There are a lot of claims swirling around out there—let's clear them up.

Cortisol helps regulate stress, sleep and metabolism—but chronic elevation can harm long-term health. Signs of high cortisol include poor sleep, visceral fat gain and feeling mentally alert but ...

Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” plays a crucial role in the body’s response to stress. When you’re stressed, cortisol levels rise, preparing your body for a fight-or-flight ...

Some changes in cortisol levels are normal, but chronically elevated levels can affect our health. Potatoes, bananas and dark ...

We all know stress messes with our heads, but did you know it can also wreak havoc on our bodies? Say hello to cortisol, the hormone released when stress hits, triggering that familiar “fight, flight ...

There's good news and there's bad news.

Maybe you’ve heard of “cortisol face,” or “cortisol belly” or read that yoga and meditation can help lower your cortisol levels, but what does that really mean? Cortisol is a hormone made by the ...

Photo-Illustration by Chloe Dowling for TIME (Source Images: Robert Brook—Science Photo Library, Getty Images, Elena Fontana—Getty Images, nito100/Getty Images) Contributor Do you feel overwhelmed by ...

Have you given any thought to your cortisol levels lately? The so-called “stress hormone” has become a popular scapegoat, blamed for everything from exhaustion and bloating to anxiety, brain fog, ...