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Benefits of healthy nutrition in women lifted by stress
A new study on women, stress and nutrition now revealed a regrettable fact. Researchers found that the positive effects of healthy eating in women are offset by the onset of stress.
Researchers at Ohio State University's Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research found that stress in women can reduce or even eliminate the positive effects of a healthy diet. The experts published the results of their study in the journal "Molecular Psychiatry".
A healthy breakfast is a good start to the day. But for women, the positive health effects of breakfast can be offset by stress the day before. (Image: juefraphoto / fotolia.com) Stress the day before affects the next day
Many women try to eat healthily and pay attention to sufficient exercise. This includes a healthy breakfast. In general, it is important for us to have breakfast, because a breakfast increases the concentration and makes it easier for us to start the day. However, when women suffer from stress, it affects any positive effects of healthy nutrition, say the doctors. It is enough if this stress has occurred the previous day. This will reduce the positive effects of having a healthy breakfast the next day.
Breakfast or not?
How important is our breakfast? Another study, although some time ago, said that breakfast is not the most important meal of the day, but you still should not miss out on breakfast. For a breakfast waiver burdened the heart. However, there seem to be other factors in women that affect the health effects of breakfast.
Breakfast with healthy fats leads to health benefits
If women did not experience stress the day before the study, they would gain some health benefits from having healthy fats, say the authors. In such women, the physicians could not detect an increase in various so-called inflammatory markers, compared to women who had a breakfast with many saturated fats. These fatty acids are commonly associated with a variety of diseases, the experts add.
Worries, lack of time and financial problems lead to stress in women
But when women suffer from stress the day before, the positive effects of healthy eating are removed. For example, such concerns can be financial, worrying about the child's health or lack of time, say the authors.
Diet and lifestyle affect chronic diseases
The new findings of the physicians help to better understand the complex interaction between diet, lifestyle and chronic diseases. Such diseases include, for example, diabetes, heart disease or depression. The core of this connection seems to be the inflammation, the researchers explain. This normal immune response may also be a harbinger of trouble if the inflammation gets out of control.
Inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease
By promoting blood clotting and aggregating other potential confounding factors in the blood, inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, certain cancers, and brain diseases, explains lead author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser of the Ohio State University Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research.
New Insights into Mechanisms of Chronic Inflammation
If we can influence our markers of inflammation through diet and our lifestyle, the underlying mechanisms that cause us harm in chronic inflammation may be reversed, explain the scientists. The study offers new scientific insights into the mechanisms of chronic inflammation.
Researchers are studying the effects of stress and a healthy breakfast
For the study, 58 women (with an average age of 53) were subjected to a variety of different tests. Afterwards they were divided into two groups and had to attend two meetings with breakfast and examination, the doctors explain. The women were assigned one of two meals at the meetings. Both meals contained many calories (930) and high fat (60 grams). This breakfast consisted of eggs, turkey sausages, biscuits and a sauce. For one group, breakfast was buttered and contained a high level of saturated fat, say the experts. The second group of women got the same breakfast, which was prepared with sunflower oil.
Physicians examine four different inflammatory markers in the blood of the subjects
Before and after meals, four different inflammatory markers in the blood were measured in the women. In addition, the subjects were asked about all the details of the previous day, including all occurring stress factors, explain the authors. Blood pressure was measured and in all women the current symptoms and history of depression were measured and subsequently recorded.
Many women suffer from stress
Stress factors that removed a positive effect of breakfast were not really vital topics, scientists say. Participating women usually described small to medium disasters in the household, such as stress with the children or caring for unruly older parents. 31 women reported at least one recent stress factor in one of the studies. Twenty-one women complained of much stress in both tests. Six of the women did not report stress in any of the studies.
Our diet can not compensate for the damage of a stressful dayn
The results of the investigations were interesting, say the authors. If women with the healthier breakfast had experienced much stress the day before, they were no less likely to develop inflammation than women with the less healthy breakfast. This suggests that a healthy diet may not be enough to neutralize the damage of a stressful day, the experts explain. Amazingly, the previous day's stress did not change the likelihood of inflammation in women with an unhealthy breakfast with lots of saturated fat. The system at this point already seems to be saturated by the unhealthy breakfast. As soon as our diet increases the likelihood of inflammation to such unhealthy heights, the effect of a stressful day does not seem to increase this value any more. Kiecolt-Glaser.
Avoid stress and eat healthy foods as often as possible
The results of the study should not cause people to give up their healthy diet now because their life is much too stressful, warns. Kiecolt-Glaser. It is important to realize that our diet and our lifestyle can interact strongly with each other. So we have to make the best decisions to better manage our stress and still choose healthy meals whenever possible, adds Drs. Add Kiecolt Glazier. (As)