Cortisol Cocktails (Adrenal Cocktails): What They Are and How They’re Made

Written by Rachel Reiff Ellis
Medically Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, MS, DO on April 01, 2025
8 min read

A cortisol cocktail — also called an adrenal cocktail — is a drink that includes orange juice, coconut water, and salt, among other ingredients. It’s become a popular wellness product because of claims it helps to boost your energy, ease the effects of stress on your body, and promote weight loss.

But do these cocktails work? To understand the answer, it’s helpful to learn more about adrenal glands, cortisol, and how they affect you.

 

According to promoters of cortisol cocktails, the ingredients of these drinks deliver important nutrients:

  • Vitamin C from orange juice
  • Potassium from coconut water
  • Sodium from salt

The claim is that by boosting levels of these vitamins and minerals with this drink, you help energize worn-out adrenal glands so they can work better.

“The adrenal glands, located just above your kidneys, produce more than 50 hormones, including the ‘stress’ hormone cortisol and aldosterone, which maintain your body’s sodium balance,” says Theodore C. Friedman, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine and chief of the division of endocrinology, molecular medicine and metabolism at Charles R. Drew University.

Cortisol helps regulate your response to stress by giving you an energy boost. If you’re feeling sluggish and tired, one theory is your adrenal glands have given out — a condition called adrenal fatigue.

Is adrenal fatigue a thing?

Even though adrenal fatigue is a commonly used term in wellness circles, scientific research doesn’t recognize it — a “burnout” of your adrenal glands from overuse — as a medical cause of fatigue. 

What endocrinologists do sometimes diagnose is a condition called adrenal insufficiency (sometimes called Addison’s disease). When you have that condition, your adrenal glands don’t make enough cortisol. 

Adrenal insufficiency happens because of autoimmune issues, infection, cancer, problems with your pituitary gland, or genetic causes — not overuse of your adrenal glands. 

Treatment for adrenal insufficiency includes IV corticosteroids and doses of cortisol, aldosterone, or both. You may also need other medicines to help regulate your sodium and potassium. A cortisol cocktail wouldn’t treat adrenal insufficiency.

Fatigue is a symptom of adrenal insufficiency, but adrenal fatigue and adrenal insufficiency aren’t the same thing. In fact, they have the opposite effect on cortisol levels in your body.

“Adrenal fatigue gets described as a condition where your adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol because of high stress, but when you’re stressed out, your adrenal glands make more cortisol,” Friedman says. 

There isn’t research to back claims that cortisol cocktails do any more for your adrenal glands than simply eating a healthy diet would. Here’s a breakdown of some of the common claims and what science says about them:

Adrenal cocktail for stress relief

Scientific reviews are still studying if and how diet can affect your cortisol levels, and they haven’t reached solid conclusions. Fatigue is a definite symptom of high stress over time, and high stress means high cortisol levels. 

So while lowering your stress could help you feel more energized, there’s no proof that drinking a cortisol cocktail will decrease your stress levels.

Cortisol cocktail for weight loss

You’ve probably heard the term “stress eating.” The cortisol boost you get when you’re stressed increases your appetite and tells your body to release extra insulin, the hormone that regulates your blood sugar. This, plus extra cortisol, can lead to the storage of more fat around your abdomen. 

But because cortisol cocktails don’t lower cortisol in your body, they don’t reduce this effect. 

While some research shows a link to potassium levels and weight management, drinking more potassium in a cortisol cocktail won’t make you lose weight.  

Other cortisol cocktail benefits

Cortisol cocktails have become popular for claims they promote a healthy electrolyte balance in your body. Electrolytes are minerals that give off an electrical charge when they dissolve in fluids like blood and urine. They help regulate your heart rate and fluid balance, and they support your muscle and nerve function.

Both sodium and potassium are electrolytes. Drinking a cortisol cocktail adds both to your system. But most people in the U.S. get plenty of sodium already and often too much. 

Hydration is key to keeping your electrolytes in balance, and water is the No. 1 choice for staying hydrated. 

Coconut water, one of the ingredients in cortisol cocktails, is low on the glycemic index. That means it helps keep you hydrated without much impact on your blood sugar. Some small studies show it may also help reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Even if they don’t offer health benefits, cortisol cocktails are harmless on the whole. Their ingredients aren’t different from those in many whole foods or even other electrolyte drinks. 

Who should avoid cortisol cocktails?

If you live with any of these medical conditions, talk to your doctor before giving cortisol cocktails a try.

