Move over “Sleepy Girl Mocktail,” the “Adrenal Cocktail” is a new health drink flourishing on TikTok, with the hashtag #adrenalcocktail garnering 16.1M views and growing.
The trend is said to reduce stress and increase your energy, with the drink combining potassium, sodium, and whole vitamin C. It is said to promote adrenal gland health, regulating hormones for the people who drink it. Although the cocktail is currently trending amongst TikTok users, we wanted to understand the pros and cons of trying out the drink, so we tapped family physician Dr. LaTasha Perkins to share more on the science behind this trend and other ways to manage stress. In our conversation with her, we were able to understand the ingredients people should use in their adrenal cocktail, other foods that can help regulate hormones, ways to reduce stress and increase energy outside of nutrition that people can leverage, and additional signs of adrenal dysfunction, and when to seek medical care due to stress or energy levels.
ESSENCE: What ingredients should people use in their adrenal cocktail, and what other foods can help regulate hormones?
Dr. LaTasha Perkins: I’m not sure this adrenal cocktail can ward off significant issues, but it can give you a slight hydration boost to help fight against stress. Ingredients like alkaline water and coconut water can help with that. I recommend whole vitamin C in organic forms like fresh squeezed orange juice or a squeeze of lemon. If you’re not feeling well, vitamins like zinc or a dissolvable multivitamin are essential for keeping you balanced. You could also use something like green tea.
Dr. LaTasha Perkins: What are some signs of adrenal dysfunction, and when to seek medical care due to stress or energy levels?
The American work week can last 40 – 60 hours a week, so make sure you have downtime. Some changes may be needed if you notice abnormal mood swings or weight gain. Significant changes can happen if you have adrenal disorder, like blood pressure changes, weight changes, and tiredness, even if you sleep enough. These are reasons to go in and talk with your family doctor and do any lab work to see if anything is happening with your adrenals. You may also notice mental health impacts, such as increased anxiety making you feel jittery, in addition to physical symptoms. Mild changes may not indicate a disorder, but they can be reasons to check in on daily habits.
Why is this trend unique for Black women?
The lived experience of Black women, particularly in today’s cultural climate, is always a general baseline of mild stress that we’re not even aware of most times because it’s our baseline. If we use a pain scale to identify how much pain we’re in, like we do in medicine, our stress levels walk around regularly at a 7 or 8 based on our experiences. Stress can keep ticking up when adding workload, household responsibilities, or kids because we’re not conditioned to stop and check-in. We try to push through and be strong. When we start paying attention to our stress levels, we can find ways to lower them. Trends like the adrenal cocktail can seem promising. But sometimes, you need to take a step back and make sure what you’re doing every day will help decrease stress. Though I appreciate the trend and finding a source to energize and get through the day, I’d encourage people to reflect on why they’d need a cocktail like this and what daily activities they can do to be good to their bodies. Maybe the solution is a 23-minute nap to give you a boost of energy. Make sure you have a relationship with a family physician who can notice energy level changes or other symptoms.
What other ways outside of nutrition can people reduce stress and increase energy?
Make sure you’re hydrated and that you’re not consuming too much caffeine or alcohol. Also, make sure you get enough sleep. Most people aren’t getting enough or good enough quality of sleep. Take moments to be more self-aware, and notice if you’re resting and allowing your brain to relax. You may not realize that your anxiety is high. Exercise is also essential, whether going to the gym, doing dance classes, or taking a 15-minute walk at lunchtime. This will help you break up your day and get endorphins. Try to make healthy choices to keep balanced throughout the day, even if it’s not every single day.