My 7 favorite foods and herbs to lower cortisol

Summary

In this video, Dr. Alex Hinn, a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, discusses natural ways to lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone. He explains the impact of stress on the body and how it can lead to various health issues. Dr. Hinn shares seven food-grade medicines and herbs, including dark chocolate, blueberries, green tea, avocados, fatty fish, garlic, and spinach, which can help reduce cortisol levels. He also touches on the role of traditional Chinese medicine in treating stress-related symptoms and provides a link to a free 'Root Cause Quiz' for viewers to identify the source of their stress.

Takeaways

• 🍫 Dark chocolate can help lower cortisol levels, especially in individuals under psychological stress.
• 🫐 Blueberries and other berries contain antioxidants that may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation linked to high cortisol levels.
• 🍵 Green tea contains eleanine, which can promote relaxation and decrease cortisol levels.
• 🥑 Avocados, rich in healthy fats and potassium, can help regulate blood pressure and lower cortisol.
• 🐟 Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, with their omega-3 fatty acids, have anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce cortisol.
• 🧄 Garlic has compounds that can lower cortisol levels in response to stress.
• 🥬 Spinach, high in magnesium, can aid in reducing cortisol by enhancing relaxation and decreasing stress.
• 🌿 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers unique perspectives on stress and its symptoms, viewing them as imbalances in the body's systems.
• 🔍 Dr. Alex Hind, a licensed acupuncturist and TCM doctor, suggests that lifestyle medicine and certain herbs can be effective in managing stress without resorting to pharmaceuticals.
• 🔗 Dr. Hind provides a 'Root Cause Quiz' based on TCM to help individuals identify the underlying patterns causing their symptoms.

Q & A

What is cortisol and why is it important to manage its levels?

Cortisol is a stress hormone released in the body to deal with perceived threats or stress. Managing cortisol levels is important because chronically high levels can lead to various health issues, including increased blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

How does the body's response to stress relate to the metaphor of the Chihuahua and the Bernese Mountain Dog?

The metaphor compares the nervous system's response to stress to the behavior of different dog breeds. The Chihuahua represents a nervous system that is easily aroused and constantly in a state of alert, while the Bernese Mountain Dog symbolizes a more relaxed and less reactive nervous system.

What are some lifestyle practices that can help lower cortisol levels without medication?

Lifestyle practices that can help lower cortisol levels include consuming certain foods like dark chocolate, berries, green tea, avocados, fatty fish, garlic, and spinach, as well as engaging in stress-reducing activities and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

What role does traditional Chinese medicine play in managing stress and cortisol levels?

Traditional Chinese medicine offers a unique perspective on managing stress and cortisol levels by focusing on the balance of the body's energy and organ systems. It uses a holistic approach, including herbal remedies and lifestyle adjustments, to address the root causes of stress and imbalances.

What are the four key symptoms associated with nervous system disregulation according to the video?

The four key symptoms associated with nervous system disregulation are elevated heart rate, palpitations or dysrhythmias, insomnia, and anxiety.

How does the consumption of dark chocolate help in reducing cortisol levels?

Dark chocolate consumption has been found to reduce cortisol levels in individuals experiencing high levels of psychological stress, likely due to its content of antioxidants and other compounds that can help the body manage stress.

What is the significance of the compound eleanine in green tea in relation to stress management?

Eleanine, a compound found in green tea, has been shown to promote relaxation and reduce cortisol levels, thus helping in stress management.

How do the healthy fats in avocados contribute to stress reduction?

The healthy fats, along with potassium in avocados, can help regulate blood pressure and lower cortisol levels, contributing to overall stress reduction.

What is the role of omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish in managing stress?

Omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce cortisol levels, thus playing a role in managing stress.

How does garlic, a common kitchen spice, affect cortisol levels?

Garlic contains compounds that can reduce cortisol levels in response to stress, making it a potential natural aid in stress management.

What is the significance of magnesium in spinach for stress and cortisol levels?

