Cortisol (Stress hormone) adrenal glands
Cortisol is the main stress hormone in your body. It helps you cope with stress, but long-term elevated cortisol can lead to fatigue, forgetfulness, depressed feelings, high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. Low cortisol levels, on the other hand, cause low blood pressure and exhaustion.
Important tips for a reliable cortisol reading:
- Cortisol has a day and night rhythm: it is high in the morning and drops toward noon.
- Preferably have your blood drawn before 10:00 a.m. for clear reference values (171 - 497 nmol/L).
- Always note the time of blood draw. There are different reference values for morning and afternoon.
- Nutrition does not affect results, but stress does - so try to relax before and during the blood draw.
- Cortisol levels may be elevated with pregnancy, use of the contraceptive pill and estrogen therapy.
To monitor the cortisol day curve, it is better to choose the 3 point saliva test: https://www.bloodtesting.nl/3x-vrij-cortisol-uit-speeksel.html









