The relationship between genes and physical responses to stress.
For many of us, each morning begins with a frantic rush to get to work on time. Do your fingers twitch and your hands tremor, as you grip the steering wheels tightly to dodge errant drivers in morning traffic? Parents may already be sweating profusely after an argument with a spouse while struggling to get the children fed and off to school. Some of you may only have time to gulp down coffee for breakfast, in a desperate attempt to stop a splitting headache and a pounding heart, caused by the dread of another long work day of multi-tasking and struggling to meet deadlines.
Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain caused by adverse circumstances. While stress means different things to different people and what causes stress in one person may be of little concern to another, it affects us all and no one is totally immune to feeling some degree of stress at some point in their lives. A study found that 33% of adults experience high levels of perceived stress.
Our stress response is the body’s natural reaction to harmful situations as it tries to deal with the pressures placed on it. It is a “fight-or-flight” survival mechanism often accompanied by increased blood pressure and heart rate, rapid breathing, dry mouth, tightening of muscles, hand tremors, and excessive sweating.
Many factors present in our personal and professional lives can induce stress. Common causes include facing financial woes, death in the family, maneuvering through congested traffic, arguments and conflicts at home or work, and constant pressure to do more and deliver within tight work deadlines.
Variations in our genome, will affect how our body responds to and physically manifests stress symptoms. While some individuals may be able to adapt and take stress in their stride, others may feel severely overwhelmed by the slightest amount of stress. Since our ability to cope with stress is tightly linked to both environmental and genetic factors, a DNA test can help identify genetic variants and help us take proactive steps to manage it well.
Genes of Interest and Recommendations
A DNA test will cover the genes of interest for stress leading to physical symptoms; including COMT, G1246A, CHRNA4 and BDNF.
Our bodies are equipped to handle stress to a certain extent, so stress can be a positive if it motivates us to perform better and achieve certain tasks. When stress becomes long-term and excessive however, it can wear us down because the brain releases stress hormones on a regular basis which affects our body systems – including muscles, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous and reproductive systems. The changes in our body in turn affect overall physical, mental, and emotional health.
Because we all handle stress differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Many of us are also used to feeling stressed, either on a professional or personal level, that we often do not realise that we are stressed until we reach a breaking point. Recognising the physical symptoms of stress is the first step to controlling stress.
Acute stress can cause tremors, muscle twitches, sweating, flushing, increased heart rate, skin itching, headaches, and more. Warning signs of chronic stress could be fatigue, over or under-sleeping, sweating, muscle aches and development of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and migraines in the long run.
Stress is manageable once we recognise the symptoms and to a certain extent, can help us perform better. Case in point are professional athletes preparing to compete, and students studying for examinations.
We can initiate stress management by using various techniques; including exercising for at least 15 minutes daily to increase the expression of the body’s BDNF gene and adopting a healthy diet high in antioxidants like vitamin E, selenium and glutathione.
Reducing high-inflammatory food such as sugar and bread, as well as complementing meals with vitamin C and D supplements to maintain overall cognitive function – can also help with our response to manage stressful scenarios in our daily lives.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that cannot be produced and stored within our body. Elken Ester-C 500 Plus is manufactured using Advanced Patented Technology for enhanced antioxidant properties. Elken Ester-C 500 Plus offers twice the absorption rate and four times the efficacy of normal Vitamin C supplements.
Elken Kington Minerale is a highly-prized solution harvested from the ocean vortex, containing 78 types of bioavailable trace elements that are easily absorbed into the body. This precious seawater solution contains a high concentration of trace minerals to replenish inadequate minerals in the brain.
