Why Should You Trust Integrative Therapeutics?
Integrative Therapeutics is a clinician-led supplement brand that prides itself on producing high-quality supplements using only the very best ingredients.
Since medical professionals design the supplements, you can be sure that they are backed by science, unlike many other brands that make unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits their supplement provides.
The company has a wealth of resources to help empower the customer with all the knowledge they need to get – and stay – on top of their health problems.
Integrative Therapeutics has been in business for more than 35 years and has earned patients and clinicians’ respect. The brand has managed this with a combination of high manufacturing standards, and clinician-curated supplements. There is frequent testing of all raw materials used in the company’s supplements, as well as on the finished products, to back up any claims made.
Each vendor that Integrative Therapeutics deals with has to undergo a sourcing program before their materials are even considered. This means that all of the materials are tested for quality, purity, stability, and more. Once approved, the information is passed on to the Quality Assurance department, comprising top scientists who make the final call on the suppliers used. The materials that are bought are then tested in-house, including potency, microbiological, and purity tests.
Integrative Therapeutics also works with third-party organizations to guarantee the quality and safety of its products. The company is GMP Registered with the NSF and has the Emerson Quality Program seal of approval.
What is Cortisol Manager?
Cortisol Manager is a health supplement that is designed to reduce stress levels by regulating the production of the stress-producing hormone in the body, cortisol. As a result, it is widely considered to be one of the best supplements for promoting a healthy sleep schedule and encouraging relaxation.
Each bottle of the supplement contains either 30 or 90 vegan capsules, which you should take once a day, or twice if you are suffering from a high level of stress. It’s recommended that you take the supplement at night so that there’s a chance you can get a more restful night of sleep with less tossing and turning.
The primary ingredients in Cortisol Manager are proven and tested substances that have a lot of compelling evidence to back up their effectiveness, including Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, Magnolia, and Epimedium.
Here are some of the main cited health benefits for each of the main ingredients in Cortisol Manager:
Ashwagandha: There’s no doubt about it: Ashwagandha has plenty to offer, and that’s what makes it one of the most popular ingredients in health supplements that aim to reduce stress, and help you relax. It’s a medicinal herb that has been used for thousands of years, and it’s what is known as an adaptogen, which means it is used to regulate stress in the body. For more than 3,000 years, this Ayurvedic herb has been used to reduce stress and boostenergy levels. In this supplement, its main function is to reduce cortisol levels in the body, which it has been proven to do in various studies by up to 30%.
L-Theanine: L-Theanine is an amino acid, which is commonly found in various teas and in supplement form. This amino acid can reduce anxiety and stress, and perhaps most importantly for this supplement, tackle insomnia. Have you ever wondered why some types of tea can help you drift off to sleep at night or make you feel relaxed? Well, it could be due to the presence of L-Theanine, which is said to bring on a state of drowsiness that can promote better sleep. This ingredient is the perfect addition for a supplement like Cortisol Manager, which regulates stress as it promotes restful sleep.
Magnolia: Magnolia is a plant that is commonly used in medicine. Most often, it’s the bark that is taken and ground down, but the flower buds can be used too. The cited health benefits of magnolia are accelerated weight loss, improved digestion, and reduced stress and anxiety. It can also help lower inflammation in the body and tackle common cold and allergy symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose. As such, it predisposes you for an uninterrupted evening in which you should be able to sleep throughout the night.
Epimedium: Epimedium is the scientific name of horny goat weed, which is a traditional medicinal herb used in Chinese medicine. While it doesn’t have as much clinical evidence behind it as the other ingredients in the supplement, epimedium is an interesting form of alternative medicine and only used in a small quantity.
To make the supplement as accessible and inclusive as possible, Integrative Therapeutics made it without any of the top 8 food allergens, so you should be able to take it whatever your dietary needs and preferences are.
How Can it Help You?
Cortisol Manager can help you in two main ways: it can reduce the level of stress you experience and help you sleep better at night.
Sleep Better
Given that poor sleep can have myriad detrimental effects on our performance the next day and on our health and wellbeing in general, it’s vital that you get a handle on it as soon as possible.
Less than 6 hours of sleep a night has been shown to increase your risks of developing dementia later in life, and that’s not to mention all of the short-term effects poor sleep can have, which you may experience every day.
It could be that you aren’t even aware that the low energy and high stress you experience on a daily basis could be improved with better sleep. Taking Cortisol Manager could significantly impact your quality of life in more ways than one.
