Nutrition and Stress - Essay Example

Human beings eat when hungry, cry at times when sad, and/or run or fight when scared/threatened (Ritchie, n.d, pg4). Living organisms, humans included, respond to such stimuli to enhance chances of their survival. More generally, the body responds to quite a lot of external as well as internal stimuli, which may inhibit the optimal functioning of the body system. A condition/anything [stimuli] that undermines the physical and/or emotional well-being of an individual is what is referred to as stress. Stressed individuals often fail to respond properly to the conditions affecting their lives. In other words, stress is the after effects of an individual failing to respond appropriately to an event[s] that in life, physically, emotionally or both. Theoretically, eating encourages the release of body chemicals that more than raise the feeling of satisfaction and well-being, thus releasing stress. More often than not, however, stress will stimulate unhealthy eating habits, particularly for individuals with no time to fit a balanced nutritional diet around their busy schedules; a person overwhelmed with stress often reacts with a sudden urge to eat food, and such foods often fall in the category rich in fats and sugars. The majority of foods consumed in such situations are but ‘convenience foods’ considered a quick fix to nullify the condition, at least in part. The ‘quick fix’ theory is, however, false, as the resultant flaw that result in the eating habits in times of stress inflict even more stress on the body, compounding other problems that combine to pose a further threat to the physical and mental health (Ritchie, n.d, pg8). To be more certain, most of the unhealthy food intake consumed in times of stress consist of consists of fast foods that more often than not replaces healthy meals. As stated in the brief preliminary introduction, poor eating habits has its consequences, for they encourages growth hormones that result in weight increases; a problematic condition that inhibits the body system from working effectively to control sugar levels in the blood, thus, creating a harmful imbalance. Accordingly, it is recommended that foods containing B vitamins, proteins and minerals be taken in a well-balanced diet to help the body to cope with stress. Proteins are, in fact, a necessary part in any food diet, for it assists in the growth and repairs of worn out tissues in the body. Foods rich in vitamin A and C, on other hand, help in rectifying poor vision and strengthening the immune system respectively. Minerals such as magnesium are necessary ingredients for muscle relaxations, which also combats stress; such foods include fish, eggs, meat, seeds, cheese, oil, milk, fruits, apple, green leaved vegetables among other cereals (Ritchie, n.d, pg18). As Markus and Oliver (2000) notes, the consumption of a balanced diet that contains the proteins, minerals and herbs are essential food elements required in maintaining the right moods as well as increased immune system capable of fighting foreign invasion of the system more effectively. Apart from the reduction of stress, such diets help in rectifying mental disorders, and that meals deficient in these foods only serve to impede stress managements within the body system (Food and Mood, n.d.). Studies investigating the relationship between obesity and stress, more with regards to distinct variables like race, gender and occupation, seem to validate the above sentiments. An investigative model of the relationship between emotion and stress by Ozier, et al. (2008, pg50) more than appraises the ability to cope with stress via the kinds of foods taken in. The study found out that those individuals who overeat as a response to stressful situations or emotional events were/are more likely to develop obesity or become overweight. Like other scholars mentioned above, Ozier and colleagues (2008, pg54) confirms in the study that people tend to eat more as management mechanism to cope with stress; the emotional problems that they feel comes from being stressed, and so the immediate way they [people] handle these emotions, is to eat more. Overweight individuals are even more likely to feel a stronger urge to eat more as a measure of countering negative feelings and/or events, thus the link between stress, poor nutrition, and obesity (Ozier et al, 2008, pg54). Magnesium, a substance with a long history of usage in the treatment of depression since the early times, has been proven scientifically to enhance the proper functioning of alimentary, osteoarticular, cardiovascular and the endocrine systems, which in turn affects people’s moods. Modern studies have validated the effectiveness of magnesium in treating human stress and depression (Serefko and Szopa, 2013, pg.652). It has a great impact on biochemistry functions in the brain as well as the fluidity of the neural membrane. The deficiency of magnesium in the body may, therefore, lead to depression, hallucinations, nervous fits, tremors, hyper excitability, insomnia and seizures. It is also essential in the management of certain emotional problems and mental disorders, for it does increases serotonin levels in the brain that affects moods (Serefko and Szopa, 2013, pg.547-548). Indeed, there is an inverse relationship between magnesium intake and depression, irrespective of the race, gender, body type and blood pressure; the study showed a significant relationship between the two, as per the statistics (Serefko and Szopa, 2013, pg653). Additionally, consuming magnesium aids in reducing and managing some diseases such as asthma, migraine, and alcoholism, renal calcium stone, arrhythmias, heart diseases and premenstrual tension syndrome. Furthermore, there are eleven B vitamins, which are known as the B-Complex, collectively. These B Vitamins play an important role in fighting stress because they are involved with the cellular energy metabolism. This cellular energy metabolism is known as glycolytic and it converts the carbohydrates in the body into glucose. B Vitamins are also necessary for a well-functioned nervous system (Presser, 2009). In stressful situations, B Vitamins deplete in the body; these situations may include work overload, infection, and poor diet and drug or alcohol abuse (Presser, 2009). Vitamin B-1 is used for the purpose of producing stomach acid, which is used in digestion. If there is a drop in Vitamin B-1, then this would lead to depression (Presser, 2009). Thus, lack of these Vitamins, directly relates to stress. Read More