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Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Experts warn against viral cocktail that promises to banish stress and exhaustion
A cocktail of fruit juices, sparkling water and vitamin powder might be the key to slashing stress hormones, influencers claim. Social media influencers say they've concocted a viral 'cocktail' that lowers levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that triggers the body's 'fight-or-flight' response. It also regulates metabolism, blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation and sleep, among other functions. But too much cortisol can throw these processes into overdrive, leading to weight gain, heart disease, high cholesterol and infertility. But the 'cortisol cocktail' contains ingredients that could keep cortisol under control with a mix of coconut water, lemon, orange juice, sea salt and sparkling water. The finishing touch is about a teaspoon of magnesium, a mineral that supports nearly 300 bodily processes, including immune health, muscle function and energy production. Doctors told that while the drink's ingredients all support relaxation and mood, they're unlikely to significantly lower cortisol levels on their own. They suggested people with consistently high cortisol should instead focus on more proven strategies like exercise and eating a balanced diet. Dr Charles Carlsen, an OBGYN and chief technology officer at DRSONO Medical, told this website: 'While ingredients in the cortisol cocktail, like magnesium and coconut water, have recognized medical properties — magnesium stimulates a feeling of calm and coconut water is a hydrator — there is not a lot of scientific evidence to support arguments that a given drink lowers stress hormones significantly. 'The nutrients in these drinks may support overall good health but are not a cure-all when it comes to stress hormones.' Dr Jeffrey Ditzell, a psychiatrist in New York City, added: 'There is likely more hype than help with cortisol cocktails.' Cortisol is known as the 'stress hormone' because it increases blood pressure and heart rate to put the body into 'fight-or-flight' mode and raises blood sugar levels to provide energy. Dr Daniel Atkinson, clinical lead at healthcare service company Treated, told 'When you encounter stress, your body raises its cortisol levels. 'Cortisol also plays a part in regulating your blood pressure, immune system, and sleep-wake cycle.' The hormone is produced by the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. Too little cortisol can send the body into an adrenal crisis, leading to low blood pressure, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, fever and trouble breathing. But high cortisol levels can slow metabolism, raise cholesterol levels, increase heart rate and blood pressure and disrupt sleep, Dr Carlsen said. 'Concerns arise when someone has persistent symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, mood changes, or unexplained weight changes; especially if accompanied by physical signs like high blood pressure or abdominal weight gain.' Dr Carlsen noted doctors can test for elevated cortisol with blood, saliva and urine samples. Dr Angela Downey, a family physician at The Codependent Doctor, told 'The tests are often done at specific times during the day as your cortisol naturally changes through the day.' One of the cortisol cocktail's main ingredients is about 200 milligrams of magnesium powder, which costs anywhere from $15 to $30 per tub, depending on the size. The recommended daily dose is about 400 to 420 milligrams for men and 310 to 320 milligrams for women. Dr Atkinson said while magnesium deficiency has been linked to high cortisol, 'raising your magnesium levels won't happen instantly by including around 200 milligrams of it in a drink. 'There's no guarantee how much magnesium in a supplement form your body will absorb, so if you know your magnesium levels are low, you'd probably be better off trying to include more magnesium-rich foods in your diet, such as whole grains, legumes and nuts.' Dr Carlsen told this website: 'Over intake of magnesium leads to diarrhea, stomach discomfort, and various gastrointestinal symptoms.' He also added 'excessive magnesium is also not good in kidney disease patients,' as they can't properly filter out magnesium and other nutrients. Even ingredients like fruit juice and sparkling water, Dr Atkinson said, could cause gastrointestinal discomfort, especially in people who have one of these drinks every day. Orange juice and coconut water, meanwhile, are hydrating and packed with inflammation-lowering vitamin C, they can also be high in added sugars, 'which might not be ideal for people with insulin resistance, diabetes or PCOS,' Dr Downey told this website. Dr Carlsen instead points to habits like diet and exercise and tried and true ways top lower cortisol. Moderate exercise like cycling, tennis and yoga, for example, is thought to reduce cortisol by producing mood-boosting hormones called endorphins and improving sleep quality. Foods rich in antioxidants like berries, dark chocolate and green tea also lower inflammation and prevent stress-induced cell damage. Dr Carlsen added: 'While there is possible benefit with the hydrating and refreshing ingredients of a cortisol cocktail, it is not a definitive fix to low cortisol. Evidence-based remedies like a good-health lifestyle and stress relief are superior long-term fixes. 'Always consult with a healthcare specialist should you be concerned with your level of cortisol or general health.'
