What foods not to eat with high cortisol?

November 12, 2025 •

4 min read

Studies suggest that a diet high in sugar and saturated fat can lead to higher cortisol levels, the body's primary stress hormone. This guide explains what foods not to eat with high cortisol to help you manage your body's stress response and improve your overall health.

Quick Summary

Certain foods, such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and processed items, can elevate cortisol, the stress hormone. Limiting these foods and opting for a whole-food, balanced diet is key for managing cortisol levels.

Key Points

Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbs: These foods cause rapid blood sugar fluctuations that trigger the release of cortisol, perpetuating a stress-hormone cycle.
Reduce Excessive Caffeine: High caffeine intake can overstimulate the adrenal glands, leading to elevated cortisol and increased anxiety and jitters.
Limit Alcohol Consumption: While alcohol may initially relax, chronic or heavy intake can significantly increase cortisol levels and disrupt sleep.
Steer Clear of Processed and Fried Foods: These items contain inflammatory fats and additives that put physical stress on the body, promoting a higher cortisol response.
Control Salt Intake: Emerging research suggests a link between high sodium consumption and elevated cortisol production, potentially contributing to metabolic issues.
Prioritize Whole Foods: A diet rich in whole foods, healthy fats, fiber, and nutrients like magnesium and omega-3s is key to stabilizing blood sugar and balancing cortisol.
Combine with Healthy Habits: Managing cortisol effectively involves a holistic approach that includes diet, adequate sleep, moderate exercise, and stress reduction techniques.

Understanding the Cortisol-Diet Connection

Cortisol, often called the 'stress hormone,' is produced by your adrenal glands in response to stress. It plays a crucial role in the body's 'fight or flight' response, providing a quick burst of energy by increasing blood sugar. While this is a vital survival mechanism, chronic stress keeps cortisol levels elevated, leading to a host of health problems, including weight gain, sleep disturbances, and a weakened immune system. Your diet has a powerful impact on this delicate hormonal balance. Certain foods can trigger blood sugar spikes and inflammation, putting your body under unnecessary stress and perpetuating a cycle of high cortisol.

Foods to Avoid with High Cortisol

To help regulate your cortisol levels, it is crucial to limit or avoid certain food groups. These items are often highly inflammatory or directly stimulate the adrenal glands, exacerbating your body's stress response.

Sugary and Refined Foods

Excessive sugar consumption is one of the most direct ways to disrupt cortisol balance. When you eat sugary foods or simple carbohydrates, your blood glucose levels spike rapidly. This triggers an insulin release to bring the sugar down, but a subsequent crash in blood sugar signals the body that it's in a state of stress. This perceived stress triggers another release of cortisol to raise blood sugar levels, creating a vicious cycle. This category includes:

Sugary drinks like soda and fruit juices
Candy, cookies, and other baked goods
White bread, pasta, and pastries
Snack foods high in sugar like certain granolas or yogurt

Excessive Caffeine

While a morning cup of coffee is a staple for many, too much caffeine can stimulate the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol. This is particularly problematic if consumed during the early morning when cortisol levels are naturally at their peak, or in the afternoon, which can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to elevated stress hormones. A high intake can lead to jitteriness, anxiety, and a feeling of being 'wired,' all of which are signs of a heightened stress response.

Alcohol

Alcohol has a complex relationship with cortisol, and its effects depend on the amount and frequency of consumption. While it may provide initial feelings of relaxation, heavy or chronic alcohol consumption has been shown to increase cortisol levels over time and disrupt sleep, which is critical for hormonal regulation. Relying on alcohol to manage stress can lead to a dependent cycle that only increases the body's overall stress burden.

Processed and Fried Foods

Processed foods are typically high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium, all of which contribute to inflammation in the body. This systemic inflammation is a form of physical stress that can trigger the release of cortisol. Fried foods and fast food also fall into this category, as they are often packed with trans and saturated fats known to promote inflammation.

Excessive Salt Intake

Emerging research suggests a link between high salt intake and increased cortisol production, a mechanism that may contribute to obesity. While more studies are needed, a diet high in sodium can put stress on the body and potentially affect the hormonal pathways involved in cortisol regulation.

