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Stress (and which foods help)
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By Mara L. Trojanski, Registered Dietitian
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Humans (Homo sapiens) were designed to deal with short-term stressful situations. The body’s natural response to stress is known as the “Flight or Fight” response.
When the cave man was face to face with a Saber toothed tiger, his body would respond by releasing a hormone called Cortisol. This hormone helps the body redirect blood and energy to the large muscle groups so that the caveman could run away as fast as he could or stay and fight for his life. The body can naturally get rid of the cortisol that was released.
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Today our bodies still work in the same way. The hormone Cortisol is still released during stress but our stress is generally much different and can last for much longer periods of time.
The body may not be able to rid itself of so much of this hormone. Long- term Stress can have damaging effects on the body. It can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, immune system problems, ulcers, headaches and many more.
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Which Vitamins help to clear the stress hormones from our bodies?
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B-Complex vitamins such as Folic acid, B6 and B12, Biotin, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin and Pantothenic acid. Also Vitamin C plays an important role in this function.
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Food sources:
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Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and legumes.
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This website is partially funded through the VitaGrant project, from the Indirect Vitamins Purchasers Antitrust Litigation Settlement administered by the New York State Attorney General.
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