The Effects of Stress on Your Body

You’re sitting in traffic, late for an important meeting, watching the minutes tick away. Your hypothalamus, a tiny control tower in your brain, decides to send out the order: Send in the stress hormones! These stress hormones are the same ones that trigger your body’s “fight or flight” response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles ready for action. This response was designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react quickly. But when the stress response keeps firing, day after day, it could put your health at serious risk.

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences. Everyone expresses stressfrom time to time. Anything from everyday responsibilities like work and family to serious life events such as a new diagnosis, war, or the death of a loved one can trigger stress. For immediate, short-term situations, stress can be beneficial to your health. It can help you cope with potentially serious situations. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones that increase your heart and breathing rates and ready your muscles to respond.

Yet if your stress response doesn’t stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated far longer than is necessary for survival, it can take a toll on your health. Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and affect your overall well-being. Symptoms of chronic stress include:

• irritability
• anxiety
• depression
• headaches
• insomnia

Central nervous and endocrine systems

Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your “fight or flight” response. In your brain, the hypothalamus gets the ball rolling, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rev up your heartbeat and send blood rushing to the areas that need it most in an emergency, such as your muscles, heart, and other important organs.

When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal. If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn’t go away, the response will continue.

Chronic stress is also a factor in behaviors such as overeating or not eating enough, alcohol or drug abuse, and social withdrawal.

Respiratory and cardiovascular systems

Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response, you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. If you already have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to breathe.

Under stress, your heart also pumps faster. Stress hormones cause your blood vessels to constrict and divert more oxygen to your muscles so you’ll have more strength to take action. But this also raises your blood pressure.

As a result, frequent or chronic stress will make your heart work too hard for too long. When your blood pressure rises, so do your risks for having a stroke or heart attack.

Digestive system

Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If you’re under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge. Chronic stress may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can also upset your digestive system. You’re more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux thanks to an increase in stomach acid. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), but it can increase your risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.

Stress can also affect the way food moves through your body, leading to diarrhea or constipation. You might also experience nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache.

Muscular system

Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Over time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop exercising and turn to pain medication for relief.

Sexuality and reproductive system

Stress is exhausting for both the body and mind. It’s not unusual to lose your desire when you’re under constant stress. While short-term stress may cause men to produce more of the male hormone testosterone, this effect doesn’t last.

If stress continues for a long time, a man’s testosterone levels can begin to drop. This can interfere with sperm production and cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. Chronic stress may also increase risk of infection for male reproductive organs like the prostate and testes.

For women, stress can affect the menstrual cycle. It can lead to irregular, heavier, or more painful periods. Chronic stress can also magnify the physical symptoms of menopause.

What are the causes of inhibited sexual desire? »

Immune system

Stress stimulates the immune system, which can be a plus for immediate situations. This stimulation can help you avoid infections and heal wounds. But over time, stress hormones will weaken your immune system and reduce your body’s response to foreign invaders. People under chronic stress are more susceptible to viral illnesses like the flu and the common cold, as well as other infections. Stress can also increase the time it takes you to recover from an illness or injury.

7 Everyday Tonics that Help Your Body Adjust to Stress and Anxiety

• Ginger
• Maca
• Matcha
• Reishi
• Apple cider vinegar
• Turmeric
• Ashwagandha

Overview

We’ve all been there — feeling like there’s just some pep missing in our step. Thankfully, there’s a natural (and tasty!) solution in your pantry.

We’re big fans of brewing up healthy concoctions, whether it’s immune-boosting mushroom “coffee” or insomnia-fighting bedtime milk.

So instead of reaching for that third cup of coffee for an energy boost or a nightcap to de-stress, we rounded up seven natural tonics filled with everyday ingredients that are known as powerful remedies for fighting fatigue, anxiety, and stress. Think: apple cider vinegar, matcha, ginger, and turmeric to name a few.

Keep reading to discover your new favorite flavorful drink.