Spinach is naturally high in magnesium, which can help reduce cortisol levels by improving relaxation and reducing stress, thus contributing to better stress management.

Outlines

00:00

🍫 Foods and Herbs to Lower Cortisol

Dr. Alex Hinn, a licensed acupuncturist and author, introduces the concept of foods and herbs that can help lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone. He explains that while cortisol is necessary for dealing with perceived threats, high levels can be detrimental. Instead of relying on pharmaceuticals, he suggests natural alternatives. Dr. Hinn shares his personal experience with anxiety and stress, comparing different nervous system reactions to various dog breeds. He emphasizes the importance of lifestyle medicine and traditional Chinese medicine in managing stress and cortisol levels.

05:02

🌿 Top Seven Herbs and Foods for Stress Relief

Dr. Hinn discusses seven food-grade medicines and herbs that can help reduce cortisol levels naturally. These include dark chocolate, berries, green tea, avocados, fatty fish, garlic, and spinach. Each food is linked to specific studies that support their effectiveness in stress reduction. Additionally, he mentions clinical herbs like cinnamon bark and poria, which have been used to treat stress symptoms and regulate heart rate. The video also offers a free quiz for viewers to identify the root cause of their symptoms according to traditional Chinese medicine.

10:04

🔗 Resources for Managing Stress

In the final paragraph, Dr. Hinn provides resources for viewers to further explore stress management. He invites new patients to his practice, both in-person in Los Angeles and virtually, and provides contact information. He also directs viewers to a root cause quiz to help identify the patterns behind their symptoms and offers a link to another video focusing on herbs for stress relief.

Keywords

💡Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. It is often referred to as the 'stress hormone' because it helps the body to respond to various challenges. In the video, Dr. Alex Hin discusses how certain foods and herbs can help lower cortisol levels, which is a central theme as he aims to provide natural alternatives to pharmaceutical interventions for stress management.

💡Stress

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. The video script mentions stress in the context of work projects and the body's physiological response, highlighting how it can lead to an increase in cortisol levels. The discussion on stress is integral to understanding the video's focus on natural remedies to manage its effects.

💡Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals refer to drugs or medications used in the treatment of diseases. Dr. Hin mentions pharmaceuticals as a possible treatment for high cortisol levels but suggests that natural alternatives should be considered first, emphasizing a preference for non-pharmacological approaches to managing stress and its physiological effects.

💡Herbs

Herbs are plants or plant parts used for their flavor, scent, or therapeutic properties. In the video, Dr. Hin lists several herbs that can help lower cortisol levels, such as cinnamon bark and ginseng, positioning them as natural remedies for stress-related symptoms. The mention of herbs underscores the video's theme of holistic health and alternative medicine.

💡Food Grade Medicine

Food grade medicine refers to edible plants or substances that have medicinal properties. The video emphasizes the use of food grade medicine to manage stress, with examples like dark chocolate, blueberries, and spinach. This concept is central to the video's message, which advocates for a diet that can actively contribute to stress reduction.

💡Elevated Heart Rate

An elevated heart rate refers to a faster-than-normal heartbeat, often a response to stress or anxiety. Dr. Hin uses this term to describe a symptom of stress that can be managed through lifestyle changes and natural remedies. The concept is tied to the video's broader discussion on the body's physiological response to stress.

💡Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep. In the video, Dr. Hin connects insomnia to stress and high cortisol levels, suggesting that certain foods and herbs can help improve sleep quality. Insomnia is used as an example of a stress-related condition that can be addressed through natural means.

💡Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years, focusing on the balance of energy in the body. Dr. Hin, a practitioner of TCM, discusses the concept of 'heart and kidney not communicating' as a TCM diagnosis for insomnia, illustrating how ancient practices can offer insights into modern stress management.

💡Fight or Flight

The fight or flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. Dr. Hin uses the concept to explain the body's reaction to stress, likening it to the heightened alertness of certain animals. This term is crucial for understanding the video's exploration of stress and the body's natural defense mechanisms.

