Stress Damages the Digestive System

By Jeffrey H. Reinhardt, MSc

According to the 2010 Stress in America survey, over 50 percent of Americans are significantly impacted by the escalating level of stress in their lives. High stress levels are significantly affecting adults, adolescents, children and family dynamics.

Sress is experienced uniquely by each individual in different life circumstances, as they respond to either external demands or threats to their survival; these stressors initiate complex, inner biological and psychological responses. In the body, prolonged stress contributes significantly to increased oxidative stress, an unbalanced inflammatory response and insulin inefficiency, which may lead to weight gain and metabolic syndrome.

Each person’s response to stress may be either healthy and balanced, or unhealthy—as a result living disharmoniously and being out of balance for prolonged periods; that is, being “out of tune” in their life by experiencing tension, being anxious and feeling distressed or hostile. The primary organ systems activated in response to both short-term or acute stress, and long-term stress are the brain’s hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, plus the “downstream” adrenal glands. This is called the H-P-A axis. The body’s initial response to acute stress is to produce more adrenaline (epinephrine), to initiate a rapid, protective reaction, often called the “fight or flight” response. When stress is prolonged, increased amounts of cortisol are synthesized by the adrenal glands and released into the bloodstream, resulting in elevated concentrations of cortisol in the blood and saliva. Long term levels of unbalanced cortisol can contribute to weight gain and glucose metabolism inefficiencies.

In addition to the effects of stress on the quality of Americans’ diet choices, the impact of chronic stress on the digestive system and the assimilation of nutrients is frequently overlooked or discounted. Stress directly affects the initial digestion of foods in the mouth by reducing the secretion of enzymes in the saliva; it also inhibits the production of the protective salivary antibody, secretory IgA (sIgA). Chronic stress may increase the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which can occasionally affect the mucosa lining of the stomach, contributing to burning sensations, discomfort and loss of appetite. The production of digestive enzymes and insulin by the pancreas are also directly affected by chronic stress, as is the synthesis of bile acids by the liver. Stress also retards the secretion of bile by the gall bladder into the small intestine, where the bile acids function to emulsify fats and oils for efficient digestion.

As more and more Americans are impacted by stress and feel its toll on their health and vitality, one very effective strategy to replace the diminished levels of nutrients produced by compromised digestive efficiency and poor food choices, is to use high quality dietary supplements consistently. For example, Digestive Enzymes will aid in the digestion of most foods, even when people are eating quickly and while under stress. Multivitamin and mineral supplements will replace the essential nutrients needed for efficient metabolism and these supplements can help to replenish nutrient depletions. Clearly, if stress is a problem, these and many other dietary supplements are an important part of a lifestyle-related solution plan.