It might not feel like it some days, but your body is equipped to handle stress. It has several built-in systems that regulate the stress response, one being the adrenal glands. Under normal conditions, your adrenal glands produce and regulate key hormones that keep the stress response in check.

However, in today’s fast-paced world, most adults live in a chronic state of stress. This constant strain makes it harder for the adrenal glands to do their job, and if you aren’t being proactive about adrenal health, as a result, adrenal fatigue can creep in.

If this happens, small stressors might feel bigger than they should. You might feel exhausted midday, but get a second wind at night. You’ll likely have brain fog, become more irritable than usual, and you’ll probably even notice strong food cravings. Oh, and that small coffee? It’s probably not gonna do very much. Your sex drive might also suffer.

To help prevent adrenal fatigue or fight it if it’s already set in, it takes more than typical stress-relief strategies. You need to provide your adrenals with targeted support.  Luckily, there are several easy lifestyle strategies,  as well as natural supplements, to consider that can do just that. 

Understanding The Adrenal Glands: Why Adrenal Health Matters

The adrenal glands are small endocrine glands that produce and regulate hormones that help you respond to one of life’s biggest challenges and something most people struggle to manage… stress.

Even though the adrenal glands influence how you feel from the moment you wake up to the time you fall asleep, most people don’t think much about them in general, let alone keeping them healthy and functioning well, but you should. Adrenal health matters more than most people realize. 

Do you want to be able to better handle stress?

What about having steady energy?

How about quality sleep?

Is maintaining a healthy weight and having a healthy metabolism important to you?

What about your blood pressure? Do you want it to stay healthy?

Oh, and your sex drive? Do you care about that?

If any of these things matter to you, then you should care about adrenal health and giving your adrenal glands the support they need to do their job. 

Before we tell you exactly what you can do to support adrenal health naturally, it helps to have a basic understanding of what the adrenal glands are, how they work, and what can happen if they become overwhelmed.

Feel free to skip ahead, but this knowledge will help you fully grasp why supporting adrenal health matters in the first place.  

What Are Adrenal Glands?

Your adrenal glands, also called suprarenal glands, are two small, triangle-shaped glands that sit on top of your kidneys. They produce and release hormones (two of which are vital for life) directly into the bloodstream to regulate numerous bodily systems.

The adrenals are part of the endocrine system, which is the body’s hormone network that uses chemical messengers to coordinate functions like growth, metabolism, stress response, and reproduction.

Each adrenal gland has two main parts, the outer adrenal cortex and the inner adrenal medulla. They perform distinct functions that are responsible for producing different hormones that support:

• Stress response

• Immune system function

• Blood pressure regulation

• Fluid and electrolyte balance

• Metabolism and energy production

• Sleep, wake, and circadian rhythm

• Mood, mental clarity, and motivation

• Development of sexual characteristics

The adrenals work solo for some of their roles, but also interact with other organs, glands, and systems, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, kidneys, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which has two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

When the adrenals are healthy and not overwhelmed with an overload of stress, they work seamlessly with these systems, release an appropriate amount of the hormone needed, and then return to baseline.

However, with all the stress we face, our bodies tend to alert the adrenals to always be in an active state. This can cause them to become fatigued and not produce enough hormones, leading to a host of symptoms that can disrupt everyday life. Ignored, it can also potentially lead to more serious health issues. That’s why it is essential to prioritize your adrenal health and give your adrenal glands extra care.

A little further down, we’ll tell you the signs to watch for that could indicate your adrenals are fatigued, as well as steps you can take to support healthy adrenal function. First, now that you know what the adrenals are, let’s discuss exactly what they do so you can fully understand why adrenal health matters. 

What Do Your Adrenal Glands Do?

Your adrenal glands are a vital part of the endocrine system. Their primary job is to produce and regulate two life-essential hormones: cortisol and aldosterone.

• Cortisol: A hormone made in your adrenal cortex that is most associated with the stress response. It’s even called the stress hormone, which is an accurate nickname.
  Your adrenals do release more cortisol during stressful situations. However, cortisol also helps keep blood sugar steady, guides how your body uses carbs, fats, and proteins, supports normal blood pressure, helps regulate your sleep–wake rhythm, and modulates everyday inflammatory activity. Without cortisol, your body can’t maintain stable blood pressure, keep blood sugar in a safe range, or control inflammation.
  