💡Nervous System Disregulation

Nervous system disregulation refers to an imbalance or dysfunction in the nervous system, leading to symptoms like anxiety and insomnia. The video discusses how certain symptoms, such as elevated heart rate and insomnia, can indicate nervous system disregulation, which can be addressed through the natural remedies and lifestyle changes suggested by Dr. Hin.

💡High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where the force of the blood against the artery walls is consistently too high. In the video, Dr. Hin mentions that stress can lead to high blood pressure, and he suggests that certain foods like avocados can help regulate blood pressure, tying this condition to the broader theme of stress management.

Highlights

Cortisol is a stress hormone released in response to perceived threats or high-stress situations.

Pharmaceuticals should be a last resort for managing stress and cortisol levels.

Dr. Alex Hinn introduces himself as a licensed acupuncturist and author, discussing his personal journey with stress.

An analogy is made between dog breeds and human stress responses, illustrating varying levels of nervous system reactivity.

The fight or flight response is described as a state of constant readiness for potential threats.

Self-employment and high-stress jobs can lead to prolonged fight or flight states and increased cortisol levels.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspectives on stress and its symptoms are discussed.

TCM views symptoms like elevated heart rate and insomnia as signs of nervous system imbalance.

The concept of 'heart and kidney not communicating' in TCM is introduced as a cause of insomnia.

A free 'root cause quiz' is offered to help identify the root of symptoms according to TCM.

Dark chocolate is highlighted as a food that can reduce cortisol levels in stressed individuals.

Blueberries and other berries are noted for their antioxidants that can lower oxidative stress and cortisol.

Green tea's compound, eleanine, is mentioned for its ability to promote relaxation and reduce cortisol.

Avocados' healthy fats and potassium are discussed for their potential to lower cortisol and regulate blood pressure.

Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce cortisol levels.

Garlic is identified as a kitchen spice with compounds that can lower cortisol in response to stress.

Spinach's high magnesium content is linked to reduced cortisol levels and improved relaxation.

Medical grade cinnamon bark is discussed as a potent herb for reducing stress and regulating heart rate.

Poria fooling, a mushroom, is noted for its anxiety-reducing effects similar to anti-depressants.

Ginseng is highlighted for its potential to stabilize the HPA axis and reduce stress.

Contact information for Dr. Alex Hinn's clinic is provided for those seeking personalized treatment.

A final video on herbs for stress is mentioned for further viewing.

