USUALLY cocktails, while delicious, aren't exactly healthy for you - until one special concoction started making waves on TikTok.
The 'cortisol cocktail' promises to cure all your problems, from hair loss and puffy face to back pain and weight gain, by lowering levels of the so-called stress hormone.
While recipes vary, content creators are purporting a mixture of coconut water (for electrolytes), sea salt (for sodium), fruit juice (usually orange juice for vitamin C) and an extra dash of 'magic' (such as magnesium) as a solution.
It doesn't sound particularly tasty, and nor is it likely to be effective, health experts claim.
"Changing your cortisol [levels] artificially doesn't work, and [it's] not the reason for the weight gain or the cause of the stress," said University of Melbourne's Professor of Endocrinology, Ada Cheung.
"The external cause of the stress is what we should be targeting, not the cortisol levels," the endocrinologist explained.
The good news is that people need not be concerned about their cortisol levels.
"It's regulated by the adrenal glands - and they do an excellent job for the large majority of people," Professor Cheung said.
While the 'cocktail' isn't harmful, Cheung believes it does illustrate how "people are often preying on vulnerable people who are looking for a quick fix, and they're selling them cocktails that don't work".
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 17 Jul 25
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 17 Jul 25
