can help your body from trying to produce too much cortisol as well, since eating sugar can elevate your cortisol too much. Remember, the goal is not to get your cortisol level higher, but to normalize your cortisol level.

Vitamin Supplementation

• You can also try supplementing your diet with certain vitamins and minerals. Try a complete multivitamin, or take individual supplements for magnesium, vitamin C, and the vitamins B5 and B6.