Is Rooibos Tea Good for Cortisol?

Partly: rooibos tea may help you avoid a caffeine-related cortisol rise when it replaces a caffeinated drink, but it is not proven to lower high cortisol.

Is rooibos tea a reliable way to lower high cortisol?

Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free, so it can be a useful choice if you want to reduce your caffeine intake. That does not mean it directly lowers cortisol or treats a condition associated with high cortisol.

You may find a warm cup enjoyable as part of a relaxing routine. However, feeling calmer and having a medically significant reduction in cortisol are different outcomes. For a broader look at the topic, see the best drinks for high cortisol.

How might rooibos tea affect cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone involved in the body's response to stress, as well as normal functions such as regulating metabolism. Its level changes throughout the day, typically rising in the morning and falling toward bedtime.

Caffeine can temporarily increase cortisol in some people. Replacing a caffeinated drink with rooibos tea removes that source of caffeine, although the effect varies from person to person. Avoiding a possible caffeine-related rise is not the same as correcting persistently high cortisol.

Reducing caffeine later in the day may also be helpful if caffeine disrupts your sleep. Rooibos tea is not a proven sleep treatment, though, and better sleep should not be assumed to normalize an abnormal cortisol result.

What does the evidence say about rooibos tea and cortisol?

There is no established clinical evidence that drinking rooibos tea lowers cortisol in people with high cortisol. It is therefore not possible to recommend a proven amount, strength or duration of use for that purpose.

Plant compounds can be studied separately from the drinks that contain them. Even if a rooibos compound showed an effect on a hormone pathway in a laboratory, that would not establish how much reaches the body from a cup of rooibos tea or whether drinking it changes cortisol in people.

A stronger brew is not necessarily more effective, and concentrated rooibos extracts should not be assumed to have the same safety profile as brewed rooibos tea. Claims about individual ingredients are not proof that the drink improves a cortisol-related health outcome.

Cortisol test results also need context. The time of day, the type of test, illness, activity and medicines can all matter, so an isolated result should be interpreted with a clinician rather than attributed to a drink.

How can you use rooibos tea?

Prepare plain rooibos tea according to the package directions and enjoy it hot or chilled. If you prefer to avoid added sugar, choose an unsweetened product; flavored or bottled rooibos tea may contain sweeteners or other ingredients, so check the label.

If you are trying to reduce caffeine, consider rooibos tea at a time when you would otherwise choose a caffeinated drink. This may be especially practical later in the day if caffeine tends to interfere with your sleep. There is no established cortisol benefit from drinking rooibos tea at a particular time.

For rooibos tea prepared ahead, refrigerate it and drink it within 24 hours for best flavor. Discard it after 2–3 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours.

Treat rooibos tea as an optional beverage, not a replacement for an evaluation or a prescribed treatment. Drinking more or using an extract is not a proven way to get a stronger cortisol effect.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have liver disease, take medicines or are considering rooibos tea for a child, ask a clinician or pharmacist about regular use. This is especially important for concentrated rooibos products, whose safety may differ from that of the brewed drink.

Some medicines, including corticosteroids, can affect cortisol testing or cause effects associated with excess steroid exposure. Tell your clinician about all medicines you use, including inhaled, injected and skin-applied steroid products. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without medical guidance.

Arrange a medical appointment if you have an abnormal cortisol result or persistent, unexplained symptoms such as easy bruising, progressive muscle weakness, broad purple stretch marks or changes in weight or appearance. These symptoms can have several causes and do not establish a diagnosis. Seek urgent medical care for severe weakness, confusion or rapidly worsening symptoms.