by Are you already feeling stressed in 2024? The start of a new year often sees people with a very busy schedule, which can lead to experiencing stress in various forms, including ‘nutritional stress’.
Marina Wright, a nutritionist from Melbourne, Australia, said news week that stress and nutritional deficiencies have a “bidirectional” relationship, with each influencing the other.
“It’s essential to keep in mind that it’s not just emotional stress that triggers the stress response. Anything that overwhelms your body’s ability to handle challenges, including nutrient deficiencies, can keep your stress response on constant alert. “Wright said in a recent viral post on his Instagram. account, @marinawrightwellness.
She said News week: “During periods of stress, the body experiences increased demand for nutrients due to elevated energy needs, nutrient mobilization, and support needed for the stress response.”
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Stress can affect nutrient absorption in the gut, and “when the body lacks essential nutrients necessary for optimal physiological function, it suffers a state of stress known as nutritional stress,” Wright said.
“This adds to the overall stress load on the body, which extends beyond emotional or psychological factors. The body’s inability to meet these nutritional needs can trigger the stress response,” said Wright, a functional diagnostic practitioner. in nutrition and certified integrative nutrition health coach.
Several studies have shown that “diet and nutrition are critical not only to physiology and body composition, but also have significant effects on mood and mental well-being,” according to a March 2021 study published in Frontiers in nutrition saying.
A study from August 2020 in Nutrients He said dietary modification can prevent the development of “stress-related mental disorders, including major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Nutrient deficiencies that can cause stress
Below are some key nutrient deficiencies that can contribute to stress and affect your overall well-being, according to Wright:
- Magnesium: Magnesium deficiency may be linked to higher levels of stress. Low levels of magnesium, which is involved in muscle and nerve function, “can contribute to feelings of anxiety and tension,” Wright said.
- B vitamins, especially B6, B9 (folate) and B12.: B vitamins are crucial for the synthesis of neurotransmitters that affect mood, such as serotonin, which stabilizes mood, and dopamine, which affects how we feel pleasure. “Vitamin B deficiencies can lead to increased stress and mood disorders,” Wright said.
- Zinc: Zinc helps regulate the body’s stress response system. Low zinc levels have been associated with increased production of cortisol, a stress hormone, the nutritionist said.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain health and play a role in neurotransmitter function. “Deficiencies can contribute to mood disorders and an increased stress response,” Wright said.
- Vitamin C: As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps combat oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals that can lead to cellular damage in the body. “A deficiency can compromise the body’s ability to control stress-induced oxidative damage,” Wright said.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency has been “linked to mood disorders and an increased risk of depression,” so adequate levels of vitamin D are “essential for overall mental well-being,” the nutritionist said.
- Protein: Amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, are “essential for neurotransmitter synthesis,” Wright said, and inadequate protein intake can affect mood and stress response.
- Vitamin A: This vitamin is essential for vision and immune function. “Vitamin A deficiency can affect overall health and potentially contribute to stress,” Wright said.
- Iron: Iron is important for the transport of oxygen in the blood. Iron deficiency anemia can cause fatigue and lower resistance to stress, the nutritionist said.
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Are there foods that help reduce stress?
“Rather than focusing on specific foods, I believe it is essential to maintain a nutrient-dense, balanced and varied diet,” Wright said. This should include a combination of “minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods,” such as the following:
- Fruits and vegetables
- High quality meat
- Seafood, especially wild fatty fish such as salmon and sardines.
- Eggs
- Good quality dairy products.
- legumes
- whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
- spices
“In addition, incorporating fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi and kefir, can be very beneficial due to their probiotic content, supporting a healthy intestinal microbiome,” said the nutritionist.
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How to become more resistant to stress
“Stress resilience refers to the ability to adapt to and recover from stressors, minimizing the negative impact on physical and mental health,” according to Wright.
While eliminating stress from our lives is impossible, “becoming more resilient or increasing our stress threshold is absolutely possible,” he said. “We can achieve this through nutrition and lifestyle habits.”
Below are the nutritionist’s main tips to increase resilience to stress:
Eat a nutrient-rich diet and balance your blood sugar level
A nutrient-rich diet and balanced blood sugar levels play critical roles in “maintaining energy, supporting optimal brain function, regulating hormones, strengthening the gut-brain connection, and mitigating inflammation,” Wright said.
Support and sync your circadian rhythm
Our circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, “holds the key to effective stress management,” Wright said. “A well-regulated circadian rhythm improves our ability to adapt and manage stress by improving sleep quality, increasing cognitive function, and optimizing the release of cortisol and melatonin.” The latter is a hormone that regulates the sleep cycle and circadian rhythm.
For example, exposing your eyes to natural sunlight in the morning, ideally within an hour of waking up, and avoiding artificial light from electronic devices before bed “helps align the circadian rhythm, promoting these beneficial effects,” stated the nutritionist.
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Improve vagus nerve tone and nervous system flexibility
“The tone of our vagus nerve serves as a barometer of how easily we can switch between states of stress and calm,” according to Wright.
Vagal tone refers to the functioning of the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that begins in a part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord and extends to the neck and vital organs.
The nutritionist said that “a well-toned vagus nerve allows for a smoother transition, promoting resilience and faster recovery from stressors.”
Practicing techniques used to regulate the nervous system, such as diaphragmatic breathing or meditation, “can help improve vagal tone and encourage a balanced nervous system,” he said.
Exercise and move your body every day
Wright said regular exercise “reduces baseline levels of stress hormones and mitigates the hormonal response to sudden psychological stress.”
Regular exercise also “induces changes in gene expression” [where information encoded in a gene is turned into a function] that improve resilience to mental stress,” he said.
Do you have a health-related question or dilemma? Let us know at life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story could appear in News week.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
