Feeling stressed? Expert shares why this could be due to nutrient deficiencies

Are you already feeling stressed in 2024? At the start of a new year, people often have a busy schedule, which can lead to experiencing stress in various forms, including ‘nutritional stress’.

Marina Wright, a nutritionist in Melbourne, Australia, shared Newsweek that stress and nutritional deficiencies have a ‘bidirectional’ relationship, with one influencing the other.

“It’s essential to note that it’s not just emotional stress that triggers your stress response. Anything that overwhelms your body’s ability to deal with challenges, including nutrient deficiencies, can keep your stress response on constant alert,” said Wright in a recent viral post from her Instagram. account, @marinawrightwellness.

She said Newsweek: “During periods of stress, the body experiences an increased demand for nutrients due to increased energy demands, nutrient mobilization and the support needed for the stress response.”

Stress can affect nutrient absorption in the intestines, and “when the body lacks essential nutrients needed for optimal physiological function, it undergoes a state of stress known as nutritional stress,” says Wright.

“This contributes to the overall stress burden on the body, which extends beyond emotional or psychological factors. The body’s inability to meet these nutritional needs can trigger the stress response,” says Wright, a functional diagnostic nutritionist and certified integrative nutritional health coach.

Several studies have shown that “diet and nutrition are not only critical to physiology and body composition, but also have significant effects on mood and mental well-being,” according to a March 2021 study. Limits in nutrition said.

A study from August 2020 in Nutrients said dietary modification can prevent the development of “stress-related mental disorders, including major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Nutrient deficiencies that can lead to stress

Below are some key nutrient deficiencies that Wright says can contribute to stress and affect your overall well-being:

• Magnesium: A magnesium deficiency can be linked to increased stress levels. Low levels of magnesium, which is involved in muscle and nerve function, “can contribute to feelings of anxiety and tension,” Wright said.
• B vitamins, especially B6, B9 (folic acid) and B12: B vitamins are crucial for the synthesis of neurotransmitters that influence mood, such as serotonin, which stabilizes mood, and dopamine, which affects how we feel pleasure. “Deficiencies in B vitamins can lead to increased stress and mood disorders,” Wright said.
• Zinc: Zinc helps regulate the body’s stress response system. Low zinc levels have been linked to increased production of cortisol, a stress hormone, the nutritionist said.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain health and play a role in the function of neurotransmitters. “Deficiencies can contribute to mood disorders and increased stress responses,” Wright said.
• Vitamin C: As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps fight oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals that can lead to cell damage in the body. “A deficiency can compromise the body’s ability to control stress-induced oxidative damage,” Wright said.
• Vitamin DVitamin D deficiency has been “linked to mood disorders and an increased risk of depression,” so adequate vitamin D levels are “essential for overall mental well-being,” the nutritionist said.
• Egg whiteAmino acids, the building blocks of protein, are “essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters,” Wright said, and insufficient protein intake can affect your mood and stress response.
• Vitamin A: This vitamin is essential for vision and immune function. “Vitamin A deficiency can affect overall health and possibly contribute to stress,” Wright said.
• Iron: Iron is important for oxygen transport in the blood. Iron deficiency anemia can lead to fatigue and reduced resilience to stress, the nutritionist said.

Are there foods that help reduce stress?

“Rather than focusing on specific foods, I believe maintaining a nutrient-dense diet that is balanced and varied is essential,” Wright said. This should include a combination of “minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods” such as the following:

• Fruit and vegetables
• High-quality meat
• Seafood, especially wild, fatty fish such as salmon and sardines
• Eggs
• Good quality dairy products
• Legumes
• Whole grain
• Nuts and seeds
• Spices

“Additionally, incorporating fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi and kefir, can be very beneficial due to their probiotic content, supporting a healthy gut microbiome,” says the nutritionist.

How to become more stress resistant

“Stress resilience refers to the ability to adapt and bounce back from stressors, minimizing the negative impact on mental and physical health,” said Wright.

While it’s impossible to eliminate stress from our lives, it’s absolutely possible to become more resilient to it or increase our stress threshold, she said. “We can achieve this through diet and lifestyle habits.”

Below are the nutritionist’s best tips to increase stress resistance:

Eat a nutrient-dense diet, balance your blood sugar levels

A nutrient-rich diet and balanced blood sugar levels play a crucial role in “maintaining energy, supporting optimal brain function, regulating hormones, strengthening the gut-brain connection and reducing inflammation,” according to Wright.

Support and synchronize your circadian rhythm

Our circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, “holds the key to effective stress management,” Wright said. “A well-regulated circadian rhythm increases our ability to adapt and cope with stress by improving sleep quality, boosting cognitive function and optimizing the release of cortisol and melatonin.” The latter is a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle and circadian rhythm.

For example, exposing your eyes to natural sunlight in the morning, ideally within an hour of waking, and avoiding artificial light from electronic devices before going to bed will “help align your circadian rhythm and promote these beneficial effects.” “, said the nutritionist.

Improve vagus nerve tone and flexibility of the nervous system

“The tone of our vagus nerve serves as a barometer for how easily we can switch between stress and calm,” says Wright.

Vagal tone refers to the action of the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that begins in a part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord and extends down through your neck and vital organs.

The nutritionist said that “a well-toned vagus nerve allows for a smoother transition, promoting resilience and faster recovery from stressors.”

Practicing techniques used to regulate the nervous system, such as diaphragmatic breathing or meditation, “can help improve vagal tone and promote a balanced nervous system,” she said.

Exercise and move your body every day

Wright said that regular exercise “decreases baseline levels of stress hormones and blunts the hormonal response to sudden psychological stress.”

Regular exercise also causes changes in gene expression [where information encoded in a gene is turned into a function] that increase resilience to mental stress,” she said.

Do you have a health-related question or dilemma? Let us know at life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story may be included Newsweek.