Cortisol helps regulate stress, sleep and metabolism—but chronic elevation can harm long-term health. Signs of high cortisol include poor sleep, visceral fat gain and feeling mentally alert but ...

Do you feel overwhelmed by daily tasks? Catch yourself thinking negative or pessimistic thoughts? Blame your high cortisol levels, influencers would have you believe. Online, cortisol—commonly called ...

TikTok is packed with claims that high levels of cortisol are responsible for everything from sudden weight gain to fatigue and the way your face looks. With that, it’s understandable to wonder where ...

High cortisol isn’t a health concern for most people, despite claims you may have seen online. Wellness influencers blame cortisol for a host of ailments, including bloating, fatigue, irritability and ...

We all know stress messes with our heads, but did you know it can also wreak havoc on our bodies? Say hello to cortisol, the hormone released when stress hits, triggering that familiar “fight, flight ...

Stress is often discussed in terms of mental health, but its physical effects, especially on metabolism, are just as powerful. The hormone that plays the most significant role in this association is ...

Certain foods and drinks, like alcohol, fried foods and sweets, can raise cortisol levels. Eating these foods regularly may worsen stress, inflammation, blood sugar levels and sleep quality. Focus on ...

Cortisol, what is known as the stress hormone, is the talk of the internet. Wellness influencers warn about the various symptoms of chronically high cortisol: waking up at 3 a.m., swollen "cortisol ...

Higher cortisol levels can raise blood sugar levels. This can happen because of stress, sleep irregularities, caffeine and alcohol, certain medications, and even times of the day. You may experience ...

Photo-Illustration by Chloe Dowling for TIME (Source Images: Robert Brook—Science Photo Library, Getty Images, Elena Fontana—Getty Images, nito100/Getty Images) Contributor Do you feel overwhelmed by ...