When a person is under a lot of stress, normal organ functions become compromised. The adrenal gland, which produce hormones that provide the stress response, are especially vulnerable. If a stress continues over a long period of time, the adrenal eventually begin to weaken in their ability to keep up, and symptoms of the adrenal hypo-function appear. The class is repsone to a stressful situation is the “fight of flight response”. The blood supply to skeletal and heart muscles, brain, skin and lungs increases. The body evolved to use the “fight or flight response” very infrequently. Unfortunately in our modern lifestyle our body has to deal with Fight or Flight type responses to stressful situation on a regular, if not daily basis. During this response the blood supply to the kidneys, liver, stomach, and intestines diminishes. As a result, digestion, detoxification, and elimination are reduced.
Stress also increases your nutritional requirements. Increased stress leads to a increased demand for B vitamins, zinc, and Vitamin C. It is important to replace these either via the diet or through nutritional supplementation. Some people handle stress by over-eating, with cravings for ice cream, sweets, candy, and other food with low nutritional value. Unfortunately, the intake of these high sugar, high calories and low nutrient food will only exacerbate the problem, and may lead to other health problems.
Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.
