The body’s response to stress can be both helpful and harmful. The stress response gives us the strength and speed to ward off or flee from an impending threat. But when it persists, stress can put us at risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, and a variety of other illnesses. Stress helps us grow and conquer. However, it can also become excessive and destructive.

When we are stressed, our brain reacts by releasing a chemical signal that speeds stress hormones through the bloodstream, priming your body to be alert and ready to escape danger. This causes your concentration to become more focused, your reaction time faster, and increases your strength and agility. When the stressful situation ends, the hormonal signals switch off the stress response and the body returns to normal.

In our modern society, stress doesn’t always ease up, but rather continues bombarding us from many sources. Stress hormones continue through our systems in high levels, never leaving the blood and tissues. And so, the stress response that once gave ancient people the speed and endurance to escape life-threatening dangers remains constant in many modern individuals.

In response to a stressful stimulus, a portion of the brain releases a hormone that acts on the pituitary gland and triggers the release of another hormone, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), into the bloodstream.

The ACTH signals the adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys, to release a number of hormonal compounds.

These compounds include epinephrine (formerly known as adrenaline), norepinephrine and cortisol. All three hormones enable the body to respond to a threat. Epinephrine increases blood pressure and heart rate, diverts blood to the muscles, and speeds reaction time. Cortisol, also known as glucocorticoid, releases sugar (in the form of glucose) from the body reserves so that this essential fuel can be used to power the muscles and the brain.

Normally, cortisol also exerts a feedback effect to shut down the stress response after the threat has passed, acting upon the brain to slow the entire process.

“Stress can be a contributing factor to exacerbating pain,
anxiety and other medical problems.”

Each of these hormones requires adequate intake of raw ingredients like proteins, and cofactors such as vitamins.

This stress circuit affects systems throughout the body. The stress hormones exert their effect on the autonomic nervous system, which controls such vital functions as heart rate, sugar balances, blood pressure, and digestion. They also affect areas of the brain that generate fear in response to danger, influence memory formation, as well as mood and motivation. In addition, they influence brain regions that control body temperature, suppress appetite, and control pain.

Increased stress can have a negative impact on your health; from increased blood pressure to weakening your immune system, causing colds and flu. The tension of stress can increase the effects of migraine headaches, ulcers and chronic pain. Some of the first signs of the additional stress are nervousness, difficulty concentrating, poor sleep, becoming argumentative, increased fatigue, headaches and stomach upsets.

When stress gets out of hand, we notice an increase in musculoskeletal symptoms. These can be mitigated by exercise, meditation and good nutrition.

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