Is Coffee Bad for Cortisol? What the Science Says

Is Coffee Bad for Cortisol?

No, coffee isn’t bad for cortisol if you drink it in moderation and don’t overthink or overwork yourself. 

The relationship between coffee and cortisol is real. But it’s far more complex than just labelling it as negative.

It depends on who you are, your lifestyle, and how you drink coffee. If your coffee lifestyle is balanced, you will not suffer from a cortisol problem.

Maybe you’ve heard the viral wellness trend: Is coffee bad for cortisol?

TikTok influencers claim that drinking coffee in the morning spikes your cortisol and wrecks your hormones.

They tell you that coffee is ruining your health and that you should switch to something gentler. Sounds familiar?

You worry: what if caffeine is bad for cortisol?

This seems plausible, but how much of it is fact-based on research and how much is just assumptions and scary headlines?

The science behind coffee and cortisol involves many factors, such as caffeine tolerance, timing, genetics, sex differences, and context.

Let’s understand cortisol and its functions in the human body.

What is Cortisol, Actually?

Cortisol is popularly known as “the stress hormone”. However, the framing is a bit reductive.

Cortisol is not the enemy. 

Cortisol is not the scary hormone that’s after your stress levels.

It’s synthesised by the adrenal glands situated above your kidneys. It plays an important role in regulating your stress.

When you stress, cortisol increases, which helps your body respond quickly to stress and affects your metabolism by using fat, protein, and carbohydrates. 

It’s also what wakes you up in the morning, with its diurnal pattern: it is high when you wake and gradually declines over the waking hours. It is the lowest during the early phases of sleep. 

A 2005 study done by William R. Lovallo found that your cortisol naturally peaks 30-45 minutes after waking, regardless of whether you have coffee.

This is called the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). It’s not a stress response; it’s your body preparing for the day to maintain bodily functions. 

These functions include alertness, immune system priming, memory stabilisation, energy balance, and keeping heart rate and blood pressure within normal limits.

Adequate cortisol is necessary for all bodily functions; without it, your body won’t function properly.

Does Coffee Raise Cortisol?

Yes, coffee affects cortisol.

A comparative review of 15 studies found that coffee produced the largest increase in cortisol among the caffeinated beverages tested, above 50% baseline. 

So now you must be thinking: Is caffeine bad for cortisol levels?

Well, a 50% spike sounds concerning, but there’s an important distinction: acute versus chronic elevations in cortisol. 

Acute Cortisol Elevation

Acute elevations are short-term spikes that resolve quickly. Coffee raises acute cortisol. 

It’s the kind your body produces daily in response to exercise, cold air, and showers, and when you have difficult conversations. 

These spikes resolve easily, and this is what acute cortisol responses do daily. It is not a concerning elevation.

Chronic Cortisol Elevation

Chronic Cortisol is persistently elevated cortisol levels over weeks and months. 

It is associated with inflammation, weight gain, disrupted sleep, and immune dysfunction. 

Chronic cortisol elevation is concerning and associated with adverse health outcomes. It needs to be checked by a doctor. 

So the myth that caffeine is bad for cortisol is resolved. 

The important question is not: Is coffee bad for cortisol? 

The question is whether that elevation is acute and your body can resolve it, or whether it’s concerning and will affect your health.

Coffee raises acute cortisol levels, and for daily coffee drinkers, it’s not a cause for concern. 

Keeping this in mind makes the Coffee and Cortisol conversation much clearer.

If you have been diagnosed with chronic cortisol dysfunction, don’t consume coffee until you’ve talked to your doctor about it. 

Here’s a table to help you understand the distinction between Acute and Chronic Cortisol Elevations.

Finding the Coffee Wellness Internet Keeps Skipping Over

This is the part that never makes it to viral posts, but it changes the picture entirely.

The cortisol spike is only observed in people who don’t regularly drink coffee. 

In a 2005 study by Lovallo and colleagues, participants who had not drunk coffee for a week showed high cortisol spikes when they drank a cup. 

On the other hand, participants who drank 500mg to 600mg of caffeine daily had zero cortisol response.

In plain terms, regular coffee drinkers have elephant-like tolerance to coffee, and they experience no cortisol spikes.

The body adapts to what you give it. Within days of consuming caffeine, the body habituates to the caffeine stimulus, and the cortisol response is blunted.

The viral posts about coffee and cortisol that spread fear and concern are mostly based on studies of non-drinkers when they drink.

The regular coffee drinkers are largely unaffected by caffeine’s cortisol-spiking effect. 

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When You Should be Concerned: Coffee and Stress Together.

The tolerance benefit comes with one caveat.

Research conducted by Lovallo in 2006 shows that coffee still amplifies the cortisol response when combined with stressors such as mental stress.

Caffeine, mental stress, and exercise, when observed together, showed that caffeine combined with stress further increases cortisol levels in both men and women.

Physical exercise alone didn’t significantly increase cortisol, but if caffeine was taken before exercise, cortisol was elevated in both sexes.

If you suffer from psychological stress, consider timing your coffee away from your highest stress moments.