Transcripts

did you know that there are actually

foods that can lower your cortisol

levels so cortisol is one of the

important stress hormones that you have

inside of your body when you have an

important work project dumped on your

lap on Friday that has to be done by

Monday cortisol is one of the hormones

that is released in the body basically

to deal with this new perceived threat

but obviously you don't want to have to

rely on Pharmaceuticals or medication

unless you absolutely have to as a last

resorb so in this video we'll discuss

some herbs and also food grade medicine

that you can use to help lower your its

own levels hey guys I'm Dr Alex hin

board licensed acupuncturist and doctor

of traditional Chinese medicine and

author of the health book master of the

day let's jump in now my entire life

story is basically one of an anxious

person who is prone to hypers

sensitivity and way too many stress

hormones coursing through his body you

know some people just have that nervous

system where they're the Beres mountain

dog that aren't easily aroused or

they're the Chihuahua that anyone that

gets within 2 Ines of them they're

barking and trying to attack them and

shw their foot off the way I view this

is almost a mirror of the nervous system

right when you think of that little

Chihuahua I mean we've had a Chihuahua

my parents and I hate to build on the

Chihuahua stereotype but it was the

nastiest dog we've ever owned you know

and I was trying to figure out why she

was like that and I thought about you

know if I was this little dog and

everything around me was a perceived

Potential Threat I mean my foot was as

big as this dog right if everything

around me could kill me accidentally by

Falling On Me by stepping on me by

dropping a cup of water on me I would be

in high alert all the time and that's a

lot like the nervous system the nervous

system when we talk about fight ORF

flight a lot of people are in the state

of something is about to hurt me I don't

know where it's going to come from I

don't know when it's going to happen but

I have to be ready for it all the time

the nervous system which should normally

be somewhat regulated day-to-day is sort

of like this all the body's energy and

resources are at the surface it's just

looking waiting watching it's waiting

for the ball to drop it's waiting for

the hawk to come pluck the chah you know

out of the garden it's waiting for some

bad news the problem is is you can't

live like that very long and I found

myself in this fight ORF flight state

for a very long period of time a piece

of why I was in that state was

specifically because I was self-employed

those of you that are self-employed or

those of you that have high stress jobs

or those of you that are maybe mothers

and parents or single mothers or single

parents you know exactly the kind of

stress that will be demanded of you

because of the responsibilities that you

have but in a perfect world you don't

have to resort to medication that you

may be on forever or anti-depressants

there are some practi practices we can

do in terms of Lifestyle medicine now

before we jump into the actual seven

foods I want to talk from a Chinese

medicine point of view because it's very

unique and very distinct you know when

we talk about cortisol let's remove this

hormone because 5,000 years ago people

didn't know what cortisol was and

probably several hundred years ago

people did not know what cortisol was

but people saw the effects of adrenaline

and cortisol and HPA access

disregulation ancient people had panic

attacks ancient people had chest

tightness from anxiety ancient people

had heart palpitations and arhythmia

ancient people had a high resting heart

rate when they're under high periods of

stress for long periods of time these

symptoms are not new and yet the way

ancient doctors in traditional Chinese

medicine described these was actually

very interesting so for example when we

talk about cortisol we're talking about

let's just say adrenaline right we're

talking about cortisol and adrenaline

when you acutely experience a shock

let's say the shock is your boss drop

some papers on your desk Friday you have

a project due Monday the first thing you

may feel is your pulse Quicken Your

Collar tighten your pressure in your

head the hypertension that's happening

because you're so pissed off at your

boss what we're talking about in

traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis

is the heart so sometimes when people

have an elevated heart rate teoc cardia

palpitations or they're noticing their

heart a lot even if the heart rate is

not elevated like on a smartwatch this

is what we called heart Chi or heart

Yang deficiency this is primarily a

nervous system symptom so when I think

of the trifecta I think of four key

symptoms when we talk about nervous

system disregulation or HPA access

disregulation elevated heart rate

particularly when you're not working or

long after work palpitations or

dysrhythmias they are non-pathological

doesn't actually indicate anything with

your heart most of the time it's with

the electrical signals the third is

insomnia the fourth is anxiety and I

would say one more uh actual reflex

zones your jaw the sternomastoid muscles

and the sub oipal base of the skull

being tight and tightness in the chest

this cluster of symptoms are the square

A1 textbook symptoms from my point of

view that there is significant nervous

system disregulation going on one final

diagnosis you might see you could Google

or see an acupuncturist is what's called

heart and kidney not communicating it's

not worth me going into detail to

explain what the cultural origin of that

is but effectively it's like the anchor

has been broken and the main symptom is

typically insomnia so heart and kidney

not communicating is like your anchor

that allows your nervous system to stay

in parasympathetic has been broken and

now your nervous system is just boom

boom boom boom boom can't descend into