Drink ginger to sharpen your brain and beat stress

Ginger has benefits beyond flavoring your favorite stir-fry recipe or easing an upset stomach. This powerhouse plant contains 14 unique bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties. These compounds have been found to sharpen cognitive function in middle-aged women and may even protect the brain, per a study in rats, against oxidative stress-related damage.

Animal studies have also indicated that ginger can influence serotonin levels and may treat and reduce anxiety as successfully as benzodiazepine drugs.

Ginger benefits:

• improved brain function
• antioxidant support
• treatment for stress

Try it: Brew this healthy ginger tonic (hot or cold) for a dose of powerful antioxidants. Fresh ginger is the way to go, but if you’re planning on supplementing, recommended doses vary.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSGinger doesn’t have many serious side effects. Just make sure you’re not overdosing (more than 4 grams) as it could irritate your stomach.

Brew maca to balance your hormones

Maca root is increasingly popular lately — and for good reason. This native Peruvian plant has been shown to increase sexual desire in men (and possibly sexual function, too). It’s also shown promising results for boosting exercise performance in male cyclists.

This hormone balancer is also a strong supporter against stress. Maca’s plant compounds (called flavonoids) may promote a positive mood and reduce blood pressure and depression(as shown in postmenopausal women).

Maca benefits:

• increased energy
• balanced mood
• reduced blood pressure and depression

Try it: Simply mix maca powder into your daily smoothie, cup of coffee, or hot cocoa (here’s a tasty recipe!). You can also try this Good Energy Drink featuring the root. To truly see an effect, you may need to drink about 3.3 grams every day for 8 to 14 weeks.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSMaca is generally safe for most people unless you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a thyroid problem.

Need a new pick-me-up? Switch to matcha

Sip matcha for a clean, jitter-free buzz. Matcha contains flavonoids and L-theanine, which is historically known for its relaxing effects. L-theanine increases the brain’s alpha frequency band, relaxing the mind without causing drowsiness.

Combined with caffeine, L-theanine may have positive effects on mood and cognition. Considering matcha is also packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients, it can be a powerful tonic for beating fatigue and boosting your overall health.

Matcha benefits:

• positive effects on mood
• promotes relaxation
• provides sustained energy

Try it: Brew a cup of matcha tea with convenient tea bags or whip up this Magic Matcha Tonicusing matcha powder. The caffeine in matcha is fairly strong! You may be able to feel the effects within the hour.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSJust as you can be over-caffeinated on coffee, it’s possible to drink too much matcha. While it may be healthier, stick to just one or two cups a day.

Try reishi for natural anxiety relief

Reishi mushrooms, nicknamed “nature’s Xanax,” are a great natural way to de-stress. This mushroom contains the compound triterpene, which is known for its calming properties. It also possesses anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant qualities.

This magic mushroom may also promote better sleep (as shown in studies on rats), leaving you more rested and focused throughout your day.

Reishi benefits:

• promotes more restful sleep
• has antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties
• possesses powerful calming agents

Try it: Use a spoonful of reishi powder to make a warm, healing tonic or tea.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSWhile research around the benefits of reishi’s is still lacking, what’s available shows that they may be associated with liver damage. Other than that, the side effects are minor (such as an upset stomach). Talk to your doctor if you’re considering supplementing with these mushrooms as people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those with a blood problem, or anyone needing surgery should avoid it.

Reach for apple cider vinegar to boost energy

Apple cider vinegar has uses beyond that tasty vinaigrette. This vinegar can have a direct impact on your blood sugar levels, helping you maintain even energy and preventing fatigue. Apple cider vinegar also contains essential minerals like potassium, which has a direct correlation on our energy levels.

Apple cider vinegar benefits:

• controls blood sugar
• maintains even energy levels
• may help promote overall health

Try it: Simply mix apple cider vinegar into warm or cold water or try making this Apple Cider Vinegar Tea Tonic. After drinking 1 gram, you may feel the effects within 95 minutes.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSLarge doses of apple cider vinegar may cause some side effects, including digestive issues, damaged tooth enamel, and throat burns. It may also interact with your medications, so talk to your doctor if you’re planning to drink it regularly.

