The hormone plays a role in regulating stress, metabolism, and the immune system.

                                                              Cortisol Controversy

Social Media's Misinformation About Cortisol... For Profit

Controversy is escalating on social media regarding the role of cortisol, known as the stress hormone, in causing various health problems. Claiming to be experts, they are promoting advice and products that they claim can regulate its levels in the body and thus mitigate its effects. 

These people point to "nine worrying signs of high cortisol levels," listing sleep disturbances, difficulty losing weight, constantly feeling cold, and irritability.

Some say, "If you notice at least one of these symptoms, I've designed a program specifically for you," while others post "coupon codes" for nutritional supplements that promise to lower cortisol levels "by up to 75%." 

Professor Guillaume Assier, an endocrinologist at Cochin Hospital in Paris, told AFP that the messages circulating on social media, suggesting 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, peaking in the morning and gradually declining throughout the day. This rhythm can be disrupted during stressful situations. However, low or excessively 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's no need to worry about cortisol levels," asserts public health physician Thibaut Violi, denouncing what he describes as the "charlatanism" of those claiming to be experts. 

They use the concept of "adrenal fatigue" to assert that "millions of people suffer from impaired adrenal function due to repeated exposure to stressful factors, leading to a multitude of nonspecific symptoms"... which, according to Violi, "everyone can recognize."

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 it is a "myth." Some "nutrition coaches" claim that cortisol can prevent weight loss and is responsible for bloating in the abdomen or face. 

While excessive cortisol production can affect facial appearance, as in those with Cushing's disease, daily stress alone is not enough to cause such changes.

To combat this alleged imbalance in cortisol regulation, social media is awash with posts about diets, supplements, and detox drinks made with coconut water and citrus juice, which are supposed to regulate the hormone. Violi points out that "the goal of talking about cortisol is purely financial gain, i.e., sales," while "there is no clinical data proving the beneficial effects of these products."

"Between 300 and 1,500 euros"

Hepatologist and gastroenterologist Pauline Guiouche warns of a "market" of biological tests "prescribed by those who claim to be specialists" outside the medical system. "We're talking about a salivary cortisol test, as well as gut microbiome and food allergy tests, the results of which are supposed to reveal "imbalances or deficiencies that cannot be detected through conventional medicine," explains Ghiouche.

According to testimonies she has collected, the cost of these "completely unreliable" tests ranges from "300 to 1,500 euros for the complete package." "If you resort to an alternative path, you lose any guarantee of the quality of the tests or results," says Assier. "At-home" cortisol tests are also available online.

Assier explains, "If the service offered 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" regarding the validity and accuracy of the tests. 

In addition to "losing money," Dr. Ghiouche points to the risk of distraction for these often desperate individuals who receive promises of solutions to all their problems, which may push them away from conventional medicine.