CortiResponse – Daily Stress, Mood & Mental Clarity Support | 60 Capsules
CortiResponse is a 60-capsule formula for daily stress, mood and mental clarity support.† Each 2-capsule serving combines 100 mg of L-theanine, 100 mg of ashwagandha root, 180 mg of holy basil 10:1 extract, 100 mg of passionflower 4:1 extract and 300 mg of magnolia bark 4:1 extract with green tea, cocoa and 120 mcg of chromium. It's made to support a healthy response to occasional stress.†
Stress doesn't book an appointment. In your 30s and 40s it's deadlines, kids, aging parents and a phone that won't stop buzzing, and the habits you build now carry into the decades ahead. CortiResponse is one simple daily step for staying steady and clear-headed, alongside sleep, food and movement.† Aging isn't optional. Getting old is.
Why people take CortiResponse
- To support a healthy cortisol response to occasional, everyday stress, with ashwagandha, holy basil and magnolia bark.†
- To support calm, relaxed alertness, with 100 mg of L-theanine.†
- To support a positive mood and ease occasional tension, with passionflower and magnolia bark.†
- To support mental clarity and focus on demanding days.†
- To support normal carbohydrate metabolism, with 120 mcg of chromium.†
What's in each serving
| Ingredient | Amount per serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Chromium (chromium polynicotinate, GTF) | 120 mcg | 342% |
| Cocoa Seed Extract (Theobroma cacao) (standardized to 6% theobromine) | 300 mg | * |
| Magnolia Bark 4:1 Extract (Magnolia officinalis) | 300 mg | * |
| Green Tea Leaf Extract (Camilla sinensis) (standardized to 50% polyphenols and 35% catechins) | 200 mg | * |
| Holy Basil Herb 10:1 Extract (Ocimum sanctum) | 180 mg | * |
| Ashwagandha Root (Withania somnifera) | 100 mg | * |
| Passionflower Herb (Passiflora incarnata) 4:1 Extract | 100 mg | * |
| L-Theanine | 100 mg | * |
| Banaba Leaf Standardized Extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa) (standardized to 1% corosolic acid) | 10 mg | * |
* Daily Value not established. Serving size: 2 vegetarian capsules. Servings per container: 30. Each bottle holds 60 capsules. Other ingredients: Cellulose (from capsule shell), cellulose, vegetable stearate, and silicon dioxide. The bottle's side panel carries Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Made in the USA icons.
How CortiResponse works
Stress tells your adrenal glands to release cortisol through what researchers call the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. The goal is a response that rises when you need it and settles when you don't, and several ingredients below were studied for that.† Many studies used branded extracts, often at higher amounts than one serving.
L-theanine, 100 mg
L-theanine is an amino acid from tea leaves. In a crossover trial in healthy, moderately stressed adults, a single 200 mg dose produced a larger rise in alpha brain waves (the pattern linked with relaxed alertness) than placebo three hours later, and a larger drop in salivary cortisol at one hour (a single-dose L-theanine trial during a mental stress test). In a four-week crossover trial, 30 healthy adults (average age 48) took 200 mg a day in one period and a placebo in another. Stress-symptom and sleep-quality scores improved during the L-theanine weeks (some sleep scores beat placebo outright), as did verbal fluency and executive function (a four-week L-theanine trial in healthy adults). Both studies were small and used twice the amount in one serving.†
Ashwagandha root, 100 mg
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a root from Ayurvedic tradition and one of the most researched herbs scientists call adaptogens. In a 60-day trial, 60 healthy adults with high self-reported stress took 240 mg of a standardized extract or a placebo daily. The ashwagandha group had a larger drop in morning cortisol, with no side effects reported (a 60-day ashwagandha trial in stressed, healthy adults). The candid part: CortiResponse has 100 mg of ashwagandha root, not a concentrated extract, so it plays a supporting role.†
Holy basil 10:1 extract, 180 mg
Holy basil, or tulsi (Ocimum sanctum, also called Ocimum tenuiflorum), is a cousin of kitchen basil. A 10:1 extract is concentrated from about 10 parts herb to 1 part extract. In an 8-week trial, 100 stressed adults aged 18 to 65 took 125 mg of a standardized holy basil extract twice a day or a placebo. The holy basil group saw bigger improvements in perceived stress and sleep-quality scores, lower hair cortisol at week 8, and lower salivary cortisol after a lab stress test (an 8-week holy basil trial in stressed adults). That was a different extract than ours, so read it as evidence for the herb, not this capsule.†
Magnolia bark 4:1 extract, 300 mg
Magnolia bark (Magnolia officinalis) is a staple of traditional Chinese herbal practice. Most human research pairs it with a second bark, phellodendron. In a 4-week trial, 56 moderately stressed adults took that combination or a placebo. The combination group's salivary cortisol exposure was 18% lower than placebo, and their mood-state scores, including tension and fatigue, were better (a 4-week magnolia and phellodendron trial). CortiResponse has no phellodendron, so that study speaks to the pairing, not magnolia alone.†
