The Health Consequences of Too Much Stress

There are two types of stress: physical and mental. If we don't learn to avoid dangerous physical stress - accidents or severe chills, for example - sooner or later we'll no longer survive.

However, mental stress is often impossible to avoid in our complex world, where we face job loss, divorce or serious family problems. The consequences of such stress can have serious implications for our health.

• High Blood Pressure: Stress contributes to most high blood pressure and is the sole cause of 40% of hypertension cases.

• Elevated Cholesterol and Blood Fats: This occurs most frequently in people who must deal with stress regularly, and it increases their risk of heart disease.

• Adult-Onset Diabetes or High Blood Sugar: This frequently appears in the mid-40's, sometimes as a delayed response even after the cause has gone.

• Obesity: Many people eat as an outlet for stress. Very few people under stress will lose weight because they don't eat.

• Poor Fitness: People seldom do the best thing for stress: exercise. In contract, they usually become lathargic, as if they're waiting for something good to happen.

• Inflammatory Illness: Frequent headaches are common among people with arthritis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and even lupus or multiple sclerosis. I seldom find a person with these illnesses who doens't say that stress is a big factor.

• Low Resistance: Stress usually means greater vulnerability to the common viruses that cause colds and flu. This is because stress causes some blood proteins to decline.

• Serious Illness: People under stress who contract a serious illness - cancer, kidney disease or stomach problems, to name just a few - usually don't recover or respond as well to treatment compared to those who are relatively stress free.

Is There One Answer?

There's an answer to external stress: "Avoid it in all forms." In reality, though, that isn't feasible. So, the second best answer is "run it off" or "talk it out."

The best way to dissipate stress that can't be worked out by calmly and rationally talking through the situation is through exercise. This relieves tension, burns off extra blood fat and sugar, provides an outlet for elevated blood pressure and burns off adrenaline that causes a heightened metabolic rate.

What Can Nutrition Do?

Several nutritional needs usually increase under consistent stress; these require both diet and sensible supplement use.

• Protein: It should be increased but without fat. In other words, don't start eating processed meats or steak. Instead, select low-fat foods - fish, poultry or beans. You'll be better off eating a non-fat protein supplement and vegetables.

• Fiber: Increase it! Many of the bad effects of stress cause higher bile output. This can mean gallstones in the future plus bowel problems and elevated cholesterol in the present. A good fiber supplement and a high-fiber diet make a lot of sense and relieve many of the ill effects of stress.

• Vitamins and Minerals: If there were ever a reason to take a good, balanced, daily, multiple vitamin/mineral supplement, stress is it. In addition, extra balanced B-complex and extra vitamin C can make up for both shortfalls and losses through elimination, which seem to accompany stress.

• Calcium: The added losses in nutrients often show up as calcium loss. An extra one or two calcium tablets daily can help offset this problem.

What About Herbs

For centuries people have used herbs to help the body relieve tension associated with stress. Three such herbs have stood the test of time: valerian root, passion flower, and kava kava.

For questions about stress, please send e-mail to joyful@best.com.