Unmasking the Hidden Impact of Chronic Stress on the Body
In this week’s episode of the podcast, we investigate the secret signs that might indicate that stress is taking a bigger toll on your body than you thought. We’ll take a look at 4 key systems (the immune, cardiovascular, cognitive, and metabolic systems) and how stress affects their regular function. We’ll point out the sneaky symptoms to look out for, and how you can be aware that your stress might require better management.
STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: WHY YOU’RE ALWAYS SICK
As we come into contact with germs and bacteria in our daily environment, our immune system works in overdrive to protect us from becoming sick. During our parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ state, the immune system can function at full capability, whether that's healing wounds or fighting off bacterial infections. When we switch into our sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ mode, all energy and resources in the body are diverted to functions that are going to keep us alive in that particular moment - blood pumping to muscles so we can run, eyes dilating so we can take in the scene before us better. With this survival focus, things such as our immune actions fall briefly by the wayside as priority is given to these other tasks (when you’re running for your life from a bear, you don’t need to worry about fighting off that cold for the moment!). Once we are out of this take-action mindset, we return to rest and immune responses resume again. It’s not just life-threatening incidents that can trigger our fight or flight instinct - high levels of cortisol also can induce a sympathetic state as well. When we constantly have high levels of cortisol in the body for a long period of time, the body is not able to return to its resting phase and therefore the immune system is compromised. In people who have these high levels, it often presents as continuous bouts of illness and constantly catching colds. Minimising stress levels means that we can return to a baseline state and the immune system can function as required.
WILLPOWER, WEIGHT GAIN, AND THE LINK TO STRESS
We start the day with the best of intentions - a healthy breakfast, lots of water, and a salad for work. Then 3 o’clock hits, and we find ourselves reaching for that hidden packet of chips in our desk drawer. It seems simple to blame it on poor willpower, but the real reason rests on a far more complicated instigator than that. High amounts of the stress hormone floating around in our system triggers the release of another hormone. Ghrelin, or the ‘hunger’ hormone, signals to your brain that it’s time to eat. When there is more and more cortisol, this triggers a bigger and bigger release of ghrelin in turn. This means that our need to eat becomes more urgent, and we seek out high-calorie foods (like those chips!) in order to quickly satiate the call from our stomachs. Leptin, or the ‘satiety’ hormone, indicates that we’ve filled the needed quota of food, and there’s no need for the hunger hormone to be released anymore. Cortisol also negatively impacts leptin as well, and alters our sensitivity to that feeling of being ‘full’. This then leads to over-eating as we don’t feel satisfied, and we continue to chase the calorie-dense foods even though there’s not a ‘real’ need for them. This also then influences our insulin levels - when we constantly have high levels of sugar in the system, our body becomes less and less sensitive and can even cause a resistance to insulin. Type II diabetes likelihood is increased by 45% by high levels of cortisol in adults. Whilst this feedback loop can certainly lead to weight gain, it’s not the only cause of the visceral fat deposits we often find around the middle section - the dreaded lower abdomen fat that just won’t budge. Cortisol causes a build-up of this metabolically active and inflammatory fat to store in the midsection and is often an early sign of high levels of cortisol. As it affects the metabolism, it can be difficult to lose this weight simply with diet and exercise and relies on a holistic approach to treat the stress at its source.
THE ‘LIFESTYLE’ FACTORS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Cardiovascular diseases are some of the leading causes of death in the global adult population. Often referred to as ‘lifestyle diseases’, factors such as high daily stress contribute heavily to the incidence of these illnesses. With those under high amounts of stress having up to 50% higher blood pressure, there’s a clear link between the two. But stress doesn’t directly affect the heart and blood pressure - it influences salt retention in the kidney system first. The adrenals, which release the cortisol hormone, sit just adjacent to the kidneys. When the adrenals are activated to send out stress signals by the brain, the area in the brain that does this also sends out another signal to the kidneys to retain salt water. This means that instead of excreting all the salt and water it filters it will return it back into the system, which leads to more water and salt in the blood. In turn, this increases the pressure as we have a higher volume than normal trying to squeeze through the same vessels. Sustained high blood pressure can eventually weaken the cardiovascular system due to the strain placed on it, leading to heart episodes and strokes. Another commonly known contributor to heart attacks is cholesterol. Often managed through diet, stress actually also increases your levels of the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol molecules, as part of the metabolic poor hunger/satiety dietary influence and consumption of calorie-dense foods. Whilst cholesterol is crucial, excess amounts cause ‘sticky’ blood that can then block the vessels and cause cardiovascular complications. Stress should be considered as a factor when creating a plan to reduce cholesterol and manage high blood pressure.
FORGET-ME-NOT: THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE BRAIN AND COGNITION
Stress plays a critical role in affecting signals from the brain, and interferes with many of the resulting functions too. We often feel these repercussions physically, with pounding hearts, emotional outbursts, and shaking hands. What we don’t feel is the physical effect of stress on the brain and the brain tissue. High levels of stress can cause brain atrophy (or decreasing size and therefore weakness) of the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory and emotional regulation. When memories are not stored correctly, it can lead anywhere from minor issues (such as forgetting your keys or a password), through to serious complications (such as severe lessening in learning ability). Emotional regulation is a critical ability for daily interactions and the management of our own emotions and the ones of those around us. When we aren’t able to regulate our stress levels, the brain gets caught up in a self-fulfilling loop. The brain is unable to manage the high levels of stress, which then means that when more stress occurs, the stress levels increase and the management becomes even worse. It also shrinks the hippocampus further and further as it’s not being utilised and energy expenditure is going elsewhere. Cortisol can also influence the other neurotransmitter hormones, such as the ‘happy’ hormones serotonin and dopamine, and alters our sensitivity to these hormones and increasing our sensitivity to stress. Poor emotional regulation can lead to increased anxiety, low resilience, and an almost 80% higher risk of depression. Responsibility is not just on the patient to just push away stress - coping techniques and ability are a significant part of creating a mental health plan.
MORE FROM LUMINOUS BODY
To listen to the entire Luminous Body podcast episode ‘Unmasking the Hidden Impact of Chronic Stress on the Body’, you can play on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more inspiring stories and messages, head to the Luminous Body website or book a consultation with Dr Jaxson or Dr Hilary.