Addison’s Disease: How Nutrition Can Help You Feel Your Best
Addison’s disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, is a rare condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and sometimes aldosterone — two hormones that help regulate your body’s stress response, blood pressure, and electrolyte balance.
Managing Addison’s disease always starts with medication, but the right nutrition and lifestyle tweaks can play a big part in supporting your energy, blood sugar stability, and overall wellbeing.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Happens in Addison’s Disease?
Your adrenal glands sit above your kidneys and produce hormones your body needs every day. In Addison’s, damage to these glands (often due to an autoimmune response) means you can’t make enough cortisol or aldosterone.
This can lead to symptoms like:
Extreme Fatigue
A persistent and overwhelming sense of tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep. This happens because the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol, a hormone vital for energy regulation and coping with physical and emotional stress.Salt Cravings
A strong desire to consume salty foods. This occurs because Addison’s disease causes the adrenal glands to produce less aldosterone, a hormone that helps regulate sodium and potassium balance. Low aldosterone leads to sodium loss, prompting the body to crave salt to restore balance.Low Blood Pressure
Blood pressure that is consistently below the normal range, which can cause feelings of weakness and faintness. The lack of aldosterone means the body retains less sodium and water, reducing blood volume and thus lowering blood pressure.Dizziness, Especially When Standing
Also known as orthostatic hypotension, this is a feeling of lightheadedness or faintness when moving from sitting or lying down to standing. It’s caused by the body’s inability to properly regulate blood pressure due to low aldosterone and cortisol levels.Muscle Weakness
A reduction in muscle strength and endurance, making everyday activities feel more strenuous. This is linked to electrolyte imbalances (especially low sodium and potassium) and reduced energy production from cortisol deficiency.Low Blood Sugar
Episodes of hypoglycemia, where blood sugar levels drop below normal, can cause shakiness, sweating, confusion, and weakness. Cortisol helps maintain stable blood glucose by promoting glucose production; without enough cortisol, blood sugar can fall unexpectedly.Unintended Weight Loss
A noticeable decrease in body weight without trying, often due to reduced appetite, gastrointestinal symptoms, and the body’s inability to maintain normal metabolism because of hormone deficiencies.
Daily hormone replacement is essential, but supportive nutrition can help manage some of these symptoms and keep you feeling more balanced.
How Can Nutrition Support Addison’s Disease?
1. Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady
Low cortisol levels can make you prone to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).
Aim for balanced meals with a good mix of protein, healthy fats, and slow-releasing carbs (like oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice).
Avoid long gaps between meals — eat regular snacks if needed.
Keep a healthy snack handy, especially before or after exercise.
2. Get Enough Salt (Sodium)
Unlike most people who need to limit salt, people with Addison’s often need more.
Aldosterone helps regulate sodium — without enough, your body loses more salt in urine and sweat.
Add a pinch of salt to meals if recommended by your doctor.
Be mindful in hot weather or during exercise when you might sweat more.
(Important: Always follow your endocrinologist’s advice on this — some people take fludrocortisone to help retain sodium.)
3. Stay Well Hydrated
Dehydration can worsen dizziness and low blood pressure.
Sip water regularly throughout the day.
Include electrolyte-rich fluids if needed (some people benefit from drinks with sodium and potassium).
Limit excess caffeine and alcohol, which can be dehydrating.
4. Support Your Energy Levels
Feeling fatigued is common, so focus on gentle nutrition strategies:
Eat nutrient-dense foods: plenty of colourful veg, wholegrains, lean protein, nuts and seeds.
Watch for nutrient deficiencies — low cortisol can affect digestion and absorption.
A multivitamin or B12 supplement may be helpful if you’re low — always check with your doctor.
5. Listen to Your Body and Stress Levels
Your stress response is altered with Addison’s — your body can’t produce more cortisol when you’re sick or stressed.
Learn your warning signs of an adrenal crisis: severe weakness, low blood pressure, or fainting.
Always have your emergency injection kit if prescribed.
Carry a medical alert bracelet and communicate with family and friends about what to do in an emergency.
6. Optimise Micronutrient Intake for Resilience and Energy
People with Addison’s disease often have higher micronutrient demands because their bodies work harder to maintain energy balance and immune health without normal cortisol levels.
Key nutrients:
B Vitamins — support energy production and healthy nervous system function.
Vitamin C — important for adrenal gland health and coping with physical stress.
Zinc — supports immune resilience and tissue repair.
Magnesium — helps regulate blood sugar, muscle function, and the body’s stress response.
How to get them: A varied, nutrient-dense diet with plenty of whole foods — lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables — plus targeted supplements if needed.
Key Takeaway
Medication will always be the foundation of managing Addison’s disease. But a balanced, mindful approach to eating, with steady blood sugar, enough salt, plenty of fluids, and nutrient-dense meals can help you feel more stable and energised day-to-day.
✨ Need Personalised Support?
If you’re living with Addison’s disease and want help creating a nutrition plan that works for your lifestyle, I’m here to help. Together, we can build a plan that supports your energy, keeps you feeling resilient, and helps you thrive.