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SLEEP AND CORTISOLEvidence Based

5 Reasons People Over 35 Are Using These Holy Basil Shots to Lower Cortisol

Dr. Olivia Bennett Medically reviewed by Dr. Olivia Bennett Olivia Bennett Written by Olivia Bennett Updated Jun 20, 2026
  • Puffy face
  • Deep sleep
  • Midsection
  • Energy
  • Dosage
  • FAQ
Key takeaways
  • Lower cortisol at night results is higher quality sleep.
  • This results in many positive benefits such as a less puffy face, slimmed midsection, and higher energy.
  • Certain ingredients at the right dosages are clinically-proven to lower cortisol levels.

Most people blame the puffy face, the bloated middle, and the afternoon brain fog on diet, age, or willpower. After years of treating patients and a large and growing body of research — the evidence points to one under-recognised driver: cortisol.

Between the hundreds of patients I've treated and a substantial body of research, one conclusion is hard to avoid: cortisol plays a far bigger role than most people — and most clinicians — give it credit for.

The pattern is remarkably consistent. Patients with a clean diet, regular exercise, long enough sleep still feel puffy, heavy, and exhausted.

After about 35, chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated when it should fall at night, and elevated cortisol drives the body to retain water, sustain inflammation, and store fat around the midsection. And it makes you feel exhausted, even when you slept for eight hours or more.

I rarely put my name to a product. I made an exception for Dendro's Night Restore after reviewing its formula against the evidence.

Here are five reasons, why so many of my patients use Dendro Night Restore:

Dr. Olivia Bennett explains why reducing cortisol levels is so effective for weight loss and restoring energy levels that most people thought were lost forever.
1. The first win is a less puffy face.
This person has the same weight in both images, but has sharply elevated cortisol levels in the image on the left.

1. The first win is a less puffy face.

This is the one that surprises people most.

For most of my patients starting with Dendro, the first visible win is right there in the mirror: a less puffy face.

When cortisol stays elevated, your body clings to fluid which is stored in different parts of the body. Lowering cortisol levels allows the body to let go of the excess fluids.

2. My patients finally wake up refreshed.

After using the Holy Basil shot for around two to three weeks, my patients consistently report feeling more refreshed when they wake up.

The reason for this is deep sleep. Elevated evening cortisol blocks entry into those deep stages.

Lowering their cortisol levels allows them to regain deep sleep, which is the phase of sleep that actually restores energy for the next day.

2. My patients finally wake up refreshed.
Patients consistently report waking up feeling refreshed after two to three weeks of using the Holy Basil sleep shot. The reason: more deep sleep.
3. People loose fat around their midsection.
A "cortisol belly" is fat that is stored around the midsection and is mainly caused by stress hormones.

3. People loose fat around their midsection.

Another interesting advantage of reducing cortisol is that it can help reduce belly fat around your midsection. This is an added bonus that many people experience alongside better sleep and a less puffy face.

However, it only works if your belly fat is cortisol-induced. Signs of this are having an otherwise normal body shape, but with a proportionally large amount of fat around the middle that seems immune to diet and exercise.

4. Steady all-day energy and a more focused mind.

One of the additional advantages of getting more deep sleep is having more energy during the day. It's obvious, but many people still come back to me and say, 'I don't crash at 3 pm anymore, but I haven't slept any longer.'

For me, that's not surprising, since it's not the duration of sleep that's important for energy levels during the day, but the amount of deep sleep someone gets. As I explained before, high cortisol levels block deep sleep and holy basil is clinically proven to reduce cortisol by 66%.

4. Steady all-day energy and a more focused mind.
An increase in deep sleep has a positive impact on overall energy levels.
5. Dendro contains holy basil in its full clinically studied amounts.
The Dendro Holy Basil Shot is one of the few supplements that actually works because it contains the right ingredients in clinically studied amounts.

5. Dendro contains holy basil in its full clinically studied amounts.

The lead ingredient in Dendros, holy basil, has been shown in clinical research to lower cortisol by up to 66%. Just as importantly, Dendro Night Restore includes holy basil and the other eight ingredients at their full, clinically studied amounts.

