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Protecting oneself against the effects of stress is essential.
As I have said time and time again over the
past 30 years or more, the health consequences of not learning how
to handle tension are serious and far-reaching. Consider that fact
that chronic stress (according to 2 large British studies) is SIX TIMES more
likely to contribute to heart disease and cancer than high cholesterol and
smoking, and that middle aged people with decreased control over
emotional stress had a 50% increase in death rate over a 15 year period!
The connection between stress, the adrenal glands,
and our overall health may be one of the most overlooked modern day
threats, and one of the most vital to address.
When we experience stress in the form
of fear, pain, terror or grief, our body leaps to our defense: blood
pressure rises, chemical messengers scurry about, some of our senses
become more acute while others, less necessary for the moment, shut
down; we become poised for extreme physical reaction. Many nutrients
are instantly depleted, and
certain body systems are drained of energy, which they need to
replace before the next alarm, or there will be physical
consequences.
What happens to our health,
do you suppose, when we live in such a way that perceived threats
are constant companions?
When we live a life where our bodies are called upon to experience
extreme stress reactions not just once a day, but hourly? For many of us,
stress is the norm. Jangling phones - crazy drivers - financial
crises - bad news - demanding jobs - poor relationships - pain - ill
health -chauffeuring the children here and there - care-giving -on and
on it goes. Not to mention the Holiday Season, a time which should
be one of happiness, but which nowadays only seems to add to our
burden.
Everything mentioned
above, and more, affects the adrenals, and through the effects
of Cortisol (the stress hormone released in response to stressors), our immune systems, our hormonal
balance, our temperament, even our weight.
Potential Sources of Stress
Anger - fear
Worry - anxiety
Depression
Guilt
Overwork
Physical & Mental strain
Excessive exercise
Sleep Deprivation
Light cycle disruptions
Late hours
Surgery
Trauma - injury
Whiplash - head injury
Inflammation
Pain
Temperature extremes
Toxic exposure
Infections
Chemicals
Heavy metals
Electromagnetic fields
Radiation
Malabsorption
Maldigestion
Illness
Low blood sugar
Poor diet
Nutritional deficiencies
Allergies
Food intolerances
Mold - pollens
Noise
Additionally, stress may be divided into two main
classes: immediate stressors, which can easily be
identified as such, and chronic stress, such as a care-taking role,
or disease, or an unhappy relationship, which may not be tagged as
stressors, which we may not even identify to ourselves as stress, but which pose a significant risk to health long-term.
These also need to be identified and addressed.
There are those who thrive on stress, who believe it
brings out the best in them. Short term, they may be right - but
long term, there is a price to pay: consider the type A/heart
disease connection.
Chronic Stress response
can lead to problems with energy production, blood sugar
regulation, regulatory
problems with fat storage, bone and kidneys,
altered immune function, and DNA transcription ( gene health).
At some point the
Adrenal glands, the Major-Generals of Stress Reaction, can no
longer respond to the cry for performance: they are depleted beyond
the point of function. The situation is made worse by inadequate
supplies of C, certain B vitamins and Zinc, nutrients essential to proper
adrenal function, by sub optimal nutrition generally, and also by a shift in
the acid/alkaline state of the body. Your body and mind can both
share this overwhelming feeling of exhaustion.
What
are some clues that you may have Adrenal Problems?
*Weakness,
* anorexia
* Lowered Immunity
* reduced libido
* dizziness,
* allergies
* fatigue,
* chronic pain
* irritability,
* sleep problems/insomnia
* low blood sugar
* increased cholesterol
* depression
* thyroid problems
* a feeling of weakness in the
muscles
* digestive disorders
* persistent inflammation
* inveterately acidic body
condition
* parasites
* reduced immune defenses
* apathy
Cortisol also regulates
the process of gene transcription, and whether you are
at the stage where you are producing too much, or have
passed beyond that to stress exhaustion and are
not producing enough, the process is affected.
This exemplifies Cortisol's influence at the
basic cellular level, and explains why it
affects so many body systems so dramatically, and why it breaks down
the stored resources of the body.
Additionally, stress plus adrenal insufficiency cause
acidosis - and acidosis makes it difficult for the cells of the
body to absorb any nutrients which are ingested - meaning less nutrition, further adrenal
weakness - further acid conditions, etcetera, etcetera, and so
forth! Acidosis also affects digestion, with consequences for the
stomach and the bowel. See my article on pH balance
for more detailed information, including how to balance pH
with proper diet.
The cells of the body are
designed to operate best at a neutral pH of between 6.5 and 6.8.