Why These Foods Impact Cortisol

Blood Sugar Fluctuation: The constant spikes and crashes caused by sugar and refined carbs put the body on a metabolic rollercoaster, signaling a state of emergency that triggers cortisol release.
Adrenal Stimulation: Caffeine and alcohol directly stimulate the adrenal glands, forcing them to work harder and produce more stress hormones, which can eventually lead to adrenal fatigue.
Inflammation: Many of the mentioned foods, particularly processed and fried items, promote systemic inflammation, which is a physical stressor on the body and prompts a cortisol response.
Gut-Brain Axis Disruption: An unhealthy diet can negatively affect the gut microbiome, which is strongly linked to mental health and the body's stress response. A significant portion of mood-regulating serotonin is produced in the gut, and disruption here can worsen stress.

Comparison of Food Choices


Category	Foods to Avoid	Healthier Alternatives
Sugars/Carbs	Soda, candy, white bread, pastries	Whole grains (oats, quinoa), fruit, sweet potatoes
Caffeine	Excessive coffee, energy drinks	Herbal tea (chamomile, green tea), water
Alcohol	Beer, wine, cocktails in excess	Infused water, kombucha
Processed/Fried	Chips, fast food, packaged snacks	Nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables
Unhealthy Fats	Red meat, trans fats, saturated fat	Omega-3 fatty fish, avocado, olive oil

Healthy Alternatives and Lifestyle Changes

Shifting your diet to include cortisol-friendly foods can make a significant difference. Focus on nutrient-rich whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Magnesium-rich foods such as spinach and avocados, and omega-3-rich foods like salmon and walnuts are particularly beneficial for regulating cortisol.

Beyond diet, adopting complementary lifestyle habits is essential for overall cortisol management. These include prioritizing 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night, engaging in regular moderate-intensity exercise like walking or yoga, and incorporating stress-management techniques such as deep breathing or meditation. Consistent meal timing can also prevent blood sugar drops that trigger cortisol spikes. Taking a holistic approach is key to achieving lasting hormonal balance.

For more detailed information on lifestyle medicine and its pillars, you can read expert insights on the OSF HealthCare blog.

Conclusion

Making informed dietary choices is a powerful tool for managing cortisol levels and mitigating the effects of stress on your body. By limiting high-sugar, high-caffeine, and highly processed foods, you can prevent unnecessary hormonal spikes and support your body's natural regulatory systems. Combining these smart dietary habits with adequate sleep, moderate exercise, and mindful relaxation techniques creates a comprehensive strategy for keeping cortisol in check and fostering a greater sense of well-being. Focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods is the most effective and sustainable way to reduce dietary stress and promote hormonal balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

When you eat sugar, your blood sugar spikes, and your body releases insulin to manage it. The subsequent blood sugar crash is perceived as a stressor, prompting your body to release cortisol to bring blood sugar back up.

A small amount of caffeine, particularly in the morning after your natural cortisol peak, may be acceptable for some. However, high intake, especially later in the day, can significantly increase cortisol and interfere with sleep, so moderation is key.

Processed foods are often high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and sodium, which cause inflammation. This chronic inflammation is a physical stressor on the body that leads to an increased cortisol response.

While alcohol may offer temporary relief, chronic or heavy drinking actually disrupts the body's stress response. It can lead to higher cortisol levels over time and significantly impairs sleep quality, which is vital for hormonal balance.

You should minimize intake of saturated fats (found in red meat and fried foods) and trans fats (in many processed snacks). Instead, opt for healthy fats like those found in avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish.

Some research suggests that high salt intake can stimulate cortisol production. While more studies are ongoing, it's wise to moderate your sodium consumption, as it can be a stressor on the body and is often found in processed foods.

Yes, sugary drinks like soda and high-sugar fruit juices should be avoided, as they contribute to the same blood sugar spikes that trigger cortisol release. Staying hydrated with water and herbal teas is a much better choice.