Deb Headworth

Posts Tagged ‘stress’

Child care relationships tied to kids’ stress levels

In b-complex, childcare, children, cortisol, daycare, stress, stress relief complex on December 14, 2008 at 3:52 pm

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) –

Bickering parents and poor caregiver relationships each increase levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in children, new studies say.

  • Long-term or frequent rises in cortisol can have negative health consequences. 
  • The first study, which looked at 191 full-time day-care children, found that many preschoolers experience increasing levels of cortisol throughout the day, the opposite of how the hormone is produced in most humans.
  • In the second study, higher cortisol levels were found in children distressed by their parents’ fighting.
    • Children who become very upset when their parents fight are more likely to develop psychological problems and have higher cortisol levels.
    • Study leader Patrick T. Davies, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, said in a news release from the journal’s publisher, “Because higher levels of cortisol have been linked to a wide range of mental and physical health difficulties, high levels of cortisol may help explain why children who experience high levels of distress when their parents argue are more likely to experience later health problems.”

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about stress.

SOURCE: Society for Research in Child Development, news release, Nov. 14, 2008 

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Military Bases Brace for Surge in Stress-Related Disorders

In military, post traumatic stress disorder, stress, stress relief complex on December 1, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Military Bases Brace for Surge in Stress-Related Disorders

By MSNBC - Health News 
Some 15000 soldiers are heading home to this sprawling base after spending more than a year at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and military health officials are bracing for a surge in brain injuries and psychological problems among those 
Psychology Headlines Around the World - http://www.socialpsychology.org/

 

Ashwagandha, beta sitosterol, L-tyrosine, & L-theanine help with stress.  They…

  • promote a calm, relaxed state without causing drowsiness
  • allow you to be more alert and able to concentrate during times of stress
  • Help blunt cortisol, a stress response hormone that can affect long-term health
  • Enhance the body’s ability to adapt to everyday stress.

Polycystic Ovaries - Insulin Resistance - Heart disease - Infertility

In Fertility, Menstrual disorders, Women, babies, diabetes, heart disease, hormone questionnaire, obesity, soy, stress, sugar on November 24, 2008 at 10:30 pm

Insulin resistance : a root cause of PCOS

Problems managing polycystic ovarian syndrome?  It may not be due to lack of willpower. Instead, you could be Insulin Resistant, a root cause of PCOS. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health, Stanford University and other research centers have clearly identified the existence and effects of Insulin Resistance, a biochemical condition that can cause excessive weight gain and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

 

PCOS and Insulin Resistance

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal imbalance linked to the way the body processes insulin after it has been produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar (glucose). Insulin Resistance could be caused by:

  • genetic predisposition
  • high stress
  • unhealthy lifestyles
  • environmental toxins (hygiene products, herbicides / pesticides / industrial growth fertilizers)

 

Insulin resistant cells

Over time, the above factors have damaged the complex ability of the body’s cells to properly utilize insulin to convert glucose to energy. This process creates Insulin Resistance.

Insulin Resistance vastly reduces the insulin sensitivity of cells, which impairs the processing of glucose through the cell wall for conversion to energy. As a result, glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity, key factors in creating PCOS, which is also referred to as Polycystic Ovarian Disease or PCOD.

 

Insulin Resistance can also cause PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)  is by raising insulin levels in the blood stream. Unhealthy lifestyles and genetic conditions can lead to the pancreas overproducing insulin. This excess insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce large amounts of the male hormone testosterone, which may prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month, thus causing infertility. High levels of insulin also increase the conversion of androgens (male hormones) to estrogens (female hormones), upsetting a delicate balance between the two and having a direct effect on weight gain and the formation of cystic follicles or ovarian cysts.

 

 

Symptoms of PCOS

The symptoms  vary widely from woman to woman. Because the symptoms vary so widely and not all women display all the symptoms, doctors very often misdiagnose PCOS. This became an issue of critical concern after a study in 2000 found that women suffering from PCOS have a higher risk of coronary heart disease.

  • polycystic ovaries
  • irregular or completely absent periods,
  • Hirsutism (excessive facial or body hair),
  • Alopecia (male pattern hair loss),
  • obesity,
  • acne,
  • skin tags (raisin-like growths on the skin),
  • Acanthosis Nigricans (brown skin patches),
  • exhaustion or lack of mental alertness
  • decreased sex drive.
  • high blood pressure
  • high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol
  • atherosclerosis, which occurs when fatty deposits called plaque cling to the interior walls of the arteries, leading to blockages that can cause heart attacks or stroke. Not only do PCOS sufferers have higher rates of plaque buildup but those over 45 have thicker deposits of plaque.
  • up to 40% of women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome have either impaired glucose tolerance or Type 2 Diabetes by the age of 40.
    • Posted by : Goral Gandhi, MSc, Laboratory Director,  Rotunda – Center for Human Reproduction (Pvt) Ltd,     full article

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