They protect this level against all comers, and if the
extra-cellular fluid carrying nutrients is too acid, the cells will
not permit access, nor are they able to discharge their wastes
efficiently. In the interests of accuracy, I would add that
excessively alkaline conditions have much the same effect, but acid
conditions are far more common among Americans because of the double
whammy of diets high in animal products and carbohydrates, and high
stress levels.
A highly acid metabolism can really be a "Silent
Killer": think of the havoc wrought by acid rain - killing plants,
jeopardizing the environment, killing fish in our lakes - nothing
does well in acid conditions, and in our bodies, if left to continue
over time, it may well be partly responsible for most of the
degenerative diseases that plague us, among them heart problems,
high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, obesity, MS,
arthritis, Parkinson's disease. Certainly, in all these conditions
of ill health, pH levels are invariably too acidic.
Because Cortisol is so essential
to vital body systems, that a safety mechanism applied during its
production ensures that a shunt in the pathway will redirect
Pregnenolone (the mother hormone) away from
both the DHEA ->Androstenediol
-> Testosterone downline; and the DHEA -> (intermediates) -> various Estrogens
downline, cutting out the production of essential hormones and
passing through Progesterone to ensure production
of the needed Cortisol.
In other words, unrelieved
stress cuts the DHEA pathway and maintains the Cortisol pathway
through what is referred to as "Pregnenolone steal". As a side
note, this is why stress makes menopausal symptoms so much worse,
and why the thyroid, sensitive to estrogen/progesterone imbalances,
is often implicated. Remember ,too, that Pregnenolone relies on a
supply of cholesterol for its synthesis .. all part of the Dance!
When did you last check your
Cortisol
levels? A simple home indication for adrenal
problems is to take your blood pressure while you are lying down,
then take it again after rising to your feet. If it is lower when
you are standing up than when you are lying down - this may
lead you to suspect a problem.
Here is a simple quiz which will also give you insight into your
adrenal function.
An effective
saliva test
is available reasonably,
which measures your DHEA and
Cortisol levels to determine their balance. DHEA and Cortisol serve
as markers of stress response, regulating how your body reacts
during stress. Each hormone is released into your bloodstream from
your adrenal glands when your body feels stress and helps your body
make the necessary adjustments to protect itself.
Cortisol promotes the excretion of Interleukin- 6, a nasty
little item implicated in autoimmune diseases, allergies and
negative calcium balance. Cortisol affects DHEA levels
in this way: when stress causes Cortisol levels to rise, interleukin-6
also goes
up, and DHEA goes down. Low levels of DHEA are related to poor
memory, degenerative diseases, low immune function, muscle
shrinkage, and other nasty consequences. This is how
stress impacts women's health, and shows us how important it is
to address stress control.
I also offer an
even more
sophisticated system,which measures Adrenal response
at 4 times during the day, together with the marker that can
tell whether
your immune system is being affected by infections, allergies
and/or environmental toxins.
The persistent activation of the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary
axes in chronic stress response and in depression impairs the immune
response and contributes to the development and progression of some
types of cancer.
This overview presents results from experimental animal
models, human studies, and clinical evidence that various cellular and
molecular immunological parameters are compromised in chronic stress and
depression.
At the cellular level, stressed and depressed patients
had overall leukocytosis, high concentrations of circulating neutrophils,
reduced mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation and neutrophil
phagocytosis.
At the molecular level, high levels of serum basal
cortisol, acute phase proteins, specific antibodies against herpes simplex
virus type 1 and Epstein Barr virus, plasma concentration of interleukins
IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-a, and a shift in the balance of Th1 and Th2 immune
response were observed. Both stress and depression were associated with
the decreased cytotoxic T-cell and natural killer cell activities
affecting the processes of the immune surveillance of tumours, and the
events that modulate the development and the accumulation of somatic
mutations and genomic instability.
DNA damage, growth and angiogenic factors, proteases,
matrix metalloproteinases, and reactive oxygen species were also related
to the chronic stress response and depression.
Behavioural strategies, psychological, and
psychopharmacotherapeutic interventions that enhance effective coping and
reduce affective distress showed beneficial effects in cancer patients.
A better understanding of the bidirectional
communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems could
contribute to novel clinical and treatment strategies in oncology.
(Lynn: my emphasis)
Stress and the
Immune System
When cortisol levels are
raised by continued exposure to stressors, the body's production of
a factor called SigA, or Secretory IgA, declines. An overall
deficiency of SigA indicates that the mucosal barriers which protect
your body from attack by bacteria, pathogens, toxins and infections,
are no longer functioning optimally.
A one time exposure to
stress can lead to a short period of risk, but continued episodes
lead to the gradual erosion of the mucosal barrier, leaving it
eventually totally inadequate to perform its protective function,
and your body susceptible to any opportunistic virus or infection.
