How does stress harm our body?

The human body is made to react to stress, sometimes stress can be useful and prepare the person to face the danger, when stress increases the secretion of some hormones and blood sugar, which increases energy and fitness. The body becomes to deal with danger.

Stress is harmful when a person is overwhelmed for a long time and the body does not have enough time to rest and regenerate. Stress in any form, including emotional and economic problems, excessive thinking, living in crowded and noisy cities, lack of sleep, etc. can cause the destruction of the body in various forms.



What biochemical and physical changes occur in our body when we are under stress:

1. When you are under stress, the hypothalamus in the brain stimulates the adrenal glands by releasing a chemical stimulus into the bloodstream as well as sending a nerve signal. At this time, the adrenal glands release several hormones, such as cortisol, into the bloodstream, which increase blood sugar and blood pressure. The secretion of this hormone causes the consumption of large amounts of zinc, vitamin C and B group, and then the body consumes some magnesium to reduce blood pressure. Continued stress causes the consumption of more of these elements and ultimately depletes the body's reserves. More than 100 enzymes in the body need zinc to secrete and more than 400 enzymes need magnesium. Symptoms of deficiency of these elements in the body include: Decreased energy, decreased production of digestive enzymes, followed by digestive problems. Hypertension, hair loss and so on. Continued stress also weakens the adrenal glands and causes related problems such as extreme fatigue, decreased immunity and neurological problems.



2. High tendency to eat sugars and fats: Research shows that excessive release of cortisol in the blood increases a person's tendency to eat sugars and fats. Researchers believe that an increase in this hormone disrupts the activity of the part of the brain that is responsible for controlling appetite for several hours, and the person eats unhealthy foods, especially fats and sugars, after being stressed.

3. Weight gain: Usually after a person is stressed and feels tired due to physical and biochemical reactions that occur in the body and reciprocally avoids physical activity for a while, in this case All foods are converted to fat and cause weight gain.



4. Increased risk of heart attack: Research in Europe on 200,000 employees shows that those who held high-stress positions were 23% more likely to have a heart attack than others.

5. Headache: Hormones that cause the body to respond to stress, such as adrenaline and cortisol, cause changes in the arteries that can lead to severe headaches and sometimes migraine attacks.

6. Memory loss: Increased secretion of hormones during stress interacts with chemical generators that transmit nerve messages between brain cells and cause a person to be unable to think and make decisions for a while.