Many factors play a role in your stress levels, including work, living arrangements and relationships. You may not realize that the food you eat and drink can also contribute to stress by triggering physical stress responses in your body. By paying attention to the food you consume, you may be able to reduce your stress levels. However, you should consult your doctor before making any large, radical changes in your diet.
High Fat
Eating foods that contain high levels of fat acts as a chemical stressor on your body by triggering the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, explains an article published in the July 2010 issue of the "International Journal of Obesity." Triggering the HPA axis has the same effect on the body as physically stressful situations, and increases production of stress hormones known as glucocorticoids. High levels of fat can also lead to fat accumulation in the liver, which can decrease liver function and produce additional stress on the body, explains the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Stimulants
Caffeine and other stimulants are called stimulants because they stimulate the central nervous system. Overstimulation of the central nervous system creates additional stress on the body, explains the University of Alabama at Birmingham Counseling and Wellness Center. Additionally, caffeine can exacerbate your body's stress response resulting from exposure to other types of stress, reports a study published in the July 2010 issue of the journal "Human Psychopharmacology."
Toxins
Eating foods that contain high levels of residual pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals may subject the body to stress from trying to break down these artificial materials, according to the Stress Management Society. Because the human body is not adapted to digesting these materials, proponents of natural foods argue that eating artificial chemicals places extra stress on the digestive system.
Alcohol
While small amounts of alcohol can help to reduce stress, drinking large amounts of alcohol may subject your body to additional stress. Heaving drinking tends to disrupt sleeping patterns, which can trigger stress responses, explains the University of Alabama at Birmingham Counseling and Wellness Center. Additionally, long-term consumption of excess alcohol can damage the liver, again placing additional stress on the body.
References
- "International Journal of Obesity"; Chronic Exposure to a High-Fat Diet Affects Stress Axis Function Differentially in Diet-Induced Obese and Diet-Resistant Rats; A.C. Shin et al.; July 2010
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs: How Diet Affects the Liver
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Counseling and Wellness Center: Stress
- Stress Management Society: Nutritional Stress and Health
- "Human Psychopharmacology"; Caffeine and Stress Alter Salivary Alpha-Amylase Activity in Young Men; L.C. Klein et al., July 2010