If you sleep fine, that’s great, but if you struggle to doze off when your head hits the pillow, then you could stand to gain a lot from a supplement like Cortisol Manager.
There are drugs out there that can knock you out at night and ensure you sleep like a baby, but some of them can create dependency and form unhealthy habits. Cortisol Manager, though, features non-habit forming ingredients which are proven to reduce stress. So if you’re looking for a natural supplement to take on a regular basis that can do the same job as some of the hard-hitting, habit-forming drugs, then Cortisol Manager is an excellent choice.
Reduce Stress
Even if you’re sleeping well and that isn’t a cause of concern for you, what about stress?
We all face an enormous amount of stress throughout our lives, but some of us experience it more deeply than others.
Some of us have innately stressful jobs, while others have the pressures of raising a family and staying afloat financially weighing on the mind constantly.
Whatever the cause of stress, the hormone behind it is cortisol.
If you don’t make an effort to manage the levels of cortisol in your body, you’re much more likely to feel it more intensely and get stuck in fight-or-flight responses.
Fortunately, there are cortisol-reducing supplements out there such as Cortisol Manager.
Due to the proven stress-alleviating ingredients in the supplement like Ashwagandha and L-Theanine, you can effectively manage the level of cortisol in your body and feel more relaxed throughout the day as a result.
Imagine being able to coast through some of the more difficult moments in your day without succumbing to stress and lashing out or feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety rise up. That’s the potential power of Cortisol Manager, so in our view it’s at least worth a try as stress can be debilitating.
Who is Cortisol Manager For?
Cortisol Manager is for the stressed worker who faces endless shifts at work and carries work-related anxiety home.
It’s for the stress-prone parent that struggles to get to sleep at the end of a long day taking care of the kids and juggling other responsibilities.
It’s for the student who is having a hard time waking up in the morning because exams and assignments are piling up leading to frequent late nights and poor sleep.
Cortisol Manager is simply an excellent supplement for anyone who deals with a lot of stress on a daily basis. It can reduce the level of cortisol in your body, bringing the hormone back to a normal range, which can help you act rationally and rest when the time comes.
If you regularly struggle to get to sleep at night, but you can’t seem to pinpoint the cause, it might just be an excess of cortisol in your body that your body hasn’t expelled. In this case, trying a supplement like Cortisol Manager is a way of bringing a measure of control back into your nighttime routine and it could help you get the sleep you desperately need.
The Evidence
As with any health supplement, if you’re going to part with your cash, you want some kind of guarantee of quality or effectiveness.
While it can be tricky to get a guarantee as the supplement industry is largely unregulated by the FDA, what you can find is a wealth of anecdotal evidence, and sometimes clinical evidence too which proves the effectiveness of the ingredients used in the formula.
We’ve compiled the most reliable anecdotal and clinical evidence about Cortisol Manager, so you don’t have to scour the internet to see if does what it says it can.
Anecdotal
On top of the encouraging clinical evidence which points to the effectiveness of the Cortisol Manager supplement, there’s also been an abundance of positive feedback for the product on its Amazon page.
Many past customers seem to swear by Cortisol Manager, claiming that it does exactly what it claims, which can help them get the sleep they need at night.
Here’s what some of the most popular reviewers had to say:
‘I’ve been using this supplement for over 10 years now. It’s the highest quality for the money and one of my favorites.’
Amazon user Julya has been using the supplement for more than a decade, which speaks volumes for its effectiveness. She cites the value for money too as a number one reason she keeps coming back for more.
‘This really worked for stress relief. I take it right before bed and it helps me not only get to sleep, but also stay asleep. I feel much less stressed throughout the day as well. This worked for me immediately the first time I took it; there was no waiting period for it to get into my system like many supplements.’
Another Amazon user reports that it not only helped to take the edge off with regards to stress, but it also helped them to settle into a deep sleep at the end of the day. They also mentioned how the supplement had an instant effect, which is a compelling reason to pick Cortisol Manager over the competition.
‘The first couple of nights I woke up a little groggy, but it went away. I don’t know if it will affect anyone else this way, but I can tell you that this has done exactly what it says it can do for me. I have no affiliation with this company, just grateful for this stuff and order it two months in advance so I don’t miss a day’
This review points out that it wasn’t all smooth sailing with the supplement, since the first few days of taking it they noticed grogginess the following morning. However, they go on to say that they take it every day now since it has a profound effect on their life, reducing the level of stress they experience considerably.
