It’s no secret that high stress levels are a major issue in modern society. Nearly half of U.S. adults report experiencing “a lot of stress” daily, according to a 2025 Gallup survey. And roughly one-third of adults perceive that stress negatively impacts their health to some extent. Given that, it makes sense that the primary hormone involved in the stress response—cortisol—has become a hot topic in wellness.
Colloquially known as the stress hormone, cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands, explains board-certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic. When a ‘threat’ is detected, the cortisol is released to help the body handle high-stress challenges by increasing alertness, sending blood to the muscles, and regulating blood sugar, he explains.
The problem we face today isn’t cortisol itself, but how frequently the stress response is activated. Historically, humans would encounter cortisol-spiking threats only every few weeks, for example, if one saw some sort of predator or an enemy tribe, says Teitelbaum. “But modern life causes these same alarm bells to go off every few minutes, which causes issues.”
When stress signals remain activated, cortisol rhythms can become disrupted. “The goal isn’t to have low or no cortisol, but instead to have a body that can produce the right amount of cortisol at the right time,” says functional medicine practitioner and certified nutritionist Jerry Bailey, M.S., D.C., a health provider and chiropractor with Lakeside Holistic Health in Coeur d’Alene, ID. When cortisol production is healthy, you’ll have all the cortisol you need to navigate stressful situations, but not so much that you experience side effects.
“Cortisol influences your energy, motivation, blood sugar, inflammation, immune function, thyroid and sex hormone signaling, sleep quality, mood and anxiety, and even body composition,” explains Bailey. As such, when levels go haywire, you may experience persistent fatigue, sleep issues, weight gain, increased anxiety, brain fog, and irritability.
Lifestyle factors like sleep, stress (related to work, relationships, finances, whatever), movement, and recovery play the most significant role in cortisol balance, according to Bailey. A nutrient-poor diet also contributes, as nutrient insufficiencies can contribute to a stress physiology that’s more reactive and slower to recover, he says.
Ahead, experts break down the nutrients and other supplements with the most substantial evidence for supporting a healthy stress response and cortisol balance—and how to supplement with them thoughtfully.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., is a board-certified internist andauthor of the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic. Jerry Bailey, M.S., D.C., is a functional medicine practitioner, certified nutritionist, and chiropractor with Lakeside Holistic Health in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Dimitar Marinov, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the department of hygiene and epidemiology at Medical University in Varna, Bulgaria.
1. Magnesium
“Magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the body, including those associated with stress,” says Dimitar Marinov, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of hygiene and epidemiology at Medical University in Varna, Bulgaria. As a result, it is common for the estimated 45 to 60 percent of the population who are deficient in the nutrient to report symptoms of deficiency (e.g., irritability, fatigue, headaches) that strongly overlap with signs of chronic stress.
Research consistently shows a bidirectional relationship between high stress and low magnesium status. One review in Nutrients found that people who report high psychological stress tend to have lower magnesium levels, while elevated cortisol itself appears to increase the speed with which the body uses and excretes the nutrient, potentially worsening deficiency over time.
The good news: Research suggests that supplementing with magnesium can stop that vicious cycle in its tracks, returning stress and cortisol response to greater balance. One 2022 study in Clinical Endocrinology saw that when middle-aged, overweight adults took 350 milligrams of magnesium citrate daily for 24 weeks, they saw greater reductions in urinary cortisol and cortisone—two common markers of cortisol metabolism—than those who took a placebo.
“Magnesium also supports healthy sleep, which is critical for hormonal function,” adds Teitelbaum. When magnesium levels are suboptimal, sleep quality and quantity can suffer, which can mess with cortisol balance, he says.
How to supplement
The recommended daily magnesium intake for adult men and women is about 400 and 300 milligrams, respectively. With that, most experts suggest a supplement with 200 to 400 milligrams per serving, depending on your unique diet and needs. While clinical studies may use various magnesium forms, providers often recommend patients use magnesium glycinate due to its high bioavailability and gentleness on the stomach.
While magnesium is totally safe for most folks, Marinov says that individuals with kidney disease or impaired renal function should talk to their doctors ahead of supplementing. “Higher-dose magnesium supplementation can increase the risk of hypermagnesemia in individuals with compromised kidney function,” he explains.
2. B Vitamins
Bailey calls the B vitamins the body’s stress-to-energy conversion tools. “Under stress, the body uses more neurotransmitters, more adrenal signaling, more energy metabolism, and more methylation and detox pathways—all of which rely on B vitamins,” he explains.
The different B vitamins support the body’s stress response in slightly different ways. Vitamin B5 is associated with adrenal hormone production, for example, while vitamin B1 plays a role in nervous system resilience, Bailey says. It’s no wonder low B-vitamin status is often associated with feelings of burnout and stress!
Thankfully, taking a vitamin B complex supplement may help, according to a 2019 review in Nutrients. The researchers concluded that supplements containing a complex of three or more B vitamins, taken for at least four weeks, show a small but statistically significant reduction in stress.
