by Geoffrey Leigh

Created on: January 16, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

We all experience stress, and most of us suffer from at least one stress related illness condition. These illness conditions are often of a chronic nature, which is classified as any illness condition lasting six months or more. In Australia the incidence of chronic illness conditions according the National health Survey carried out about every five years, the incidence reported as 42% of the population in 1947 has escalated to more than 70% across the board in 2001. These statistics may reliably be extrapolated to any industrialised society.

We hear and read adequate information on what stress is, how to deal with it and so on. What seems to be lacking is an explanation at the most basic level; the human cell. estimate on how many cells make up your body vary from about 60 trillion to an hundred trillion. I believe the latter estimate to be the most likely.

You live and die ruling out trauma of cellular malnutrition, that is cellular aging. And yet it is quite possible to have a biological (real age) ten years less than your chronological age.

The cells most affected by unmanaged stressors are located in the brain at the level of the "hypothalamus and pituitary" glands and atop each kidney in your "adrenal" gland. This we refer to as your HPA axis. By the way if you are easily startled you may be sure you are in a state of adrenal burnout.

Major activators of the HPA related illness conditions include but are not confined to:
PSYCHOGENIC STRESS
INFLAMMATION
HIGH OESTROGEN
NUTRIENT INSUFFICIENCIES
THYROID HORMONE IMBALANCE
TOXINS
PAIN
LOW ANDROGEN

Take note of that word inflammation, because uncontrolled it is the biggest killer of our species. More on that another time.

Without going into reams of biochemistry on the HPA axis it is sufficient to know that the HPA (endocrine glands ) co-ordinate the bodies response to stress.

Now, here is the salient point: all stress be it physical or mental/emotional immediately increases the body's cellular need for one if not all nutrient; not just vitamins and minerals but many sophisticated substances which most people have never heard of.

As an example "phosphatydilserine" a component of soy and egg yolk is a most remarkable and essential brain metabolite. How about the vitamin "choline"?

Do you know that choline is the precursor to the major neurotransmitter "acetylcholine". In the words of the "Buddha: don't take my word for anything, check it out for yourself!

So, over simplified, you can do a lot to help those wonderful cells of yours to cope by supplementing daily, a good brand of multivitamin/mineral supplement, preferably containing at least 75mg of calcium pantothenate a major adrenal stress nutrient.
Finally pay attention to the ancient adage: "what is matter does not matter, what is mind is all there is"

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