Controversy is escalating across social media platforms regarding the role of cortisol, known as the stress hormone, in causing various health problems, as people claiming to be specialists promote advice and products that they say are capable of regulating its levels in the body and subsequently alleviating its effects.
These people point to “9 troubling signs of high cortisol levels,” listing them as sleep disturbances, difficulty losing weight, constantly feeling cold, and irritability.
Some say, “If you notice at least one of these symptoms, I have designed a program specifically for you,” while others post “coupon codes” for supplements that promise to reduce cortisol levels “by up to 75 percent.”
Speaking to Agence France-Presse, Professor Guillaume Assier, an endocrinologist at the Couchain Hospital in Paris, says that these messages circulating on social media, which indicate that cortisol affects health, are “far” from reality.
Cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, plays a role in regulating stress, metabolism, and the immune system.
Its secretion follows a regular daily pattern, as it peaks in the morning and then gradually decreases throughout the day. This rhythm can be disrupted when exposed to stressful situations.
But excessively low or high cortisol levels are very rare, as is the case with Cushing’s syndrome (excess) or Addison’s disease (deficiency).
The goal is to sell
Outside of these pathological conditions, “there is no need to worry about the level of cortisol,” confirms public health physician Thibaut Violi, denouncing what he describes as “quackery” by those who claim to be specialists.
They use the concept of “adrenal fatigue” to assert that “millions of people suffer from weak activity of the adrenal glands as a result of repeated exposure to psychological stressors, which leads to the emergence of a large number of non-specific symptoms.” Violi said, “that everyone can recognize that they have them.”
According to the French Society of Endocrinology, “There is no scientific evidence to confirm that adrenal fatigue is an actual medical condition.” A 2016 review of 58 studies concluded that this is a “myth.”
Some “nutrition coaches” claim that cortisol can prevent weight loss and is responsible for the appearance of bloating in the abdomen or face.
Although excessive secretion of cortisol may affect facial appearance, as is the case in people with Cushing’s disease, daily psychological stress alone is not enough to cause changes of this type.
To combat this alleged cortisol imbalance, social media is filled with posts about diets, supplements and detox drinks made from coconut water and citrus juice, which supposedly regulate the hormone.
Violi points out that “the goal of talking about cortisol is only for profit, that is, to sell,” while “there is no clinical data proving the beneficial effects of these products.”
Between 300 and 1500 euros
Pauline Guilloche, a specialist in liver and gastrointestinal diseases, warns against the “market” of biological tests “prescribed by those who claim to be specialists” outside the medical system.
“We are talking here about examining salivary cortisol, in addition to examining gut microbes and food allergies, the results of which are supposed to reveal “imbalances or deficiencies that cannot be detected through what is known as traditional medicine,” Ghayoush explains.
According to testimonies I collected, the cost of these “completely unreliable” tests ranges between “300 and 1,500 euros for the complete package.”
“If you resort to an alternative path, you lose any guarantee of the quality of the analyzes or the results,” Assieh says.
“At home” cortisol tests are also available online.
Asiyeh explains, “If the service provided is not accredited and provides you with equipment to conduct the tests yourself, without the results being certified by an official medical laboratory in the city or hospital, there is a real risk” related to the validity and accuracy of the tests.
In addition to “losing money,” Dr. Ghayoush points out the danger of distraction for these people who are often in a state of despair, receiving promises of solutions to all their problems, which may push them away from traditional medicine.