Stress and Your Mental Health
A 2018 study revealed that working long hours in professional occupations may increase the risk of chronic disease hypothetically due to increased exposure to stress [1].
Symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, poor cognition, gut dysfunction and frequent infections are all indicators that stress might be affecting your health.
The good news is that stress can be targeted with personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine.
But first let’s discuss the role of cortisol and why stress can be so detrimental to our health.
Optimal function in the body relies on effective communication from chemical messengers such as hormones. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the Adrenal gland (situated above the kidney), responding to signals from the Hypothalamus and the Pituitary gland in the brain, known collectively as the HPA-Axis.
Cortisol regulates our circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle) our blood sugar levels and our response to chronic stress.
When the HPA-axis is functioning optimally, the adrenal glands will ensure that cortisol levels are at their peak just before rising to give us our “get-up and go” and decline steadily throughout the day preparing us for sleep:
Cortisol is also released as part of our sympathetic nervous system’s response to threat, commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ response. Whilst active, the sympathetic nervous system prioritises mobilisation of energy, relaxation of the airways, dilation of pupils and increasing the heartbeat, whilst at the same time inhibiting non-essential biological processes such as digestion and repair.
The Sympathetic Nervous System Response.
100,000 years ago, this response enabled humans to flee from predators. Once the perceived danger had passed, cortisol levels returned to normal and digestive and immune function could resume.
Today, our genes and physiology are almost identical to our hunter-gather ancestors however they are exposed to a very different environment.
The persistent stressors of modern Western life such as:
psychological-emotional stress,
information overload/overwhelm
poor nutritional status,
excess stimulant use (caffeine, alcohol, sugar, refined/processed foods and nicotine), and,
a stressful job / home life;
can all provoke the continued activation of the sympathetic nervous system, excess cortisol production and HPA-Axis dysregulation. At a cellular level chronic low-grade inflammation, the common characteristic of all modern lifestyle diseases, may ensue as a result [2].
This may explain why, when we are chronically stressed, we experience symptoms of IBS or feel tired, run down, anxious and unable to concentrate.
Fortunately, stress and optimal HPA-Axis function can be targeted with nutrition and lifestyle interventions. To discover our “Top 5 Tips for Optimising Adrenal Function & Managing Stress” subscribe to our newsletter here.
Functional tests are available that assess adrenal function by measuring cortisol levels throughout the day. To find out more about this test and for personalised advice about how you can optimise your diet and lifestyle to cope with stressors, get in touch today.
References
1. Pal, A., Dwivedi, L. K. and Kumari, D. (2018) ‘Long Working Hours and the Risk of Chronic Disease’, Social Change. SAGE PublicationsSage India: New Delhi, India, 48(1), pp. 72–84.
2. Bosma-den Boer, M. M., van Wetten, M.-L. and Pruimboom, L. (2012) ‘Chronic inflammatory diseases are stimulated by current lifestyle: how diet, stress levels and medication prevent our body from recovering.’, Nutrition & metabolism. BioMed Central, 9(1), p. 32.