One in four casualties that exist in our country is due to stress, that is, 25%. It affects 54% of the active population and is the second reason for sick leave.
In fact, Spain is one of the countries in the European Union with the most stresswhich is present (above 75%) in all age groups.
However, a study in mice from Australia suggests that:
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The combination of stress and junk food (which is usually the choice of the most stressed people) ‘turns off’ the brain mechanism that tells us when we are really satiated. What increases the risk of developing obesity.
According to the main author of the research, published in , the Professor Kenny Chi Kin Ip:
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“Our findings reveal that stress can override a natural response in the brain that diminishes the pleasure obtained from eating, which means that the brain is continually ‘rewarded’ for eating”.
Thus, during the bouts of stress, which could affect nearly seven out of ten jobs at least once a week (compared to 62% prior to the coronavirus pandemic), it is very important to opt for a varied and balanced diet that keeps us away from excess calories that could lead to being overweight.
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“We show that chronic stress, combined with a , can drive an increasing food intake, as well as a preference for sweet foods and very appetizing.”
What do we eat in episodes of stress?
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. Our organism produces it in “emergency” situations to face these situations and “survive”. May cause:
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Abdominal pain
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Headache
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And even muscle tension.
Although it is also common for stress to cause our stomach to ‘close’, lmost people tend to eat more: foods rich in calories, sugars and fatsOr what is the same, ultra-processed and unhealthy foods.
Dr. Chi Kin Ip explains that they have discovered that:
1- “an area known as the lateral habenula, which is normally involved in the disconnection of the brain’s reward responseis activated in mice fed a short-term, high-fat diet to protect the animal from overeating”.
But, when the mice suffered moments of chronic stress:
2- “This part of brain was silentwhich allowed the reward signals to remain active and promote pleasure feeding, ceasing to respond to the regulatory signals of satiety”.
For his part, he Professor Herbert Herzog notes that:
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“Stressed mice on a high-fat diet consumed three times more sucralose than mice on a non-stressed high-fat diet alone. This suggests that stress not only triggers greater reward when eating, but also drives the desire to eat.” sweet foods.”
The importance of eating healthy when under stress
How was this conclusion reached? The mice were given a choice between two types of drink: one made up of water and one made up of water and artificial sweetener.
Although they all followed a high-fat diet, it was found that stressed mice also preferred sucralose waterwhile the calmest opted for dry water.
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With these results, the researchers emphasize that stress is a “critical regulator of eating habits” that it can override the brain’s natural ability to regulate energy needs and want more without any sense.
“This analysis in mice highlights that stress can compromise healthy energy metabolism. And it is a reminder to avoid a lifestyle marked by stress, especially prolonged in time, and try to follow a healthy diet and put aside the junk food”.