‘I didn’t believe this would make such a difference. Even after reading reviews I was skeptical. I’m happy to say that I wake up feeling refreshed and my days are so much more enjoyable!’
Shawna states that she was skeptical in the beginning, but now lives a more stress-free life and enjoys restful sleep.
‘It does not leave me feeling groggy in the morning and seems to help me get to sleep a little easier. However it does not have the sleepy power that a drug like Benadryl or Unisom has.’
Andria doesn’t get the groggy feeling that other reviewers have mentioned, and says that the supplement helps her drift off at the end of the day. Having said that, unlike some other customers she doesn’t feel like Cortisol Manager sends her to sleep as well as drugs like Bendaryl.
Clinical
While there may not be any clinical trials of the Cortisol Manager supplement itself, Integrative Therapeutics points our attention to previous clinical trials that prove the efficacy of each of the ingredients used in its product.
For example, in 2008 there was a placebo-controlled clinical trial that demonstrated the ability of Sensoril ashwagandha to substantially lower cortisol levels in the subjects and alleviates stress when compared to the placebo participants were given.
There was another placebo-controlled trial that year which also showed how effective Suntheanine L-theanine is. This study showed that the substance increased alpha brain wave activity in the participants, more so than those who took a placebo. Heightened alpha brain wave activity is linked with a state of relaxation, so this points to the effectiveness of one of the primary ingredients in Cortisol Manager to help induce a state of relaxation.
Alternative Options
If you’re interested in what the other options out there are, here are some of the best stress-reducing and sleep-promoting ingredients and supplements:
Ingredients
- Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola rosea is a herb, which is found in Asia and parts of Russia. As an adaptogen, it can reduce levels of stress in the body, which makes it an excellent ingredient for a stress-tackling supplement. Previous studies on the herb have shown that it can treat chronic fatigue symptoms related to sleep and memory impairment as well as boosting concentration.
- Melatonin
Melatonin is one of the most commonly-known ingredients for tackling stress and insomnia. As a natural hormone that the body produces, melatonin is responsible for the sleep-wake cycle which is otherwise known as the circadian rhythm. At night, melatonin production increases to help you get a restful night of sleep, but if you have lower production levels, you might benefit from a supplementary dose.
- B Vitamins
The B complex vitamins take the food you consume and help the body turn them into energy that you can then use. These B vitamins are commonly found in many of the foods we eat on a regular basis including legumes, eggs, dairy products, and leafy greens. If you can get a large amount of these vitamins into your diet, either through food or supplements, you can boost your mood and energy level as well as reducing stress.
- Valerian Root
Valerian root is a herb that can be consumed as tea, and can alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and menopause. While there isn’t an abundance of clinical evidence supporting the health benefits of valerian root, it is suggested that it provides benefits for sleep so it’s a good ingredient to take at night time.
- Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that plays myriad roles in the body, one of which is soothing anxiety and helping to promote better sleep. It’s believed that the main reason for this is magnesium’s function in helping the body to manage melatonin production.
Pre-made Supplements
Pre-made supplements can be a convenient way to get what you need to reduce stress and tackle insomnia, so here are some of the best alternatives to Cortisol Manager:
- Moon Juice Dream Dust
As you might imagine from the creative name, Moon Juice Dream Dust is a supplement you can take at night to improve your sleep. The supplement includes several adaptogenic herbs as well as chamomile extract to help you drift off at night.
As a powder, you combine this supplement in a glass of hot water or tea before bed, so it can become a comforting evening routine drink that you can begin to associate with better sleep.
This supplement is cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly.
- Perricone MD Sleep Booster
Perricone MD Sleep Booster is an excellent supplement that contains melatonin, ashwagandha, magnesium, and l-theanine. The ingredients are similar to Cortisol Manager, but it includes the powerhouse ingredient melatonin to help you sink into a deep sleep at night. The supplement is GMO-free, gluten-free, and free from artificial colors and preservatives.
- Kaleidoscope Labs CBD
Kaleidoscope Labs CBD is an interesting alternative supplement that includes CBD. There have been various studies that demonstrate the ability of CBD to relieve anxiety and stress symptoms, but there is also some anecdotal evidence that it can also help to improve sleep cycles and induce a state of relaxation. As well as the CBD, Kaleidoscope Labs’ supplement also includes melatonin, l-theanine, and valerian root. This supplement uses microencapsulation technology, which means it’s more bioavailable so your body will be better able to absorb it into your bloodstream.
