What Stress Does To Your Brain

from Chronic Oxidative Stress. Avoiding factors that increase the formation of toxic free radicals can help prevent brain aging and disease.

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The human body contains exquisitely intricate natural defense mechanisms to protect its cells from damage. However, long-term exposure to psychological stressors (such as depression or anxiety) and physical and environmental stressors (such as pollutants, or vitamin deficiency) can sometimes result in a phenomenon called ‘chronic oxidative stress’.

This refers to a condition in which the body produces an overabundance of unstable molecules or ions called ‘free radicals’ that exceed the body’s capacity to neutralize them, causing pathological changes that result in cell damage, aging and disease.

“Cellular oxidative stress exacerbates a person’s vulnerability to disease, lowering the threshold so that certain disorders may develop more readily,” explains Greg Fricchione, MD, Director of the Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine (BHI) at MGH, US. “In the brain, chronic oxidative stress is a major contributor to cognitive decline and pathologies such as PD (Parkinson’s Disease) and AD (Alzheimer’s Disease). Oxidative stress also plays a role in systemic diseases that affect the brain, such as atherosclerotic disease and diabetes.”

But there’s good news, Dr Fricchione reassures us: “It may be possible to protect the brain from the destructive impact of chronic oxidative stress through strategies such as practicing relaxation techniques to reduce stress, strengthening resiliency, and consuming a diet rich in antioxidants, and other measures.”

Shielding Brain Cells