Written By Bob Livingston
#twill #tcot #stayathome #virus #health #depression #stress #sbalich #maga #leadright
It sounds a bit prosaic to say, but stress is terrible for you, causing tight muscles, headaches, fatigue and high blood pressure — and it weakens your immune system. Nearly 75 percent of people who get colds each year are found to be under heavy levels of stress.
- Stress at work or at home can make you more vulnerable to infections and illness. Studies show that stress can lead to inflammation, which is normally the body’s method for dealing with pathogens. It also can help the body heal when it releases known as proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6).
If you’re angry or depressed, your body may increase its production of proinflammatory cytokines. For instance, a recent analysis shows that when you take care of a spouse with dementia (and face continual stress), you endure a four times larger annual rate of increase in serum interleukin-6 levels compared to people without that kind of responsibility.
- Researches at Michigan State University looked specifically at how a stress receptor, known as corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF1, can send signals to certain immune cells in your body, called mast cells, and control how they defend you against disease (or not).
During the study, the researchers compared the histamine responses of mice to two types of stress conditions — psychological and allergic — where the immune system becomes overworked. One group of mice was considered “normal” with CRF1 receptors on their mast cells and the other group had cells that lacked CRF1.
“While the ‘normal’ mice exposed to stress exhibited high histamine levels and disease, the mice without CRF1 had low histamine levels, less disease and were protected against both types of stress.”
In fact, the CRF1-deficient mice exposed to allergic stress had a 54 percent reduction in disease, while those mice that experienced psychological stress had a 63 percent decrease.
In other words, the mice whose bodies could not send stress signals to their immune cells got sick less than half as often as normal (non-stress-resistant mice)!
It’s the mind-body connection at work.
The way to offset the risk of stress-induced illness is to take in more anti-stress and anti-inflammatory nutrients while eliminating pro-viral toxins from your home and environment, and using some simple methods of beating stress:
- Consume foods higher in omega-3 fatty acids like fish and walnuts. These fats can help improve your mood and soothe your immune system.
- Don’t use insect spray in your home. These toxins can increase your risk of allergies, asthma and viral infections.
- Yogurt and other cultured milk products contain probiotics — beneficial bacterial strains that have been shown to boost the immune system and promote mind-body health.
- Studies indicate that some citrus fruits emit fragrances that can help ward off depression and stress. The scent triggers the release of a hormone called norepinephrine that boosts your mood. You can place oranges or lemons in and around your home, or carry a small bottle of essential citrus oil to use when you are on the run. Place a few drops on a handkerchief and sniff… your stress may just melt away.
- Pumpkin seeds offer iron, zinc, B vitamins, magnesium and protein. They also contain a high concentration of the amino acid tryptophan, a natural tranquilizer which helps lower anxiety when you’re under stress.
- Since 1969, rhodiola has been included in official Russian medicine and is recommended for medicinal use as a stimulant to fight fatigue, for somatic and infectious illnesses, and to increase attention span, memory and work productivity. A study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania shows that rhodiola rosea helps to treat mild to moderate depression. Dr. Kerry Bone, writing for Acupuncture Today, recommends a dosage of 150-600 mg/day in tablet form.
- Practice gratitude and treat it just like exercising. The more often you do it and with more intensity, the greater benefit it can have on your health. A study from the University of California-Riverside shows those who express gratitude can:
- Lower their blood pressure levels.
- Reduce feelings of depression, stress or anger.
- Lower their risk of health disorders.