• Aldosterone: A hormone that tells your kidneys how much sodium to hold and how much potassium to release. That signal controls fluid balance, which keeps blood pressure steady and hydration stable. By guiding electrolytes, it also keeps your blood’s pH in a healthy range. Without aldosterone, your body can’t maintain the fluid and electrolyte balance needed for your heart, nerves, and muscles to function, and survival depends on that balance.

The adrenals also make dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and small amounts of testosterone in the cortex, and release adrenaline and noradrenaline from the medulla. These hormones are important for vitality, body composition, and quick short-term stress responses.

Once these hormones are created, the adrenals release them into the body as needed to perform various bodily functions related to stress response, metabolism, immunity, cardiovascular health, and more.

While the adrenals function independently, they also work closely with your brain through the HPA axis, a communication network between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals that helps regulate stress response, energy, mood, and many hormone cycles. They also interact with your sympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, breathing, digestion, and blood pressure.

When healthy, the adrenal glands do their jobs well. However, if you aren’t giving them the support they need to thrive or are pushing them to work nonstop due to chronic mental or physical stress, they can become less responsive. In this state of persistent fight-or-flight, you may begin to experience symptoms of adrenal fatigue, which we’ll cover further down. 

First, let’s break down each specific role the adrenal glands play in your body and how they influence your stress response and overall health.

Roles of the Adrenal Glands and the Hormones They Produce 

Stress Response

Your adrenal glands release hormones that control your body’s stress response. They take signals from the brain through the HPA axis to release cortisol from the adrenal cortex, and through the sympathetic nervous system to release adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine from the adrenal medulla, in amounts that help you handle stressors and then return to baseline.

If adrenal function is impaired or if stress piles on (mental or physical), the system can get stuck in high alert, causing stress signals to fire more often and take longer to shut off. If this happens, you will likely get stressed out much more easily, not be able to calm down as quickly, have mood swings, and experience mental fatigue. You may also notice a faster heart rate, tight muscles, shallow breathing, and trouble sleeping.

Metabolism

Your adrenals help manage important metabolic processes such as energy and blood sugar. They do this mainly through cortisol made in the adrenal cortex. Cortisol tells your liver to release glucose between meals, helps fat cells release stored fat for fuel, and frees amino acids that the liver can turn into glucose. It also briefly makes some tissues less responsive to insulin, so glucose stays available when demand is high.

These are all crucial processes when it comes to steady energy, appetite control, and healthy weight management. If any of these processes are off, energy dips hit harder, cravings climb, and hunger cues feel off. You may also feel shaky between meals, have the urge to snack more at night, and sleep worse if dysfunction causes cortisol to run high in the evening.

Blood Pressure Regulation

Your adrenal cortex makes aldosterone, a hormone that tells the kidneys how much sodium and water to hold and how much potassium to release. That control supports blood volume and day-to-day blood pressure levels.

If your adrenals are under‑functioning and aldosterone production drops too low, your body can lose too much sodium and water, leading to low blood pressure, dizziness, and even fainting. If it is consistently too high, sodium and fluid retention can occur, raising blood pressure.

Salt and Water Balance

Beyond blood pressure regulation, your adrenals help fine-tune sodium, potassium, and total body water to support optimal hydration and muscle function. Aldosterone is the primary hormone managing this balance; cortisol can also influence it indirectly.

When this balance is off, dehydration can set in faster, you might feel puffy and bloated, blood pressure can drop too low, and muscle weakness or fatigue is more likely.

Sleep Patterns and Circadian Rhythm

Daily cues like morning light, meal timing, movement, and a consistent bedtime shape your sleep-wake cycle. Your adrenals sync with these cues through the HPA axis to keep your day-night pattern predictable.

Healthy adrenals follow a daily cortisol curve, higher in the morning to help you wake and lower at night to help you wind down. When this rhythm is supported, you should wake up refreshed, have steady energy throughout the day, and be able to fall asleep at night.

However, if adrenal function is compromised, this can flip or flatten, resulting in mornings feeling sluggish, late morning or afternoon crashes, and nights feeling too alert. You might also notice that caffeine no longer works as well as it used to. 

Immune Function and Inflammation

Your adrenal glands help keep everyday immune activity in balance. Cortisol, made in the adrenal cortex, sends signals that regulate the body’s normal inflammatory response, which matters because too much inflammation can damage healthy tissues, while too little can slow healing.