Passionflower 4:1 extract, 100 mg
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is a climbing vine with a long folk history as a calming herb. The 100 mg of 4:1 extract comes from about 400 mg of the dried herb. Most human passionflower trials took place in medical settings, not everyday stress, so we don't cite them here.†
Green tea leaf and cocoa seed extracts
The green tea leaf extract (200 mg) is standardized to 50% polyphenols and 35% catechins, about 100 mg of polyphenols and 70 mg of catechins per serving. Catechins such as EGCG are green tea's best-known antioxidants. The cocoa seed extract (300 mg) is standardized to 6% theobromine, about 18 mg per serving. Theobromine is cocoa's gentler cousin of caffeine.†
Chromium and banaba leaf
Chromium is a trace mineral that might help insulin do its job, and it may play a role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism (NIH fact sheet on chromium). Ours is chromium polynicotinate (chromium bound to niacin), sometimes labeled GTF. No upper limit has been set for chromium. Banaba leaf extract adds 10 mg. Most human banaba research involves people whose blood sugar is outside the normal range, so we don't cite it here.†
How to take CortiResponse
The label says: "Take one to two capsules, 30 minutes before a meal, as a dietary supplement." The amounts in the table are for a 2-capsule serving.
The label warns: "Not recommended while pregnant or lactating unless directed by a health care practitioner." Ask your healthcare practitioner before use if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Ashwagandha has been well tolerated in trials lasting up to about three months, and its long-term safety isn't known (NIH fact sheet on ashwagandha).
Don't take our word for it
- Verified by independent labs. ISO 17025-accredited labs check our test results.
- Every ingredient lot tested before use. Federal rules only require an identity test. We test every incoming lot for identity, potency, heavy metals and microbes.
- If it misses spec, it doesn't go in a bottle. More than 99% of our tests pass, and the lots that don't are turned away.
- A certificate of analysis for every lot. Every lot of CortiResponse gets its own.
Made in the USA, in Mt. Angel, Oregon. It's a farm town of about 3,500 people in the Willamette Valley. Our UL-certified cGMP facility keeps the formulators, the makers and the testers under one roof, and the owners (it's been owner-run since 2017) work in the building. We've been making supplements in Oregon since 1974. That's 52 years, and we're not getting old either.
Frequently asked questions
How many CortiResponse capsules should I take?
One to two capsules, 30 minutes before a meal, per the label. The Supplement Facts amounts are for 2 capsules.
Does CortiResponse contain caffeine?
The label doesn't list caffeine. It does contain green tea leaf extract, which can carry some naturally occurring caffeine, and cocoa seed extract, which supplies about 18 mg of theobromine per serving. Sensitive to stimulants? Start with one capsule.
Will CortiResponse make me drowsy?
It isn't made as a sleep formula: there's no melatonin on the label, and the L-theanine research focuses on calm alertness. The NIH lists mild drowsiness as a possible ashwagandha side effect, so notice how you feel at first.
How long does it take to notice CortiResponse?
It depends on the ingredient. The L-theanine trial measured changes within hours of one dose, while the ashwagandha and holy basil trials ran 60 days and 8 weeks.
Can I take CortiResponse with your other products?
Yes, but check for shared ingredients first. Relaxing Passion Flower lozenges (50 mg of passionflower 4:1 extract each) and Sleepy Sleep both contain passionflower. Adrenal Support also has ashwagandha, Good Magnesium lists holy basil in its other ingredients, and Brain Advantage has 30 mg of L-theanine. If you stack, run the combination by your practitioner.
Can I take CortiResponse with medication?
Ask your healthcare practitioner first. Per the NIH fact sheets, ashwagandha might interact with thyroid hormone, blood sugar, blood pressure, immune-suppressing and sedative medications, and chromium might add to the effect of blood sugar medications or reduce levothyroxine absorption.
Keep learning
References
- Evans M et al. A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study to Investigate the Efficacy of a Single Dose of AlphaWave® L-Theanine on Stress in a Healthy Adult Population. Neurology and Therapy. 2021. PubMed
- Hidese S et al. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2019. PubMed
- Lopresti AL et al. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019. PubMed
- Lopresti AL et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of an Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) extract (Holixer™) on stress, mood, and sleep in adults experiencing stress. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022. PubMed
- Talbott SM et al. Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013. PubMed
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
