Social media has erupted with wellness influencers warning that high cortisol could be sabotaging health and happiness.

But according to New York City certified dietitian and nutritionist Amy Shapiro, the trending fear around cortisol may be more internet exaggeration than biological emergency.

In a Fox & Friends interview with Ainsley Earhardt, Shapiro unpacked how online content often twists the facts about this vital hormone.

“Cortisol helps us in many ways,” Shapiro said, noting that it is the body’s primary stress hormone, produced by the adrenal glands and crucial for everyday function.

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“It helps us get out of bed in the morning,” she explained. “You have a cortisol spike. Gives you that energy to get up and go. It helps to protect you when you have to run. It helps support your immune system.”

Under normal conditions, the hormone follows a natural rhythm, peaking in the morning and dropping at night to allow the body to rest.

Problems develop when stress becomes chronic and levels remain elevated instead of fluctuating as they should.

According to Mayo Clinic, persistent high cortisol can disrupt nearly all of the body’s systems, contributing to anxiety, sleep difficulties, and weight gain.

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Shapiro listed additional signs of imbalance such as frequent illness, fatigue, and burnout. She added that assumptions linking every case of facial puffiness to cortisol are misleading.

“It could be your diet, it could be high salt, it could be [inadequate] hydration,” she said. “Maybe we’re not all walking around with these taxed cortisol levels.”

For anyone worried their levels are off, Shapiro emphasized that self-diagnosing through social media trends is not reliable. A doctor can order saliva or blood tests to measure hormone levels accurately.

Once confirmed, lifestyle choices can play an important role in keeping cortisol steady. Shapiro advised reducing ultraprocessed and high-sugar foods, avoiding soda, and eating balanced meals.

Caffeine is another common factor she addressed. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase cortisol spikes, she said, so it’s best to consume it after eating.

Similarly, inadequate sleep and lack of physical movement can keep stress hormones high. “Recognizing that we do live in a high-stress society right now, taking time to manage our stress is a good idea,” she added.

Shapiro encouraged small, consistent habits like prioritizing rest, managing stress through daily practice, and fueling the body with whole foods rather than focusing on quick fixes seen online.

As social media continues to shape perceptions of wellness, experts like Shapiro remind viewers that not every viral claim reflects scientific reality — and balance, not elimination, is key when it comes to cortisol.

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