When this system is supported, inflammation stays in a healthy range. However, if chronic stress disrupts cortisol's normal rhythm, immune signaling can become overactive or sluggish, leading to slow recovery from illness and exercise. 

Mood, Focus, and Motivation

Adrenal hormones influence brain circuits involved in attention and emotional steadiness. When signaling is well regulated, thinking feels clearer, irritability is lower, and motivation is higher. When it is off, you are likely to experience brain fog, have a short fuse, and not feel like getting anything done. 

Sexual Development and Hormone Precursors

The adrenal cortex produces DHEA and related androgens that act as building blocks for other hormones. This support contributes to normal sexual development during puberty and, in adults, plays a role in vitality, body composition, and even a healthy sex drive.

Can You Live Without Adrenal Glands?

Unlike vital organs like the heart or brain, which must be in your body and working around the clock, you can live without the adrenal glands themselves. That means if you had a condition where your adrenal glands needed to be removed, you could survive.

However, your body can’t function without cortisol and aldosterone, two of the hormones the adrenal glands produce. Which means you would need to take medications for the rest of your life that replace those hormones.

So, technically, yes. You can live without adrenal glands. But you still need the vital hormones they are responsible for producing. Without them, it would be impossible for crucial bodily systems that are vital for life, such as blood pressure control and fluid balance, to operate.

Complete adrenal removal is pretty rare, typically done in cases of tumors, severe overproduction of hormones, or certain cancers. It’s far more common for adrenal function to drop below optimal levels for other reasons, such as chronic stress, autoimmune disease, or prolonged use of corticosteroid medications.

Either way, if the adrenal glands become damaged or their hormone output drops significantly, your adrenals could enter a state known as “adrenal fatigue” in the functional medicine community.

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

In functional medicine, “adrenal fatigue” is a term used to describe symptoms believed to occur when your adrenal glands aren't healthy and can’t keep up with the body’s demands, often due to chronic stress.

While it’s not a recognized medical diagnosis, the idea behind adrenal fatigue is that prolonged stress may contribute to less-than-optimal adrenal hormone patterns.

Without lifestyle changes and proper nutritional support that support healthy adrenal function and balanced stress hormone production, your overall resilience and ability to adapt to daily demands may decline over time.

Common Signs of Adrenal Fatigue

When your adrenal glands can’t keep up with your body’s demands, the effects can sneak up on you. Some symptoms may feel vague or easy to blame on “just being busy,” but when several occur together, they may indicate that your adrenals need attention.

• Feeling unusually tired in the morning, even after a full night’s sleep

• Midday energy crashes or getting a “second wind” late at night

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

• Cravings for salty or sugary foods

• Brain fog, forgetfulness, or trouble concentrating

• Feeling more stressed or anxious than usual

• Not being able to regulate stress as well as usual

• Slow recovery from illness or intense exercise

• Dizziness when standing up quickly
  Unexplained weight changes or difficulty maintaining a healthy weight

While these symptoms may have multiple explanations, together they can point toward suboptimal adrenal function, or what functional medicine refers to as “adrenal fatigue.” The longer your adrenals are under stress, the more your overall health can suffer. That’s why proactive support matters.

It’s important to note that many of the signs of adrenal fatigue can overlap with symptoms of more serious medical adrenal disorders, which are very different from what functional medicine refers to as adrenal fatigue, and require medical diagnosis and treatment. 

Adrenal Disorders

Adrenal disorder is a general term for any medical condition affecting the adrenal gland. These conditions have clear diagnostic criteria and are treated differently from functional medicine’s concept of adrenal fatigue.

If you have any of the symptoms outlined above and they are severe, sudden, or worsening, it’s important to see a healthcare provider with knowledge in adrenal function to rule out medical adrenal dysfunction before focusing solely on lifestyle-based adrenal support.

Some of the most common adrenal disorders include:

Adrenal Insufficiency

A general term for conditions where the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol, and sometimes aldosterone. This can be primary (Addison’s disease), secondary (due to pituitary or hypothalamic issues), or tertiary (rare). 

Symptoms often include chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, weight loss, salt cravings, nausea, abdominal pain, and mood changes. If untreated, it can progress to an adrenal crisis, a potentially life-threatening emergency.

Addison’s Disease (Primary or Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency)

A chronic condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and, often, aldosterone. Common symptoms include fatigue, salt cravings, dizziness upon standing, muscle weakness, weight loss, gastrointestinal issues, and hyperpigmented skin patches. If untreated, this can lead to a medical emergency called an adrenal crisis.

