September 22, 2025, 2:03 am | Read time: 7 minutes
Cortisol is essential for life. As the primary stress hormone, it helps us manage crises. However, persistently high cortisol levels are very problematic. FITBOOK author Doris Tromballa reveals how you can help your body maintain a healthy cortisol level through diet.
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What roles does cortisol play in our body?
The neurotransmitter cortisol is actually a superstar in our body: It primarily ensures that our body can handle stress.1 Cortisol release also allows us to learn from and recognize threatening situations. Cortisol is important for fighting inflammation and helps us wake up in the morning. But cortisol doesn’t have a good reputation. A chronically elevated cortisol level contributes to unwanted weight gain, poor sleep, impaired memory, and increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Our muscle growth and recovery ability can also suffer from too much cortisol for too long.2 However, certain foods and nutrients can help our body regain cortisol balance.
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The following foods can help against too much cortisol
Dark Chocolate for Flavonoids
Chocolate as a stress killer? Sounds great! However, we need to look a bit closer before indulging. It’s the really dark chocolate with little sugar and a lot of cocoa that showed its stress-reducing potential in a study.3 Half of the participants received 50 grams of dark chocolate (72 percent cocoa) with a high content of so-called flavonoids. Flavonoids are secondary plant compounds that, for example, give plants their characteristic flower color. The other half received dark-colored white chocolate without flavonoids. Two hours after enjoying the chocolate, the stress test for the chocolate eaters began: mental arithmetic and a speech in front of an audience. Result: Researchers found lower cortisol release in participants who had received the flavonoid-rich chocolate compared to the control group.
Consuming dark, low-sugar chocolate (9 grams of sugar per 100 grams) also led to lower morning cortisol levels in another study.4 Apparently, the plant compounds in cocoa beans can buffer our stress response. So chocolate not only makes you smart but also cool.
Other foods high in flavonoids: Apples, onions, green tea.
Rose Hips for Vitamin C
Dark chocolate is certainly not the only food that can affect cortisol levels in the body. When we think of vitamin C, we usually think of lemons–but rose hips are a true vitamin C bomb. With 1,250 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams, they are a top source of this valuable vitamin. In comparison, lemons have only 50 milligrams per 100 grams. Most mammals can produce vitamin C themselves–humans (and guinea pigs) cannot. Therefore, we must obtain vitamin C through our diet. Vitamin C is not only important for healthy skin and a strong immune system.
Vitamin C is also a powerful helper for a balanced cortisol level. On one hand, it is important for the body to produce cortisol at all. On the other hand, it helps us recover better from stressful situations. In a study, cortisol levels returned to normal more quickly after a stress test when participants received high doses of vitamin C (three times 1,000 milligrams per day) daily.5
Other foods high in vitamin C: Sea buckthorn, black currants, parsley, and bell peppers.
Cashews for L-Tryptophan
Cashews are a true stress killer. The reason is their high content of L-tryptophan: 280 milligrams per 100 grams. L-tryptophan is one of the essential amino acids, which are protein components our body needs to survive. From tryptophan, we produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes us calm and relaxed. Tryptophan also influences cortisol levels. In a study, elevated tryptophan blood levels had a dampening effect on cortisol levels after a math stress test.6 Additionally, L-tryptophan helps with falling asleep–and good sleep is one of the most important factors for recovering from stress.
Other foods high in tryptophan: Tuna, turkey breast, eggs, almonds, bananas
Mackerel for Omega-3 Fats
When it comes to omega-3-rich foods, many first think of salmon. But mackerel is one of the fish with the highest content of these healthy fatty acids (about 2.7 grams per 100 grams).7 Omega-3 fatty acids are not only good for the heart and a long life but also work against chronic inflammation and have positive effects on cortisol levels. In a study, 43 nurses and caregivers under extreme stress were given a fish oil capsule for eight weeks. By the end of the study, participants not only felt subjectively better, but their morning cortisol levels had also decreased.8 So: More fish on the table! On average, we eat just 37 grams per day–there’s room for improvement.
Other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids: Herring, tuna, salmon, flaxseed oil, walnuts.
Water
There is also a connection between a liquid food and cortisol. We’re talking about water. You don’t have to drink 44 glasses of water a day like “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris Pratt to do something good for your cortisol levels. Even the “2-liter per day rule” is no longer seen as strictly. But staying well-hydrated helps combat stress. A study with a U17 soccer team from South Africa showed this. During a friendly match, researchers let part of the team go a bit “dry,” while the other was always adequately hydrated. After the match, the thirsty team had significantly higher cortisol levels.9
However, it gets even more stressful for the spectators: Researchers have found surprisingly high cortisol levels in passionate fans during live soccer broadcasts–especially when the favored team lost. So: don’t stress, whether on the field or in the stands.10
Sauerkraut for Pro-/Prebiotics
What happens in our gut has only recently become of interest to medicine. The microbiome, the community of bacteria that inhabit it, is now a hot topic. These bacteria ensure a healthy immune system, influence our mood, and play a role in the development of allergies, Alzheimer’s, depression, and diabetes.11 To keep our gut bacteria happy, they need–like us–good company (probiotics) and good food (prebiotics). This also seems to be good against our stress and for our inner balance. In a study with depressed patients, taking prebiotic and probiotic capsules significantly improved the participants’ mood and lowered cortisol levels.12 So what should be on our anti-stress menu? Our sauerkraut is a probiotic superfood. However, only fresh–in cans and vacuum packs, it is usually too heavily heated.13
Other pro-/prebiotic foods: Natural yogurt, kefir, spinach, leeks, chicory
“Real Food” Against Stress
Getting stress under control is a challenging task. Individual foods can help our body regulate cortisol. But it’s the combination of many factors and nutrients that makes a noticeable difference.
It turns out that “real food” helps against stress better than fast food–even when we’re really craving something unhealthy. A study found that a diet high in added sugar, refined grains, and saturated fats led to significantly higher cortisol levels than a diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and polyunsaturated fats.14 Sounds logical, as whole fruits and vegetables contain many antioxidants and secondary plant compounds that fight cell-damaging free radicals and can help lower cortisol levels.15
Ashwagandha for Adaptogens
This systematic review and meta-analysis from 2025 evaluated 15 clinical studies with a total of 873 adult participants who took ashwagandha supplements. Ashwagandha is traditionally used as a herbal food in Ayurveda and is considered adaptogenic, meaning it balances stress. The results showed that consuming this food significantly lowered the level of the stress hormone cortisol. The effect on cortisol was clearly measurable and statistically highly significant. However, researchers found no evidence of improved overall quality of life. Overall, the results suggest that ashwagandha can be a safe and effective means to reduce stress and favorably influence cortisol balance in adults.16
Rhodiola for Stress Resistance
This systematic review and meta-analysis from 2023 examined 25 clinical studies on various adaptogens, including Rhodiola rosea. Several hundred adult participants suffering from mental stress or stress-related symptoms were included. The evaluation showed that Rhodiola could reduce stress symptoms and mental fatigue in some studies. Some investigations also reported a reduction in cortisol levels, but overall the evidence was less consistent and significantly weaker than for ashwagandha. The results suggest that Rhodiola has the potential to improve stress resistance, but the evidence for a clear and significant reduction in cortisol is still limited.17