As you can see, a vicious cycle has
started here! Stress causes high cortisol production, leading to the
breakdown of the mucosal barriers, meaning increased risk of
infection and decreased ability to absorb the very nutrients needed
to rebuild health.
Stress also affects the uptake of
glucose in to the cells, and the rate of your metabolism. This
means that chronic stress can be one of the root causes of
obesity and weight gain.
Recent studies have shown that stress
causes the release of a neurotransmitter ( a neuropeptide named NPY)
which also has the job of controlling appetite. The clincher
is that blocking the receptor for this neuropeptide prevents
stress-induced obesity.
The authors of the
study found that two weeks of daily exposure to a
stressor -- either cold water baths or an aggressive mouse --
increased both NPY levels and abdominal fat deposits in mice fed a
diet high in sugar and fat. Neither stress nor the high-calorie
diet alone led to fat gain. Stress combined with the
high-calorie diet also increased blood vessel development in
abdominal fat tissue. NPY2R knockout mice, however, were resistant
to stress-induced obesity.
L.E. Kuo et al., "Neuropeptide
Y acts directly in the periphery on fat tissue and mediates
stress-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome," Nature Medicine,
published online July 1, 2007.
Stress can also affect body weight after the age of
40, because at that point, the adrenal glands are the main source of
sex hormones: estrogen belly can be the direct result of an
under-functioning adrenal system, one that has been run-down by
stress to the point where not enough cortisol is being
produced. At an earlier point in the cycle, adrenals forced by
stress to produce too much cortisol can block the conversion
of T3 to T4, affecting thyroid function and weight..
The
importance of controlling stress can therefore hardly be overemphasized.
Anyone who is under pressure, and feels that their adrenal
function may be compromised, or that their body is operating on the
acid side of the ledger, needs to take action.
Lifestyle and nutritional measures to lessen the
impact of stress would include
eating a wholesome diet of
natural foods, chosen from the alkaline side i.e. high
in fruits and vegetables. I
have a list here. If you are a died-in-the-wool
veggie hater,
look herefor powdered supplements which can help
with pH balance
ensuring that the body remains at the proper pH level by
measuring it regularly, and correcting any imbalance with
changes in diet or supplements designed to buffer pH. .
supplementing to
support the adrenals, to include Pantothenic acid, Vitamin C,
Zinc, manganese, A and E with an actual Glandular Supplement
(such
as SubAdrene)
for more serious cases where the adrenals are compromised
low impact exercise
relaxation techniques, such as
inspirational reading, meditation, relaxational tapes
and
Mind Control
environmental boosters such as candles,
aromatherapy, a fish bowl on
your office desk (virtual or real), a small shrine in a corner of your home.
Stress Control through Mind
Control -
Accepting and Receiving suggestions for change through
Hypnosis
This is the ultimate relaxation
technique, where certified experts guide you to minimize stressors.
When I think of the years I wasted reacting to every set-back in
life so extremely that I made myself both ill and miserable, I wish
I had known about this method of learning to be patient with myself,
and finding out how to become skilful at controlling my reactions.
While low impact exercise can be helpful for stress
control, extreme workouts, being a form of stress, cause the
adrenals to respond by releasing Cortisol, which is a catabolic (breakdown) hormone.
One of
Cortisol' s duties is to stimulate glucose production for a quick
return of energy: people under long-term stress of any kind
eventually run out of fuel, and the body will attack
its own muscle stores to find the necessary fuel. It is best, if you
have reason to believe your stress levels are unacceptable, to stick
to such exercise choices as walking, swimming, yoga or tai chi. The catch here is
that forcing one's body to do what it doesn't feel up to may
actually be worse for one's health than doing nothing.
One of the problems with stress
and exercise is, of course, that stress robs one of the very energy
one needs to get out there and do it.
Stress leads to burn-out,
and to feelings of exhaustion. It sometimes also leads to
inappropriate food choices, and therefore to even less of the
nutrients needed to create the feeling of well-being and motivation
necessary to get one's life back on track.
The need is to a take-a-deep-breath and
foster a "do the right thing" mentality. When instinct says "reach for
the donut or the chocolate or the coffee," a pause to remember the
nutrient connection can promote reaching for fruits, or nuts, or green tea
instead. Learning to trust in an ability to train the mind not
to re-act negatively can lead to a mastering of the physical
reactions that are so destructive.
Following these
strategies of nutritional intervention, regular non-extreme exercise, proper diet
and mind control can lead to an immediate improvement in overall
health.
This is the program I selected to help me with
my e-mails - and am I pleased. If you have a small
business, you might want to check them out: they are
easy to use, take so much pressure off you, and let you try
them free for 60 days!
The Vitamin Lady®
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