Sugar consumption is a well-known cortisol release trigger. A high sugar intake on a regular basis may keep your levels elevated (67). Sugar consumption is strongly associated to elevated cortisol levels in obese people (68). > span> Another important factor for raising cortisol levels is the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol consumption increases the amount of cortisol in the blood and raises its overall concentration over time. Heavy drinking can lead to chronic elevation of cortisol levels (69). Cortisol is also raised by consuming food containing gluten or casein. These are two common proteins found in wheat and milk products, respectively. Eating too much protein can cause cortisol to rise as well. This happens because the body tries to eliminate the waste produced by protein digestion using this hormone. When cortisol levels are high for a long period of time, it has a negative effect on health. Finally, caffeine stimulates the production of cortisol. It does so by binding to receptors inside cells and triggering an action similar to that of adrenaline. Because of this link between caffeine and cortisol, many people avoid these substances all together or in large amounts when trying to reduce their stress levels. However, recent studies show that moderate amounts of caffeine may actually help reduce stress hormones in some people (70, 71). Cortisol is one of many hormones that control the activity of the immune system.