How To Supplement
“Most people do well supplementing with a quality B complex that includes multiple B vitamins in balanced doses,” says Bailey. When scanning the label, he suggests looking for formulas that contain B1 (thiamine), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cobalamin), as these play especially important roles in stress resilience.
Anyone who is pregnant, managing a medical condition, or taking medications should check with a provider before supplementing. Because B vitamins can have an energizing effect, Bailey recommends taking them earlier in the day, ideally with food.
3. Vitamin C
Fighting colds isn’t the only role vitamin C plays in the body. This revered antioxidant also plays a meaningful role in the body’s stress response.
“People don’t commonly think about vitamin C, but the adrenal glands use a lot of it,” says Bailey.
When you’re under stress, those glands pull in vitamin C to help support cortisol production and protect adrenal tissue from oxidative stress. When vitamin C levels are adequate, the body is better equipped to respond to stress and then recover, Bailey explains. (Research confirms this, with one 2023 review in Frontiers in Endocrinology reporting that vitamin C supplementation may support optimal stress response because of the nutrient’s antioxidant actions.) When levels are low, the stress response can feel louder and more taxing—and your body may take longer to return to baseline.
“Several studies suggest supplementation with vitamin C can blunt or improve recovery from cortisol elevations during acute stress,” says Marinov. One 2024 clinical trial published in Nutrients found that when women with chronic stress received a daily oral dose of 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C for two months, cortisol levels decreased.
How to Supplement
The recommended daily intake (RDI) for vitamin C is 75 milligrams for women and 90 milligrams for men. That said, the daily upper limit is 2,000 milligrams, and most clinical research utilizes daily dosages ranging from 250 to 1,000 milligrams. As such, most daily vitamin C supplements contain these higher amounts! (Since the antioxidant is water-soluble, it needs to be consumed daily.)
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Thanks to their reputation as a heart-health staple, omega-3 fatty acids are often overlooked as a cortisol-support supplement. But Bailey says they absolutely deserve a play in your stress stack.
“Omega-3s do not lower cortisol directly, but they reduce the reasons cortisol has to stay elevated,” he says. More specifically, they support a balanced inflammatory response.
Chronic inflammation—driven by factors ranging from nutrient-poor eating to relationship stress to overtraining to undersleeping—acts like a non-stop threat signal to the brain and body, explains Bailey. The persistence of that alarm keeps systems that affect cortisol, such as the adrenals, switched on. “Omega-3s help lower inflammatory signaling, which ultimately supports healthy cortisol,” he says.
A 2021 study in Molecular Psychiatry found that when sedentary, overweight adults supplemented with 2.5 grams of omega-3 daily, they showed greater reductions in total cortisol output than those who took a placebo. Meanwhile, a smaller study of nurses who self-reported work burnout had lower morning cortisol concentrations after daily omega-3 supplementation for eight consecutive weeks.
How to Supplement
If you want to target stress and are otherwise healthy, Marinov suggests supplementing with one to two grams of omega-3s, from a combination of EPA and DHA, a day. “The FDA recommends no more than two grams per day of combined EPA and DHA come from supplements per day, so this recommendation is within the safety guardrails while still being effective for stress,” he says. That said, it’s always best to talk to a provider about what dosage makes sense for you.
If you don’t have any allergies or eating restrictions, a classic omega-3 fish oil option, like The Vitamin Shoppe brand Omega-3 Fish Oil, works great. Otherwise, the plant-based Nordic Naturals Algae Omega should be your bet. Since omega-3’s are fat-soluble, take them alongside a snack or meal (or even a spoonful of peanut butter) for optimal absorption.
5. Ashwagandha
If you’re open to utilizing botanicals to support cortisol balance, consider ashwagandha. “It’s one of the best-supported adaptogens for supporting cortisol-related outcomes,” says Marinov. “Multiple randomized trials have shown it may lead to reductions in perceived stress and measured cortisol.”
One 2023 review published in Frontiers in Endocrinology concluded that daily ashwagandha supplementation may lead to significant decreases in cortisol levels and perception of stress. Another review reports that adults who took ashwagandha daily for 56 to 60 days had lower serum cortisol levels than those who took a placebo.
According to Bailey, the herb’s power lies in its impact on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, a network that helps the brain communicate with the adrenal glands. Giving the HPA axis a little extra support can translate into the body producing more situation-appropriate cortisol—with fewer exaggerated spikes at night and a more reliable rise in the morning, he explains.
How To Supplement
First, talk with a healthcare provider to see if ashwagandha is right for you. “While ashwagandha can be very helpful for stress, it’s not ideal for everyone,” says Bailey. Some people find it more stimulating than calming. Additionally, “adaptogens aren’t always recommended for those who have thyroid sensitivity, a history of bipolar disorder, are pregnant, have autoimmune flare patterns, or are taking certain medications,” he says.
For those given the green light, typical doses range from 200 to 600 milligrams daily—often in the form of standardized extract. With adaptogens, consistency is king; it generally takes six to eight weeks of daily intake to feel results, so be sure to pick a format that fits in well with your wellness routine.