Cushing’s Syndrome

A condition of chronically elevated cortisol, often due to tumors or long-term steroid use. Common signs include weight gain in the midsection and face (moon face), a fatty hump between the shoulders (buffalo hump), purple stretch marks, thinning skin, easy bruising, muscle weakness, mood swings, high blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

A genetic disorder affecting adrenal hormone production. Symptoms in females can include ambiguous genitalia in infancy; in both sexes, early puberty, masculinizing features, menstrual irregularities (in females), rapid growth, and excessive body hair.

Hyperaldosteronism (Conn's Syndrome)

Occurs when the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure, and is a common cause of secondary hypertension. Symptoms may include hypertension, fatigue, headaches, muscle weakness, and numbness.

How To Support Adrenal Health Naturally

Supporting your adrenal health isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about creating healthy habits and the strategic use of adrenal health supplements that contain ingredients that help your body better handle stress more efficiently over time. 

Lifestyle Changes to Support Adrenal Health

• Prioritize Restorative Sleep: Quality sleep helps reset your stress response system, balance cortisol, and improve resilience.
  

• Manage Stress Daily: Incorporate practices like meditation, breathwork, journaling, or light movement to lower your all-day stress load.
  

• Eat for Steady Blood Sugar: Focus on balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that tax your adrenals.
  

• Move with Intention: Regular, moderate exercise supports mood and energy without overstressing the adrenals.
  

• Stay Hydrated and Support Electrolytes: Proper hydration supports aldosterone function and helps keep blood pressure and fluid balance steady.

Natural Adrenal Health Supplements

The right supplements can also go a long way in supporting adrenal health, especially if you find yourself under a lot of mental or physical stress.

While a balanced diet provides many of the nutrients your adrenal glands need, several vitamins and minerals that are shown to either directly or indirectly improve adrenal health and function can be hard to get in optimal amounts from food alone.

There are also adaptogenic herbs you don’t typically find in everyday foods that may help the body adapt to stress and support healthy adrenal function.

Vitamin C

Known best for immunity, vitamin C also plays a role in supporting adrenal health and managing stress responses. The adrenals use a lot of vitamin C to produce cortisol. It also acts as a cofactor for the enzymes present in the adrenal glands that are necessary to synthesize cortisol.  It also helps buffer everyday oxidative stress. Without enough vitamin C, adrenal hormone production could slow and impact the body's stress response.

Vitamin A

Specifically through its active form, retinoic acid, vitamin A plays several roles in adrenal gland health. It influences HPA axis activity and potentially affects cortisol receptor expression. It also acts as a cofactor in catecholamine synthesis (one of the hormones the adrenals produce), and can help modulate cortisol levels during stress.

B Vitamins for Adrenal Support (B5, B6, B12, Niacin)

B5 is directly involved in producing adrenal hormones like cortisol, while B6 is needed for producing neurotransmitters that affect mood and stress response. Optimal B12 levels are crucial for energy metabolism, nervous system function, and the synthesis of adrenal hormones. You can find these B vitamins in a quality B-Complex supplement. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of reactions that influence stress response, calm, and sleep quality, all of which can impact adrenal function.  It also supports healthy muscle and nerve function, which can be beneficial in alleviating some of the physical symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue.

Adaptogenic Herbs

Adaptogens are natural substances, primarily from plants, that are believed to help the body adapt to everyday stress and fatigue by promoting a state of balance. There are several adaptogens shown to support adrenal health.

Some of the most common include:

• Ashwagandha (KSM‑66): Ashwagandha is one of the most popular adaptogens, shown in numerous clinical trials to help reduce perceived stress, reduce anxiety, and support sleep quality.
  
  KSM-66 is a highly concentrated and bioavailable full-spectrum form of ashwagandha that differs from other ashwagandha extracts due to its patented manufacturing process. Many believe this form is superior and purer due to its focus on using only the root of the plant.
  

• Rhodiola rosea: This ancient herb with a long history of medicinal use is commonly used for stress‑related fatigue and focus. It has also been used for centuries to enhance stamina and combat fatigue.
  

• Licorice Root Extract: Long used in traditional medicine, licorice root is believed to help adrenal function due to its ability to convert cortisol into its inactive form, cortisone, which can lead to prolonged effects in the body. It is also considered an adaptogen, meaning it might help the body adapt and cope with stress more effectively.
  