  • Kidney disease. If you have certain stages of kidney disease, you may need to avoid high-potassium foods.  
  • Diabetes. Orange juice’s sugar content can be a concern if you have issues with blood sugar regulation.
  • Conditions requiring fluid restriction. If you have heart failure or another condition that means limiting your fluid intake, cortisol cocktails aren’t for you.

Also avoid cortisol cocktails if you take certain medications. Talk to your doctor to see if they're safe for you. 

A cortisol cocktail recipe doesn’t require a trip to a specialty shop. You can find everything you need in a regular grocery store. You may even have the ingredients on hand already in your kitchen.

Cortisol cocktail ingredients

Key elements of a cortisol cocktail are orange juice, coconut water, and salt. But some recipes suggest optional ingredients, such as:

  • Cream of tartar, which adds potassium
  • Ginger, to help with digestion and add a “kick”
  • Other health supplements such as collagen, a protein building block

Be sure your doctor knows about any supplements you add to your diet. Some supplements aren’t good for certain health conditions, and others can interact with medications you're taking.

Your body needs cortisol to function correctly. The goal isn’t to get rid of cortisol completely, but to find a healthy balance — not too much and not too little. 

You can help regulate your cortisol levels by adopting certain practices and cutting back on others. 

  • Eat a healthy diet. Studies are still looking into the relationship between foods and cortisol levels, but one study showed a diet high in saturated fat and sugar (think chips, candy, white bread, and high-fat meat) can lead to higher cortisol levels in your body. On the flip side, a diet high in fiber (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) can help stabilize your cortisol levels. 
  • Get good sleep. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, your cortisol levels rise. Good sleep hygiene can help. Stick to a bedtime/wake schedule; keep your bedroom cool, dark, and distraction free; and wind down before bed by avoiding heavy meals, screens, and caffeine.
  • Practice relaxation techniques. Breathing exercises like box breathing (in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, out for four seconds, hold for four seconds, repeat), guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation are some ways to guide your body toward a more relaxed state and lower cortisol levels. 
  • Dial back caffeine. Your morning cup — or three — of joe may make you feel more awake, but it’s increasing your cortisol, too. Try reducing your coffee, black tea, soda, and chocolate intake to lower the caffeine you get each day.
  • Get regular exercise. A workout will increase your cortisol temporarily while your heart rate is up and you’re moving. But in the long run, your cortisol levels will go down. Physical activity releases endorphins, which are hormones that relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your sense of well-being.

Ultimately, if you’re feeling sluggish and want to know if there’s a medical cause for it, your best first move is to see your doctor. 

“Ideally, you should see an endocrinologist,” says Friedman. “Because if you have an adrenal issue, they can treat it, and if you don’t, they can help identify the underlying cause of your fatigue.”

Cortisol cocktails are homemade drinks advertised to boost your energy, reduce your stress, and promote weight loss by energizing your adrenal glands when they’re burned out. But there’s no scientific proof they do these things beyond the benefits of a healthy diet and staying hydrated.

Talk to your doctor before trying them. These drinks might not be a good idea if you have certain medical issues or take certain medications. If you're feeling tired or stressed, see your doctor to rule out underlying health issues rather than relying on cortisol cocktails.

Can adrenal cocktails make you sick?

Not unless you can’t have one of their ingredients because of an allergy or medical condition, or you have kidney disease, diabetes, or a condition that requires you to restrict your fluid intake.

How do you flush cortisol out of your system?

To lower your cortisol levels, focus on stress management techniques like deep breathing, meditation, quality sleep, and regular exercise. Also eat a balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods that are high in fiber. 

Does an adrenal cocktail spike blood sugar?

Yes. Since you make adrenal cocktails with orange juice, drinking them will increase your blood sugar.

Can I lower my cortisol overnight?

Your cortisol is typically lowest in the evening as you go to bed and highest in the morning as you wake up. That’s because cortisol plays a role in your circadian rhythm, which is your sleep-wake cycle. Getting good-quality sleep over time can help regulate your cortisol levels so they stay more steady. 

Does magnesium reduce cortisol?

Yes. One role of magnesium in your body is to regulate your cortisol levels. It does this by blocking or reducing pathways that send cortisol to your brain.

Does an adrenal cocktail have electrolytes?

Yes. Both sodium (from salt) and potassium (from coconut water and cream of tartar, if you add it) are electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential to many of your body’s functions. 

What’s a substitute for coconut water in adrenal cocktails?

Instead of coconut water, you might try sparkling mineral water, aloe vera juice, unsweetened coconut milk, or just plain water.