Try turmeric for overall mental health

Turmeric lattes are all over the internet, but are they backed by science or just trendy? We’re happy to report that turmeric stands up to its popularity — especially in terms of mental health.

Curcumin, the bioactive compound found in turmeric, has been linked to treating anxiety, depression, and more — possibly due to it boosting serotonin and dopamine levels. Research has suggested that it may actually be just as effective as Prozac with far fewer side effects.

Turmeric benefits:

• boosts serotonin levels
• can help relieve anxiety and depression
• may be just as effective as antidepressants

Try it: Try this refreshing anti-inflammatory Turmeric Tonic for something a little different. The results may not be immediate, but if you drink it 1000 milligrams daily for six weeks, you may start feeling a difference then.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSFor the most part, turmeric is safe to eat. But you may want to avoid too much of it and make sure you’re getting it from a trusted source. High doses of turmeric may cause kidney stones, and untrustworthy sources tend to have fillers.

Ashwagandha: Your new go-to adaptogen

If you’re not familiar with this adaptogen, it’s a good time to learn. Adaptogens are naturally occuring substances that help our bodies deal with and adapt to stress.

Ashwagandha in particular is a stress-fighting superstar. This adaptogen has been shown to aid in anxiety relief, fight fatigue, and reduce cortisol levels.

Ashwagandha benefits:

• reduces body’s stress hormone
• relieves anxiety
• prevents stress-related fatigue

Try it: Sip this Ashwagandha Tonic to sleep sound and melt stress. It may take drinking two cups a day (with 150 milligrams of ashwagandha) for a month before you feel the effects.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTSThere aren’t enough studies to say exactly what the side effects of this herb are, but those who are pregnant will want to avoid it, as it can cause early delivery. Another risk of taking ashwagandha is the source. Untrustworthy sources tend to have harmful additives.

As always, check in with your doctor first before adding anything to your everyday routine. While most of these herbs, spices, and teas are safe to consume, drinking too much in a day may be harmful.

So, with all of these amazing stress-fighting tonics to choose from, which one are you most excited to try first?

Get a Pet, Move to the Country: You’ll Be Healthier

Researchers say that people who grow up in rural areas around animals have better immune systems and fewer mental health issues.

City-dwelling kids attend art exhibits and visit museums. They swing through the urban jungle on their way to corner groceries. They play in square parks with their parents and friends.

Children raised in the country romp through fields of hay and flowers. They frolic alongside pets and farm animals. They make mud pies and stomp in puddles.

In turn, new research suggests, these country kids may grow up with a more resilient immune system and a lower risk of mental illness than their pet-free urban-dwelling counterparts.

These findings come from a new study co-authored by researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Previous research established that children exposed to animals and rural environments have a reduced risk of developing asthma and allergies later in life. The exposure to dust and allergens likely hardens their immune systems from an early age and provides protections throughout life.

With their study’s findings, which were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, these researchers are the first to show that exposure to bacteria and allergens might have protective benefits for mental health as well.

“This study moves the conversation forward by showing for the first time in humans that these same exposures are likely to be important for mental health,” Christopher Lowry, PhD, a study co-author and professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, told CU Boulder Today.

How the study was conducted

For their research, investigators recruited 40 healthy German men between the ages of 20 and 40.

Half of these men grew up in large cities without pets. The other half grew up on a farm with animals.

Each man was assigned two tasks meant to elicit stress.

First, they were asked to give a speech about why they would be a good candidate for a dream job in front of an audience of stone-faced observers.

Then, they were asked to perform a math task and count down from an odd number by an odd number while being timed.

Researchers collected blood and saliva samples five minutes before the men started these tasks. They then collected samples 5, 15, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the tasks were completed.

