On social networks, and on Tiktok in particular, a drink made up of coconut water, orange juice, lemon, magnesium, a pinch of sea salt and sparkling water has become viral.
Prepared in the manner of a connected aperitif, this drink nicknamed “Cortisol cocktail” is supposed to calm the nerves and reduce the rate of this famous hormone linked to stress.
The videos are linked: users praise the almost magical effects of this drink on their morning anxiety or their persistent nervousness.
But for Alexandra Retion, this potion is not a miracle cure. “”Having a so-called anti-cortisol cocktail I “don’t see the point” she reacted immediately.
Cortisol, an essential hormone at the right time
Before you absolutely want to lower it, it is still necessary to understand the role of cortisol in our body.
This hormone is naturally secreted upon alarm clock, with a precise function.
“Cortisol is a hormone that naturally increases at daybreak, so upon waking up. And it decreases as the day goes so that we can then fall asleep and have a recovery sleep” Details Alexandra Retion.
What is problematic, according to the expert, is the maintenance of high rate all day. A possible, but rare situation, often linked to chronic stress.
“On the one hand, it would be necessary to be able to verify that you have an excess of cortisol in the body. That is to say that you have the hormone which increases in the morning and which remains very high, which can be due to chronic stress for example. This exists in some people, but it is not a cocktail taken in the morning which goes with coconut water, orange juice and magnesium which will solve the problem”.
Hygiene of life, breathing and natural light in priority
Magnesium present in the cocktail certainly has a recognized effect on relaxation, but its field of action remains limited.
“”Magnesium has a slight anti-stress effect, but especially in the muscular level, so it allows to relax the muscles as a priority “ recalls our expert.
For Alexandra Retion, acting on stress requires a more global approach. “”What will help reduce cortisol levels is already to have a recovery sleep “. And that’s not all. The dietician insists on the importance of exposure to daylight and conscious breathing as soon as the awakening. “”That is to say, go out a few minutes outside to expose themselves to daylight when wakeing up, it’s very good for cortisol levels. Breathing is also very important to help manage stress and therefore indirectly, our cortisol level“.
Finally, it warns against the abusive generalizations that we see everywhere. “”There is no scientific study that proves that this famous cocktail will lower cortisol. These are only shared feelings, as we often see on social networks “.