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IN THIS STORY:
>Stress and Your Immune System
>Stress and Digestion
>Stress and Mood
>Stress and Sleep
>Stress and Fertility

Stress and Your Immune System

When faced with a threat, the body's primitive “fight or flight” response takes over. Though modern marauders are more likely to be stuffed schedules or bulging in-trays than snarling beasts, the nervous system reacts as it did millions of years ago. It floods the body with adrenaline, which makes the heart beat faster; cortisol, which releases glucose into the bloodstream for energy; and other stress hormones, which help it run faster and fight harder.

“It's the body's normal response to an abnormal situation,” says John Clark, consultant for the International Stress Management Association, which has branches around the world.

During these times of real or perceived danger, the hormones curtail or halt non-essential bodily functions such as digestion and disease prevention. After all, curbing a cough is hardly a top priority when your body thinks it's facing death. This is fine once in a while, but when stress is chronic, immune function is compromised, and bacteria, viruses, and other biological baddies can get the upper hand. 

Not only can constant stress make the body more susceptible to minor aches and pains, but it also encourages more serious conditions such as heart disease, infertility, stroke, and diabetes. A study at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., linked production of stress-related hormones with breast cancer progression, suggesting a link between the immune system and the body's ability to fight breast cancer. 

How to beat it 

•Structure your day so you feel more in control. Don't be afraid to say no if you're overloaded, but think twice about canceling your friends. Studies prove a night out ups the body's stores of oxytocin, which acts as a stress reliever. 

•Pay attention to stress signals. Cold sores, coughs, sniffles, and spots are sure signs your immune system has hit rock bottom 

•Take a multivitamin. Popping a pill won't replace the need for a well-balanced diet that supports the immune system, but it can help close any short-term nutritional gaps. 

Stress and Digestion

When your stomach churns and burns, it isn't necessarily due to something you ate. The discomfort more likely stems from the aggravation resulting from this morning's traffic jam or that midnight row with your boyfriend, says Dr. Glenn Gibson, researcher at University of Reading's School of Food Biosciences in Reading, England. Queasiness, fullness, bloating, wind, and stomach upsets are some of the first symptoms of stress.

“Stress manifests itself most frequently in the gastrointestinal tract,” says Reading.

Although stress plays on the stomach, the large intestine is where most of the action takes place. Food stays in your stomach for just 30 minutes, but it can take 48 to 72 hours for partially digested particles to work through the entire length of the large intestine. The presence of stress hormones slows digestion further, so when you're under pressure, food can ferment and stagnate, leading to diarrhea and constipation. 

Stress also upsets the delicate balance of the gut flora, the microorganisms that help break down food. 

“Some of these bacteria don't do any harm when thrown off balance, but others may produce toxic substances that can jump from your gut into the bloodstream,” says Gibson. 

How to beat it 

•Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables—especially bananas, onions, leeks, and garlic—foods known to alter the components of existing gut flora. 

•Take a daily probiotic liquid or supplement to boost good bacteria and flush out bad ones. 

•Watch your alcohol intake as it can irritate the stomach lining. 

•Take antibiotics sparingly. Overusing them to treat every minor infection can compromise gut flora, as they kill off all kinds of bacteria indiscriminately. 

Stress and Mood

Everyone has their ups and downs, so it’s tempting to ignore highs and lows, but short-term stress signals such as low self-esteem, irritability, guilt, pessimism, procrastination, and general grouchiness can be the first steps to more serious health problems. 

“If left unchecked, these feelings can spiral,” says Dr. William Gilmore, a researcher at the University of Ulster's School of Biomedical Sciences in Coleraine, England. “Depression, anxiety, panic attacks and other mood disorders can result.” 

Again, stress hormones are among the likely culprits. Abnormally high levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates cortisol secretion, are present in many cases of depression and also are thought to contribute to memory loss and anxiety. 

While medication is effective in treating some forms of depression, many experts argue the key to preventing stress-related moods is to change the way you react to life's stressors in the first place. Just as our thoughts can change us, so we can change our thoughts and our brain chemistry, according to Dr. David Burns, psychiatrist, leading proponent of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (HarperCollins Publishers, 1999). 

Sound too good to be true? Studies show CBT is as effective—and in many cases more so—than antidepressants in alleviating anxiety. 

How to beat it 

•If you’re feeling low, take 20 minutes and go outside for a walk, preferably somewhere green. Not only will the surroundings boost your mood, the light physical exercise will improve production of serotonin, one of the brain's so-called “happy hormones.” 

•Learn to recognize negative thoughts as they occur. Jumping straight to conclusions or generalizing a single setback into something that will occur over and over are examples of cognitive distortions—and can be the quickest routes to a bad mood. Take time to isolate your thoughts and ask yourself, “Is this really true?” 

•Cut out high-sugar snacks. Many of us crave carbohydrates when we’re feeling down, but heavily processed sweets send a spike of sugar to your bloodstream. Although you might feel better immediately, your mood will plummet quickly, leaving you lower than you were before. If you must have something sweet, eat a piece of fruit instead. 

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