• Eleuthero Root Extract (Siberian ginseng): Traditionally used to support stamina and recovery, this ancient adaptogen is shown to have positive effects on endurance and stress adaptation. It’s also been shown to support the immune system.
  

• Schisandra chinensis: Also known as Schisandra berry or Wu Wei Zi, this adaptogen is known to have several health effects, including the ability to support stress resilience and mental performance, and potentially protect the nervous system.
  

• Bovine Adrenal Concentrate: This chemical, extracted from the adrenal glands of bovine, is believed to help support healthy adrenal function and help address issues related to fatigue, stress, and low energy.

The Best Adrenal Health Supplement to Support Healthy Adrenal Function

If you want a simple way to bring many of these researched ingredients together, Revive AdrenalCORE combines vitamin C, vitamins A and E, a targeted B‑complex, licorice root extract, rhodiola, eleuthero, schisandra, bovine adrenal concentrate, and more in one comprehensive adrenal health formula.

AdrenalCORE is truly an innovative formula and the best adrenal health supplement available for those looking to support healthy adrenal function.  We carefully created this synergistic blend of natural ingredients to help support your body's natural response to stress and promote overall health and vitality.

Whether you're dealing with a demanding work schedule, have an intense exercise regimen, or just stressed out more days than not due to daily life, Revive AdrenalCORE can help reduce fatigue, improve mental clarity, and promote a sense of calm and relaxation, which are all things needed to have a healthy stress response and healthy adrenal function. 

If you prefer to supplement with individual adrenal health nutrients, we also offer many of the ones listed above, including vitamin C, B complex vitamins, KSM-66 ashwagandha, and two different magnesium supplements.

We also have other sleep and stress-support best sellers like Calm+ and Sleep, which many of our customers stack with AdrenalCORE. We also have a new mushroom complex that contains a unique blend of mushrooms designed to reduce stress, improve sleep, and support cognitive health, immune function, and overall well-being. To learn more, read “The Top 5 Benefits of Mushroom Complex Supplements for Everyday Wellness.”

FAQ About Adrenal Glands and Adrenal Support

Are adrenal supplements safe?

When purchased from a reputable brand that prioritizes third-party testing and purity, adrenal health supplements can be safe for most healthy adults when used as directed. Of course, safety depends on the ingredients, dose, and your health history. Always talk with your doctor if you take medications, are pregnant or nursing, or have a medical condition.

Do adrenal supplements really work?

Depending on their ingredient profile and dosages, adrenal health supplements can help support a healthy stress response, especially when paired with a lifestyle that supports adrenal health.

When is the best time of day to take adrenal supplements?

Most people do best in the morning or early afternoon, especially with stimulating formulas like rhodiola or licorice. Calming options such as ashwagandha or magnesium are often used in the evening. If the adrenal health supplement you take is a blend, like AdrenalCORE, always follow the specific instructions on the supplement label. 

How long does it take for adrenal supplements to work?

As with any supplement or even medication, consistency is key. Some people claim to notice changes within a few days to a couple of weeks. However, it’s suggested to always give a supplement a few months for a fair trial, especially with adaptogens.

Who should avoid adrenal supplements?

Anyone with uncontrolled blood pressure, electrolyte issues, hormone‑related cancers, known adrenal issues, or persistent symptoms of adrenal fatigue, and those who are pregnant or nursing, should avoid certain ingredients and get medical guidance first.

Regardless of your health history, it’s always smart to speak with your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement, especially if you take any medications or other supplements. 

Final Thoughts

Most people struggle with stress and the fallout that follows it. It’s also not uncommon to think you’re handling stress well, only for your adrenals to be telling a different story. 

While there are lifestyle changes that can help you better manage mental stress and proper recovery protocols that can limit physical stress from training or long work hours, it’s impossible to avoid stress altogether.

Taking a proactive approach to keeping key systems, like your adrenal glands, healthy and resilient, is one of the smartest things you can do for your mood, and overall health and well-being.

If you are looking for a simple solution, Revive AdrenalCORE is your best bet. We did all the research for you and formulated this supplement with clinically studied vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, and targeted nutrients for adrenal support.

You can also do what many of our customers dealing with chronic stress and burnout do, and stack AdrenalCORE with other supportive formulas such as CALM+, to promote relaxation and improve stress resilience.

As always, if you have any questions about which supplements are right for you, never hesitate to reach out.