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Q.What is Cortitrol™?

A. Cortitrol™ is a patent-pending cortisol-balancing dietary supplement that combines natural ingredients that have been shown to have direct cortisol-balancing effects.

Q. What ingredients does Cortitrol have?

A. The key active ingredients found in Cortitrol include Magnolia Bark (Magnolia officinalis), Epimedium (Epimedium brevicornum), L-Theanine, and Phosphatidylserine. Theanine increases the production of brain alpha waves, which is an index of relaxation. Magnolia Bark, Epimedium and Phosphatidylserine have direct effects on your cortisol levels.

Q. Who should take Cortitrol?

A. Cortitrol is intended for adults who need help in modulating healthy levels of cortisol. Cortitrol is for adults who are frequently confronted with stressful situations throughout the day, getting less than 8 hours of sleep every night, generally feel run down, lack mental focus, and are performing at sub-optimal levels and who are limiting caloric intake to lose weight.

Q. How does Cortitrol work?

A. The ingredients in Cortitrol address various aspects of controlling cortisol. Cortitrol combines natural ingredients that have been shown to have direct cortisol-balancing effects. Cortitrol helps provide enhanced feelings of well-being and control and helps improve performance and increase vigor throughout the day by the calming effects of magnolia bark and the relaxation effects of theanine. Cortitrol helps support weight maintenance efforts and allows better mental concentration and focus through the natural ingredients theanine, epimedium, and phosphatidylserine. Epimedium helps restore normal cortisol levels during stress, and phosphatidylserine helps control cortisol elevation during stress.

Q. Why is Cortitrol unique?

A. Cortitrol is one of the first cortisol-controlling dietary supplements. Cortitrol has a proprietary blend of ingredients that both lower cortisol levels and improve mental function. Cortitrol contains a proprietary mixture of theanine and other ingredients for cortisol control.

Q. Why is it important to have healthy levels of cortisol?

A. Cortisol can have effects when there is either too much cortisol or the body is exposed to cortisol on a regular basis. Scientific evidence shows that continuously elevated cortisol levels are associated with difficulty maintaining weight, difficulty feeling relaxed, sugar or carbohydrate cravings, fatigue, an increasingly negative perspective, moodiness, increased symptoms of the menstrual cycle and increased appetite.

Q. Are there scientific studies validating Cortitrol?

A. The ingredients in Cortitrol have been shown separately to either help the body modulate healthy levels of cortisol or cope with stress.

Q. Is there anyone who should not use Cortitrol?

A. No, however, if you are pregnant or lactating, have a known medical condition or are taking a prescription medication, consult a physician prior to use. Keep out of reach of children.

Q. Is Cortitrol safe?

A. Cortitrol is safe and well tolerated at the recommended dosage.

Q. Are there any known drug interactions?

A. Cortitrol is safe and well tolerated at the recommended dosage.

Q. Will the Epimedium in Cortitrol increase testosterone levels?

A. Cortitrol should not have an effect on testosterone. We have completed studies for Epimedium. The Epimedium product (water extract) that is used in Cortitrol did not change testosterone.

Will coffee or caffeine negate the effectiveness of Cortitrol?

A. No, coffee or caffeine will not "negate" the effects of Cortitrol; rather, Cortitrol would be expected to permit the "energy" benefits of coffee but without the "jittery" side effects. It is widely believed that the naturally occurring theanine in green tea (the "un-decaff" variety) gives you fewer jitters than coffee (for the same caffeine load) because of the balancing effects of theanine. Also, published studies show that 200 mg of caffeine (about 2 cups of coffee) will increase cortisol levels substantially, so all coffee drinkers should consider a cortisol controlling regimen.

Q. Can Cortitrol be taken by people with fibromyalgia?

A. People who have fibromyalgia (pain in fibrous connective tissue such as muscles, tendons and ligaments) are not able to respond to stress normally (they do not follow the normal cortisol rhythm). Taking Cortitrol may help restore their normal cortisol rhythm. Epimedium is the ingredient that helps with this.

Q. Why is "stress" getting so much attention recently by people and media in the USA?

A. We are finally learning about why stress causes so many health problems (because of cortisol). Dozens of research studies are making closer links between cortisol and many diseases (obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and more) but now we also have some lifestyle strategies that can help modulate cortisol levels.

Q. There are several hormones regarding stress besides cortisol, such as adrenalin, noradrenaline, catecholamine, etc. Why is Pharmanex focusing on cortisol and not the others?

A. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone. When we experience stress, cortisol is the stress hormone that stays around the longest. When we experience repeated or chronic stress, levels of other stress hormones (which are much shorter-acting) do not remain elevated the way cortisol does. This elevated cortisol level is what leads to many of the chronic diseases of aging.

