Written by N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Published : September 10, 2025 8:01 PM IST
Cortisol is a hormone that allows your body to respond to stressful situations. It is also an essential hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. Cortisol plays an important role in regulating how your body uses glucose or sugar for energy, reducing inflammation, regulating blood pressure and also helps control your sleep-wake cycle.
A normal cortisol level can help regulate your immune system, release stored energy, and maintain blood pressure in times of stress. However, high cortisol over time can have a negative impact on your health. When cortisol levels are high, your body may start showing symptoms such as weight gain, acne, thinning skin, easy bruising, flushed face, slowed healing, muscle weakness, severe fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure and headache.
Although life gets hard, you can always take a proactive measure to manage your cortisol level to reduce stress. This includes choosing the right foods and taking the correct supplements. Check out how these five foods help manage your cortisol level naturally.
Dark leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, are rich in B vitamins like folate, which can help reduce the impact of stress on your body. Adding spinach to your diet can act as a natural antioxidant and combat the effects of cortisol by lowering your blood sugar level. This superfood has been shown to improve mood and heart health, due to the nitrates compound that helps relax blood vessels.
Dark chocolate has been proven to reduce stress levels and improve mood due to its natural compound called polyphenols. Researchers found that polyphenols may protect cells against the effects of high cortisol levels. A study showed that people who ate 25 g of dark chocolate daily with a high level of polyphenols had lower cortisol levels.
Bananas are one of the best sources of getting your daily dose of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. Researchers claim that banana is a great source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is required for brain function. This essential amino acid allows serotonin, a chemical messenger, to regulate your mood, sleep and gut health.
Study found that fermented food items such as yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha may help your body respond better to stress. According to experts, individuals who took probiotic supplements have been shown to perform better on memory tasks under stress than those who didn’t. While other studies also prove that people who took a prebiotic supplement had lower levels of cortisol.
Avocado is an excellent source of natural nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamins C and E, and magnesium, which are all beneficial to balance out the side effects of cortisol. A previous study shows that the unsaturated fats found in avocado can protect your nerve cells from damage due to high cortisol levels. Adding avocados to your diet can be beneficial for your heart health, as findings further revealed that serving two avocados per week, which is one avocado per day, can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
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