How To Lower Serum Cortisol Levels?

With aggravated stress, the cortisol levels spikes in the body in order to prepare the individual to better address stressful events. This is mainly because cortisol is one of the most important stress hormones secreted by the body. With increasing cortisol levels, the testosterone levels drop down almost instantaneously.

What Are Some Simple Tips To Lower Cortisol Levels?

Low testosterone levels may present with depression, obesity and inactive sexual life. However, if you restore normal cortisol-testosterone balance, these symptoms can be resolves. Here are some tips on how to normalize elevated cortisol levels.

• A Relaxing Playlist:

Music has magical relaxing powers that help the brain to de-stress. According to a new study, relaxing playlist can instantly reduce the cortisol levels by up to 66%. Making a playlist of relaxing music and listening to it after a long day of tiring work can assist in alleviating stress.

• Black Tea:

Rather than going all gangster on caffeine, it is better to give black tea some consideration. A study conducted on test subjects who drank black tea after doing a stressful task showed a significant decline in cortisol levels by up to 47% whereas the control subjects only showed a decline of 27%.

• Chewing A Gum:

Chewing a gum is the simplest way of lowering cortisol levels. According to a study, chewing a gum alleviates stress by up to 12-19%. It also enhances the flow of blood and neural activity.

• Becoming An Extrovert:

Mental growth is just as important as the physical growth. Mingling and socializing with people not only makes one feel better but also lowers the cortisol level. This however doesn’t mean to become a social butterfly. Just enough socializing

can do its part. A study on isolated mice showed mental health issues particularly in adolescent category of mice.

• Adequate Consumption Of Water:

Drinking sufficient water keeps the body hydrated. A study revealed staying hydrated lowers the cortisol levels in the male runners. It was also proposed that the cortisol lowering effects of hydration are dependent upon the intensity of exercise.

• Frequent Sex:

Sexual activity and intimacy helps in lowering cortisol levels while boosting the levels of testosterone. Having sex also prevents from stroke and other diseases.

• A Pet Such As Dog:

According to clinical studies, playing with animals reduces cortisol and increase endorphins, oxytocin and other hormones that are involved in self-healing processes. Therefore, it is suggested to care for a pet on regular basis to control cortisol levels naturally.

• Healthy Diet:

Listed below are the foods that may lower the cortisol:

• Oysters
• Oats
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Chamomile tea
• Berries
• Dark chocolate
• Wild salmon

As already established, cortisol has an inverse relationship with testosterone. So another way to decrease the cortisol levels is by increasing the testosterone levels naturally. You can boost the T-levels by physical training, lifestyle and diet modification.

References

• Carlson, L. E., Speca, M., Patel, K. D., & Goodey, E. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress and levels of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and melatonin in breast and prostate cancer outpatients. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29(4), 448-474.
• Khalfa, S., BELLA, S. D., Roy, M., Peretz, I., & Lupien, S. J. (2003). Effects of relaxing music on salivary cortisol level after psychological stress. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 999(1), 374-376.
• Gunnar, M. R., & Donzella, B. (2002). Social regulation of the cortisol levels in early human development. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 27(1), 199-220.