One question that comes up when cortisol is mentioned is whether we should drink coffee upon waking. Let’s tackle it.

Long-Term Use: Is Coffee Bad for Cortisol?

No, long-term use of coffee is not inherently bad. 

If you’re staying below the limits of 400mg caffeine per day and not living a stressful life, it’s okay to take coffee every day.

However, excessive drinking with chronic stress is a clear risk. 

It will elevate cortisol, and if it goes on for the long term, it will lead to conditions like inflammation, poor sleep, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular strain.

One effect that’s not talked about but is interesting is: Heavy long-term coffee use can eventually push the baseline cortisol lover than normal. 

It means the adrenal system is struggling. If you ever needed three cups of coffee just to feel human, or hit a wall in the afternoon, this might be a sign of sysragulation.

The takeaway is simple: Two cups of coffee are not a concern to lose sleep over. It becomes a problem when intake is high with mental stress in the loop, and adrenal dysfunction is showing.

The 90-Minute Rule — What the Evidence Supports

Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman popularised the 90-Minute rule. It suggests that you shouldn’t drink coffee for 90 minutes after waking up. 

The logic: your natural cortisol awakening response (CAR) is already peaking, and adding caffeine can blunt the effects of both cortisol and caffeine.

This logic is sound, as caffeine primarily blocks adenosine receptors, as adenosine is a chemical that makes you tired. (CAR) is already doing this work, so there’s no need for coffee to do it.

Around 9:30-11 am, cortisol levels begin to dip, opening a late morning for you to drink your morning cup.

The 90-minute rule is not a proven strategy with clinical evidence. It is just a habit that may work for some people but not for others. 

It is certainly not for night owls or people with later chronotypes because their cortisol is lower and less pronounced in the morning.

If you’re sensitive to caffeine and experience mid-morning energy crashes, or feel that your first cup doesn’t do much, the 90-minute rule might be worth giving a shot at.

What Should You Actually Do?

The balance of hormones that your body requires is completely in your hands. You need to decide what suits you and what to consume to maximise well-being.

If you are a daily drinker: You’re good because tolerance blunts the cortisol spike. Your enemy is stress. If you are having a stressful morning, try to ignore coffee.

Sensitive to anxiety or jitters: the 90-minute rule is worth trying, just in case it helps keep your anxiety and jitters in balance.

You drink coffee on an empty stomach: The cortisol and digestive combination is not good at all. Hydrate and eat something first before you drink your morning cup.

If you are under chronic stress: It is a relevant concern. Avoid coffee or try to reduce intake, especially on high-stress days.

If you are a woman: Be sceptical of any cortisol claims because most of the research participants were men. Women’s hormones react differently to caffeine and stress. 

Research Gap: Most Studies Used Male Subjects

I should mention one limitation in the coffee and cortisol research because the wellness content’s main audience is women.

The most recent study by Lovallo found that the cortisol response to mental stress is less in women than in men.

The interactions between caffeine and stress on cortisol secretion have not been adequately studied in women until relatively recently.

Science is improving, but the gap is real. As a woman, be wary of what you read about claims that have women as participants in the research.

Conclusion: The Honest Verdict

So what’s the answer to the question: Is coffee bad for cortisol?

No, coffee is not bad for cortisol. However, coffee does acutely raise cortisol. That part of the claim is real and true.

What’s not generally known is that for regular drinkers, the effects are blunted. 

For people who are just starting, the body adapts, and the cortisol-spiking effect subsides within days.

The people mostly affected are those who drink coffee infrequently and those who suffer from high stress.

Timings matter, and so does eating something before drinking your first cup.

Don’t stress much if you care about drinking coffee, and don’t drink too much. 

The key is to drink regularly and in moderation, and not to have chaotic mornings.

The verdict is less exciting than the scary headline, but you’re good to drink the coffee you love with no fear. 

FAQs

Is Decaf Coffee Bad for Cortisol?

No. Decaf is actually better for maintaining cortisol than regular coffee. Caffeine is the agent that spikes the cortisol; if you reduce it from your routine with decaf, it will not spike. It is a better alternative to coffee if you suffer from chronic cortisol elevation.

Is Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach Bad?

Yes, drinking coffee on an empty stomach is bad. Caffeine, cortisol and digestive acids together are not a good idea. It affects your metabolism and leads to concerning health conditions. Always eat something before having your morning coffee.

Is caffeine bad for cortisol?

No, caffeine is not bad for cortisol if you’re a regular coffee drinker and your intake is below 400mg daily. However, short-term caffeine consumption will spike cortisol, but it’s a short-term response until your body adapts to the stimulus.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or caffeine intake.

If you have any questions, don’t forget to comment!

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Kounj

Hi! I’m Kounj, a freelance writer and a coffee enthusiast with experience of five years in the coffee space. I specialize in email marketing and blog writing for coffee brands and businesses. My niche focus is coffee and health, coffee lifestyle, and coffee wellness. I love writing, and I love coffee, so when you have a coffee + writing problem, I’m the only copywriter you want to contact.