互联网近期对于皮质醇（cortisol）的高度关注引发了一种新的流行趋势——所谓的“皮质醇鸡尾酒”，该饮料据称可以减轻压力甚至帮助减肥。它还被称为“肾上腺鸡尾酒”，在社交媒体上有多种不同的版本，主要由橙汁或柠檬汁、椰子水和少量海盐组成。
专家指出，并无证据表明这种饮料能够显著降低压力水平或通过减少皮质醇来减重。然而，这些成分确实提供了某些营养益处，或许可以给饮用者带来一些提升。“我看到配方后想，这看起来非常类似一种运动饮料，你可以在家中混合出来。” Case Western Reserve 大学的综合和功能医学饮食师及营养讲师林赛·梅隆对美国广播公司新闻说，“果汁、钠、钾还有一些电解质在一个液体中…我只是在想，其中的一些好处可能是普遍性的脱水状态。或许他们会得到一些血糖提升，再加上补充电解质以重新补充水分。这可能就是这种鸡尾酒吸引人的原因。”
皮质醇究竟是什么？“皮质醇是由腺体在面对压力时产生的荷尔蒙，它对于调节新陈代谢、炎症、血糖水平和睡眠-清醒周期都起着关键作用。”注册营养师艾文·泽肯说。她指出，虽然皮质醇经常被认为有害，但实际上它是生存不可或缺的。“关键是有效平衡它，而不是试图将其消除。皮质醇的水平应该在一天中自然波动，理想的峰值发生在早晨，帮助我们保持清醒和准备就绪；而在晚上则是为了进入睡眠状态。”
克里斯汀·伯恩，一位营养师及 Ruby Oak Nutrition 的所有者表示，“如果有人认为自己的荷尔蒙失衡，寻求内分泌科医生的帮助而不是自己研究诊断并自我治疗是如此重要。”她说，“许多影响者和健康公司会针对难以诊断的症状推销含糊不清的‘荷尔蒙失调’或‘腺疲劳’问题。他们销售一些似乎可以解决问题的东西，但这些通常没有经过充分验证。”
皮质醇鸡尾酒配方是否能降低皮质醇水平？“皮质醇鸡尾酒是迎合人们寻求压力缓解和体重管理解决方案的流行趋势之一，但它背后缺少实证支持。”伯恩说。
尽管如此，梅隆指出，尝试这种饮料不会带来伤害，并且其中包含的一些成分确实具有营养价值。例如，橙汁富含维生素C，有助于增强免疫系统；椰子水可以补充水分，并含有钾（同样如白垩酸，该混合物中的另一种常见配料）；海盐在电解质水平低时可以补充电解质，帮助恢复钠的平衡。
然而，这些营养价值可以通过更健康的整体食物获取，这可能带来额外的好处。果汁和椰子水通常含糖量高且纤维含量较低，相比之下，整体水果是更好的选择。泽肯指出。
伯恩补充说：“大多数人的钠摄入量是足够的。”然而，钾可以在水果和蔬菜中找到；而另一种电解质——镁，则在全谷物和豆类食品中发现较多。“大多数人需要注意的重点在于运动不足和热量摄取过多。”
为了维护健康的皮质醇水平，泽肯推荐采取平衡的方法，包括均衡的饮食、规律的身体活动、充足的水分补充、高质量睡眠以及压力管理。她说：“对于大多数人而言，关注这些方面比每日饮用特定饮料更为重要。”
新闻来源：www.cbsnews.com
原文地址：Are trending “cortisol cocktails” really helpful for stress and weight loss?
新闻日期：2024-10-04
原文摘要：
The internet's current obsession with cortisol has prompted a new trending concoction dubbed the "cortisol cocktail" that users claim can reduce stress and even help with weight loss.Also referred to as an "adrenal cocktail," the drink has some variations across social media but mainly consists of orange or lemon juice, coconut water and a bit of sea salt. Experts say there's no evidence this drink can significantly reduce stress or weight by lowering cortisol levels, but the ingredients do offer some nutritional benefits that may give drinkers a boost."As soon as I saw the ingredients, I was like, this looks remarkably similar to a sports drink you would mix up," Lindsay Malone, an integrative and functional medicine dietitian and nutrition instructor at Case Western Reserve University, told CBS News. "Juice, sodium, some potassium, so a little bit of sugar, some electrolytes in a fluid... I just wonder, if some of the benefits are just that, generally, people are dehydrated, and so maybe they get a little blood sugar boost, and then also some electrolytes to rehydrate them. Maybe that's part of the pull for this."What is cortisol? "Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress and plays a key role in regulating metabolism, inflammation, blood sugar levels and even sleep-wake cycles," said Avery Zenker, a registered dietitian . Cortisol often gets a bad reputation, she said, but it's essential for survival. "The key is balancing it effectively rather than attempting to eliminate it. Cortisol levels should naturally change and cycle through the day, ideally with a spike in the morning to help us feel awake and ready to go, and lower in the evening when it's time for sleep," Zender said. Since hormone levels are constantly changing, the idea of a "hormone imbalance" is kind of misleading, said Christine Byrne, dietitian and owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition."If you think there's something wrong with your hormone levels, it's so, so important to seek the help of an endocrinologist instead of trying to do your own research to diagnose and treat yourself," Byrne said. "Lots of influencers and wellness companies prey off people with difficult-to-diagnose symptoms by blaming these symptoms on vague problems like hormone imbalance or adrenal fatigue, then selling a supposed solution. But most of this stuff isn't evidence-based or thoroughly tested."Does the adrenal cocktail recipe lower cortisol levels? "The cortisol cocktail is one of these wellness trends that might sound appealing to people who are looking for a solution to a difficult health problem like stress, but there's just no backing behind it," Byrne said. So while people shouldn't look at the mixture as a miracle cure for stress or weight loss, Malone said the drink is harmless to try and contains ingredients that do have some nutritional benefits. For example, orange juice contains vitamin C which help support the immune system, coconut water is hydrating and contains potassium (as does cream of tartar, another often featured ingredient of the mix) and sea salt can replenish sodium levels when electrolytes are low.But, you can get these benefits from other avenues like whole foods, which can have additional benefts. Fruit juice and coconut water, for example, are high in sugar and lack fiber compared with whole fruit, Zenker said.Most people get enough sodium, Malone said, but potassium can be found in fruits and vegetables and magnesium, another electrolyte, is found in whole grains and legumes.How to lower stress, lose weightWhile stress can influence weight and body composition, it's important to remember there are multiple factors at play when it comes to lowering stress or losing weight — not something achieved solely through a daily dose of a "cortisol cocktail" or other trendy cure-all."For most people, the bottom line is not moving enough and eating too many calories," Malone said of weight loss.And the best way to support healthy cortisol levels? A balanced approach, Zenker said, including a nutritious diet, regular exercise, staying hydrated, quality sleep and managing stress. "For most people, focusing on these things is more significant than making a specific beverage," she said.