Each sample was measured for stress markers and signs of inflammation.

The city men had a “pronounced increase” in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), a significant component of the immune system.

Likewise, their levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), an inflammatory compound, were elevated. Levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory compound, were suppressed.

Levels of cortisol — the “fight or flight” hormone — spiked higher in the country men. They also self-reported higher levels of anxiety following the tests than their urban counterparts.

However, while the city men self-reported feeling less stressed, their bodies launched into a high-stress mode more quickly and stayed stressed longer then the rural men.

Additionally, the levels of stress hormones in the rural men began to wane quickly. Decreases were seen as soon as five minutes after the tests were completed.

“People who grew up in an urban environment had a much-exaggerated induction of the inflammatory immune response to the stressor, and it persisted throughout the two-hour period,” Lowry said.

These findings add another notch on the wall for the “hygiene hypothesis.”

This theory contends that overly sterile environments might actually cause more health problems than they prevent.

Indeed, previous studies have shown that individuals with an exaggerated inflammatory response, such as what was seen in the men raised in urban settings in this study, are more likely to develop mental health issues, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) later in life.

The hair-trigger response to stress seen in the urban dwellers may be an indication of future issues.

Children raised in rural settings, such as farms, may be less likely to develop these mental health issues precisely because their body doesn’t have the prolonged high-stress and inflammatory response seen in city kids.

The exposure to greater quantities of bacteria may protect their immune systems and mental health against a wider range of possible problems than previously thought.

That's not to say there aren't health issues in rural areas.

People living in rural towns have higher risks of heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and stroke. Much of that risk is from lifestyle choices such as smoking and poor diet.

There are also shortages of medical services. These include the closing of hospitals and the declining number of maternity services.

Nonetheless, researchers point out the potential for a healthier life is there in rural areas.

The growing urbanization crisis

These findings could have long-term implications for the global healthcare system.

Since 1950, urban populations across the world have grown rapidly.

In 1950, 746 million people lived in urban settings. In 2014, 3.9 billion people were living in cities, more than those who lived in all rural areas combined.

Today, more than 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban environments and the disparities between the two locales continue to worsen.

That means that greater numbers of individuals will grow up with a lack of bacterial and microorganism exposure. This could, according to this study, set up a greater population for future health issues.

When individuals aren’t exposed to environments that challenge and strengthen their immune systems, their bodies don’t learn to balance the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory forces.

This sets up a chronic inflammatory cycle that this study, as well as previous studies, shows leads to potential allergy, autoimmune, and now psychiatric disorders.

Advice to city dwellers

You need not pick up your life and head for the nearest alpaca farm to help strengthen your immune system and create a healthier life for your child — at least not yet.

The researchers for this study say they need to expand their investigations, use larger sample sizes, include women, and scout new locations before they can declare that urban life is a hazard to mental health.

For now, their advice is to eat foods that contain good bacteria, such as probiotic-richkombucha, spend more time in any bit of nature you can access, and yes, even get a pet.

“There are many advantages to having a pet,” says Dr. Mason Turner, a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente. “Studies show that they can ease stress and help lower blood pressure and inspire feelings of happiness. This human-animal interaction increases our levels of oxytocin, known as a hormone associated with caretaking and positive feelings in the brain.”

Turner adds that having a pet also decreases cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which boost blood flow.

As a two-for-one win, Turner says pets can encourage you to get outside more, which also boosts your exposure to bacteria-laden dust and microorganisms you don’t find inside.

“Another bonus to having a pet is that they can get children outdoors and moving,” he told Healthline. “For example, taking a dog for a walk or playing with a pet in the backyard can improve their health by lowering their risk of obesity.”

Children aren’t the only ones who can get a waistline benefit from having a furry friend, either.

“Owning a pet like a dog can help adults increase their opportunity to exercise. For example, walking and doing some outdoor activities, which can lower the risk of obesity,” Turner says.