Q. Do natural levels of Phosphatidylserine in our bodies decrease as we age?

A. As we age, many cells may undergo a process of aging. Phosphatidylserine levels in cell membranes decline and brain cell membranes become brittle. This restricts cell membrane permeability, thereby, inhibiting electro-chemical communication within the brain (in simple terms, you are not able to function properly).

Q. What is the mechanism of action for phosphatidylserine?

A. The mechanism by which phosphatidylserine may work is through a very complicated interaction between immune system cells (perhaps macrophages) and adrenal cell receptors. What might be happening is that the phosphatidylserine supplement signals the immune cells in some way, which then interact with the adrenal cells to make them more/less sensitive to cortisol negative feedback, so the adrenals produce only a small amount of cortisol and then stop before an overproduction happens. This is very theoretical and very complex!

Q. How did Pharmanex come up with the product idea for Cortitrol?

A. Dr. Shawn Talbott said, "One of my colleagues at the University of California San Francisco (Elisa Epel) published a study in 2000 showing that stress caused appetite to increase and body fat to go up. This led me to look into controlling cortisol as a way to target weight loss, but my research led me to realise that elevated cortisol levels are detrimental to health in many ways other than simply our body weight. Some of my own research in the mid-1990's at Rutgers University showed that calorie restriction (weight loss diets) increased cortisol levels and accelerated bone loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis later in life."

Q. What is the source of the phosphatidylserine?

A. Phosphatidylserine is derived from non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soybeans.

Q. Will Cortitrol make it hard for me to sleep at night?

A. In some cases, Cortitrol users have experienced increases in energy levels and makes them feel more alert. Therefore, we suggest taking Cortitrol in the morning, rather than the evening, which seems to help.

Q. Is there any data on Cortitrol and hyperthyroid?

A. We do not have any data on the use of Cortitrol in hyperthyroid conditions or the medicine tapazole. Our research and experience has involved healthy adults in non-disease states. Cortisol is one of many hormones that affect homeostasis in the human body; therefore, the effect of cortisol and other hormones will have some effect on thyroid hormone. However, we are unsure exactly what this effect would be. Preliminary independent research suggests that the herb, epimedium, supports the normal function of the thyroid, but there is no data to determine the affect in hyperthyroid patients.

Q. Will Cortitrol help with Post Partum Depression (similar to post natal depression)?

A. There seems to be conflicting data regarding cortisol levels and post partum depression. Listed are several studies below, some found a correlation and some did not. Hormones certainly play a role in this condition, but prolactin and thyroid hormones seem to show the most correlation. Interestingly, cortisol and other hormone levels seem to return to pre-pregnancy levels within a few days post partum in healthy women. Aside from hormone levels, you can imagine that the nature of a new baby brings on many stresses that independently can cause cortisol levels to rise, including an increase in daily stresses and lack of sleep. Always speak to a qualified medical physician before taking any supplements with any medical condition.

Abou-Saleh MT, Ghubash R, Karim L, Krymski M, Bhai I. Hormonal aspects of postpartum depression.
Psychoneuroendocrinology 1998 Jul;23(5):465-75.

Bonnin F. Cortisol levels in saliva and mood changes in early puerperium. J Affect Disord 1992 Dec;26(4):231-9.

Ijuin T, Douchi T, Yamamoto S, Ijuin Y, Nagata Y. The relationship between maternity blues and thyroid dysfunction. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 1998 Feb;24(1):49-55.

Q. What is the normal range of cortisol levels?

A. The "normal" range for blood cortisol levels is fairly wide, 6-23 mcg/dl, but these levels can vary tremendously in response to stress, illness, and even following meals. Urinary levels of cortisol have an even wider range of "normal" values, 10-100 mcg/24 hours.

Q. Is there a link between stress and skin health and can Cortitrol help?

A. At a recent symposium on the effects of stress on skin health at the New York Academy of Sciences (October 24, 2002), Pharmanex scientist, Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., author of The Cortisol Connection, and dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, M.D., author of The Wrinkle Cure, talked about the growing link between stress, cortisol, and skin health. From their presentations, it is clear that stress/cortisol not only increases oil production in the skin (leading to problem skin), but prolonged exposure to cortisol also causes the skin to become thinner and breakdown (leading to more wrinkles and noticeable signs of aging).

Q. Will Cortitrol help with people who have diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other medical conditions?

A. Cortitrol has not be scientifically tested on participants with these medical conditions, therefore, we cannot scientifically claim that Cortitrol will assist people with these medical conditions. It is recommended that for women who are pregnant or lactating, people with known medical conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other medical conditions or who are taking a prescription medication to first consult their physician prior to taking any supplement.

Q. Can I take Cortitrol with LifePak?

A. Yes, all Pharmanex products are developed so that it is safe and efficacious to combine your supplementation regime. Taking Cortitrol with LifePak will ensure that you are receiving all the essential nutrients your body needs for optimal health and the cortisol balancing nutrients for today's lifestyles.