THE IMPACT OF STRESS

We all know that stress is not good for our health. I recently came across a survery of 2,050 adults (reported in Natural Health magazine; August 2015, P104 -105) that found twenty per cent of them had taken time off work for stress and ten per cent had sought professional help. As well as reducing our enjoyment of life, chronic stress can have specific effects on our health, including:

• a fivefold increased risk of dying from heart-related problems
• doubling the risk of developing diabetes
• a sixty-five per cent increased risk of developing dementia in later life
• doubling the chance of becoming obese
• a twelve per cent lower likelihood of conception amongst fertile women
• increased risk of breast cancer

Digestive issues are also a common complication of chronic stress. There is a major link between irritable bowel syndrome, for example, and emotional stress. Acute flare-ups frequently occur at times of increased stress.