This means that, unlike with other supplements that are less transparent about the amounts of their ingredients, you do not have to worry about whether you are getting enough of a single ingredient.

"Night Restore has the right ingredients in the right format at the right doses. They're actually strong enough to do the job and because it's a liquid, the product is absorbed efficiently and effectively to help you get the sleep you need."

—Dr. Olivia Bennett

How to Get Your Hands on The Holy Basil Shot (Before It Sells Out Again)

If you've read this far and recognised yourself in more than one of these, let me be straight about how I'm involved. I came to Night Restore while researching cortisol for my own patients, tried it myself, and was surprised enough by the results that I reached out to Dendro directly. I asked whether they'd give the people who read my work a discount, because I only attach my name to something I'd happily use myself. They agreed.It couldn't be simpler to try: one small shot, about 30 minutes before bed, backed by a 60-day, money-back guarantee. Take it nightly for two months; if you don't see and feel the difference, you get your money back. The only thing you're really risking is staying puffy and tired.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I use it Dendro?

It's a single liquid shot — sometimes called the "Holy Basil Shot" — taken about 30 minutes before bed. No handful of pills, no routine to build. One step, then the rest of your evening.

How fast does it work?

It builds in stages. Most people feel calmer within about a week and notice the face and midsection looking less puffy in the first two weeks as the water clears. The refreshed mornings tend to land early too; steadier energy, focus, and the changes around your middle build over roughly 30 to 90 days as your cortisol rhythm settles. The wins compound over the weeks.

Is it safe? Any side effects?

It's clinically dosed vitamins, minerals and plant adaptogens rather than sedatives, taken as one small nightly shot. There are no known side effects.

Will it leave me groggy in the morning?

No, that's the specific thing it's built to avoid. There's no heavy sedative and no melatonin. Tart cherry supports your own rhythm and magnesium calms the nervous system, so you wake up clear. Most people say the mornings are the best part.

Isn't it expensive? 

It's around £30.59 a month, thats £1 a day. The nine ingredients inside it, bought separately at comparable quality, wouldcost well over £125.Against what you're likely already spending on coffees, other supplements, and lost afternoons, most of my patients find it lands on the affordable side.

How we reviewed this article:
Sources

We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and medical journals. Every claim on this page is sourced below. Note that additional proprietary clinical studies have been evaluated but are not publicly available due to confidentiality.

  1. Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Metse AP, Drummond PD (2022) A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of an Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) extract (Holixer™) on stress, mood, and sleep in adults experiencing stress. Frontiers in Nutrition
  2. Mohan Gowda CM, Murugan SK, Bethapudi B, Purusothaman D, Mundkinajeddu D, D'Souza P (2023) Ocimum tenuiflorum extract (Holixer™): Possible effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in modulating stress. PLOS ONE
  3. Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B (2012) The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
  4. Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J (2012) Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. European Journal of Nutrition
  5. Peters L, Fernstrand AM, Garssen J, Verster JC (2015) The effect of dietary intake of vitamin B6 on sleep quality and insomnia. European Neuropsychopharmacology
  6. Chen Q, Fan R, Song L, Wang S, You M, Cai M, Wu Y, Li Y, Xu M (2024) Association of methyl donor nutrients dietary intake and sleep disorders in the elderly revealed by the intestinal microbiome. Food & Function
  7. Matsuura N, Saito A, Takahashi O, Rahman M, Tajima R, Mabashi-Asazuma H, Iida K (2019) Associations between nutritional adequacy and insomnia symptoms in Japanese men and women aged 18-69 years: A cross-sectional study. Sleep Health
  8. Miao Y, Zhang L, Zhang D, Feng M, Zhang C, Zhao T, Song H, Zhong X, Jiang Z, Li L, Wei X, Li W, Li X (2024) Effects of vitamin D and/or calcium intervention on sleep quality in individuals with prediabetes: A post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Nutrition
  9. Cherasse Y, Urade Y (2017) Dietary zinc acts as a sleep modulator. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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