sleep right we say wired for a reason or

we say tense now lots of other symptoms

fall into different organ diagnostic

patterns and I've put together a really

cool quiz it's just called the root

cause quiz according to traditional

Chinese medicine your symptoms are

probably coming from here it's a 10-page

handout I've put together it's

completely free it's the link right

below this video and basically we go

organ system by organ system right these

are your typical differential diagnoses

in medicine and what's called a pattern

differentiation in traditional Chinese

medicine so you can actually go download

that quiz check it out it's really

ightful and really interesting we

actually hyperlink to probably our top

five or 10 videos that talk more about

that specific symptom more so there's a

lot of material in there for free so

check it out now let's talk about our

top seven herbs and Foods remember here

we're talking about mostly food grade

medicine we're not talking about the

clinical herbalism where we're using

very high doses that are 10 to 20 times

what you would normally supplement with

herb or supplement or food number one is

you guys are lucky dark chocolate so a

study actually found that consumption of

dark chocolate was found to reduce

cortisol levels in individuals

experiencing high levels of

psychological stress number two

blueberries or berries in general

blueberri strawberries that kind of

thing now in one study they found that

the antioxidants in berries themselves

can reduce oxidative stress and

inflammation which are associated with

elevated cortisol levels food number

three is green tea in this particular

study researchers found that eleanine a

compound in green tea has been shown to

promote relaxation and reduce cortisol

levels number four is avocados so

believe it or not the fats and avocados

have lots of health benefits in one

study they found that the healthy fats

and potassium and avocados can help

regulate your blood pressure and

actually lower cortisol levels number

five fatty fish like salmon and mackerel

now in this particular study researchers

found that the omega-3 fatty acids in

particular that are in fatty fish have

an anti-inflammatory property that can

help reduce cortisol levels themselves

number six is garlic now garlic a common

kitchen spice has been found in to have

compounds that can reduce cortisol

levels in response to stress and number

seven is spinach so spinach is one of

those plants that is naturally high in

magnesium which by itself can help

reduce cortisol levels by improving

relaxation and reducing stress so Foods

aside there are lots of herbs that we

tend to use clinically the most as well

now I don't think you should think of

use this herb for this hormone I think

that is the wrong thinking clinically

when someone comes in with stress

symptoms let's say elevator heart rate

heart palpitation anxiety insomnia I

don't think this herb treats high

cortisol because there are all kinds of

correlations that can relate to the

subjective feeling of stress it can be

related to Adrenaline can be related to

serotonin right can be related to

neurotransmitters can be related to gut

health right a high percentage of

neurotransmitters are produced in the

gut serotonin in particular and for some

people it's totally bizarre you fix

their digestive system once the gut

disbiosis is gone clinical anxiety is

gone almost overnight within a couple

months a symptom they have for a decade

so we always want to do this sort of

pattern differentiation there are a few

herbs in particular that I see help much

more with subjective feeling of feeling

stressed clinically what I use most

often is a high dose of medical grade

cinnamon bark called rogue rogue is the

single most common herb I use in

formulas at a high dose that gets people

off anti-depressants anti-anxiety

medications can regulate your heart rate

in place of a beta blocker tons of my

patients come in that are young that

don't have heart problems but if

palpitations and they're on beta

blockers this is a crime that should

literally be a crime in medicine but

they have nothing else to offer this

kind of thing can get them off beta

blockers the second is a mushroom called

Poria fooling Poria there's an

interesting study done on rats

experiencing anxiety so the researchers

did a horrible study where they make

rats tread water until basically they

can create a drowning like response in

their physiology so a panic response

they found that the rats they gave

fooling to that have this anxiety

response from stress the fooling was

working on serotonin like an

anti-depressant or anti-anxiety

medication so pora fooling is a common

mushroom we end up using in certain

kinds of anxiety and certain kinds of

heart palpitations other herbs that can

really help are renen jining ginsing is

very good at stabilizing the HP axis so

in Chinese medicine it's fascinating we

don't really use it for Stress and

Anxiety primarily we primarily use it

for Digestive problems involving you

know pancreatic enzymes bloating sibo

disbiosis but in naturopathic and

functional circles they use ginsing

primarily more for the HPA AIS I've seen

so interesting sort of off Lael use

there that's not uh typically in

traditional medicine what we use those

are some herbs that can really really

turn the tide when it comes to stress

now if you guys didn't know I work with

a limited number of new patients every

single month in my practice in Los

Angeles or virtually via tele medicine

if you guys want to reach out just go to

Dr Alex hind.com Clinic the link for the

email my phone number the clinic

information is right below this video as

well and then don't forget I've also put

together this link for that root cause

quiz if you want to know exactly what

pattern your symptoms are coming from so

make sure you check it out and I have a

final video right here on herbs that you

can use for stress as well so check that

out