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Everyday food exposing 75M Americans to CANCER
A whopping one in three Americans is still consuming fast food daily. Two new CDC reports show more than 75million adults over 20 gobbled down burgers, fries and other foods every day between 2021 and 2023. A further 6million of those ate fast food as more than half their daily calories. People under 40 were twice as likely to rely on fast food compared to seniors — a find that worries researchers. Often packed with preservatives, chemicals, and low-quality fats, it's thought that processed food quietly rewrites DNA, disrupts hormones, and fuels tumor growth. Junk and fast foods are increasingly tied to deadly diseases like colon, breast, and pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile, the data shows even kids aren't spared. Nearly one in three children and teens ate fast food on any given day, and it made up 14 percent of their total calories — fueling fears of early-onset disease later in life. Yet despite the startling figures, fast food consumption is actually down compared to previous years. The amount of calories consumed from fast food fell between 2014 and 2023 by about 15 percent. And for kids, these figures dropped 18 percent from 2015 to 2023. Dr Charles Carlsen, an OBGYN and chief technology officer of DRSONO Medical, told the Daily Mail: 'It's also possible that increased expenses and inflation are also making fast food harder for some families to afford. 'There's also more awareness of health difficulties associated with fast food such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease that's probably encouraged many to be more discerning about their choices of food. Fast food is ultraprocessed, meaning it's packed with saturated fats, sugars and additives like emulsifiers and artificial dyes not typically found in home cooking. As a result, they have been linked to heart disease, dementia, obesity and even some forms of cancer like colon cancer. Recent studies have even suggested they could be responsible for over 120,000 early deaths in the US, more than top killers like fentanyl. In particular, emulsifiers, which give milkshakes, sauces and processed meats a smooth and consistent texture, have also been linked to colon cancer. It's thought that they can attack protective intestinal barriers, leading to inflammation. Inflammation stokes cell division, which increases the risk of DNA damage and cancer-causing mutations forming. Both reports were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, published by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. 'Fast food' was defined as 'restaurant fast food/pizza.' The data shows between August 2021 and August 2023, 32 percent of adults over 20 consumed fast food every day. Of those, 11 percent got zero a quarter or less of their calories from fast food and another 12 percent ate fast food for up to half their diet. Around nine percent, or 6million, turned to burgers, fries and shakes for over half their daily calories. Roughly 30 percent of kids and teens picked up fast food every day, the data shows. About eight percent ate it for more than half their calories. And teens in particular were worse off than younger children. They got about 15 percent of their daily calories from fast food on average, twice as many as kids under 11. Dr Carlsen said: 'Teenagers, who are increasingly independent and have more spending power, are more likely to turn to fast food. Unlike younger kids, teens tend to make their own eating decisions and are sometimes guided by convenience or peer conduct. 'In addition, numerous teens have part-time jobs at fast food restaurants, which ingrains the behavior further.' Younger adults generally ate more fast food than older generations. Fast food made up 15 percent of calories for adults ages 20 to 39 and eight percent for those 60 and older. Dr Carlsen told this website: 'Young adult citizens would be likely to lead busy lives and hence be attracted to convenient and quick consumption. Older citizens may also have obtained better lifestyles over time or be better funded to dine at home.' The report also looked at education levels. Adults with least some college education were the most likely to eat fast food. Those who started but didn't finish college got 13 percent of their daily calories from fast food compared to 11 percent who either never went to college or had a bachelor's degree. And adults who weighed more generally went through the drive through more than their thinner peers. The CDC officials also looked at the relationship between weight and fast food consumption. Obese Americans got about 14 percent of their calories from fast food compared to 10 percent for people with a normal weight. This is a 33 percent difference. This aligns with mountains of research linking fast food and ultraprocessed food consumption to obesity. However, both children and adults are eating less fast food than in years past, the data suggests. Fast food consumption among adults decreased from 14 percent in 2013-2014 to 12 percent in 2021-2023, a 15 percent drop. And 36 percent of kids and teens in 2015-2018 had fast food on a given day compared to 30 percent in 2021-2023, an 18 percent dip. There were several limitations to the new reports, mainly including the lack of data on specific foods and any chronic health issues participants had. Dr Carlsen said: 'Though consumption at fast eateries is on the decline, it is still at the core of American consumption habits. Price, health-consciousness, and convenience are still leading determinants of consumption behavior, but slowly things are changing.'
