{"id":10057,"date":"2024-02-06T04:10:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T21:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10057"},"modified":"2024-02-06T04:10:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T21:10:04","slug":"why-stress-and-inflammation-go-hand-in-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10057","title":{"rendered":"Why Stress and Inflammation Go Hand in Hand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">R<\/span>educing inflammation through lifestyle habits is <em>always<\/em> a worthwhile objective\u2014and giving your mind and body the chance to rest regularly is one of the easiest ways to start, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eattotreat.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.eattotreat.com\/\">Maggie Berghoff<\/a>, a functional medicine nurse practitioner and author of <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FEat-Right-Your-Inflammation-Type-ebook%2Fdp%2FB08VJM6QJ6%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx12177-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fstress-inflammation%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fstress-inflammation%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Eat-Right-Your-Inflammation-Type-ebook\/dp\/B08VJM6QJ6\" data-type=\"affiliateLink\" data-aff-intermediate=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Eat-Right-Your-Inflammation-Type-ebook\/dp\/B08VJM6QJ6?tag=wgtrx12177-20&amp;asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fstress-inflammation%2F&amp;asc_source=direct&amp;asc_campaign=no-campaign\"><em>Eat to Treat<\/em><\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>According to Berghoff, both mental and psychological <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-weathering\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-weathering\/\">stress and anxiety can trigger inflammation<\/a>. What&#8217;s more, heightened physiological inflammation (linked to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fighting-inflammation-with-food\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fighting-inflammation-with-food\/\">range of lifestyle factors<\/a>, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-that-trigger-inflammation\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-that-trigger-inflammation\/\">foods<\/a>) is linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/inflammatory-foods-anxiety\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/inflammatory-foods-anxiety\/\">higher rates of mental and psychological stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Because the relationship between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-to-reduce-inflammation\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-to-reduce-inflammation\/\">stress and inflammation<\/a> is a two-way street\u2014or what Berghoff refers to as a \u201cchicken or the egg type of situation&#8221;\u2014she says that stress reduction tactics are a key tool in the longevity-boosting toolkit. And to that end, the functional medicine expert is here to arm you with accessible, easy ways to stay mentally and physically *chill.*<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How do stress and inflammation go hand in hand?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to Berghoff, the longer your body experiences episodes of severe stress, the more damage it can cause. \u201cInflammation in one area in the body can quickly spread to, or influence, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5805548\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5805548\/\">inflammatory response<\/a> of another area in the body,\u201d Berghoff explains. In the short term, this might come in the form of headaches, irritability, negative thoughts, restlessness, fatigue, and digestive issues. But in the long term, Berghoff says chronic inflammation (whether linked to one&#8217;s mental health or not) can lead to serious illnesses, such as arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular issues, and autoimmune concerns.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline text-h5 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-inflammation\/\" current-title=\"Yes, You Can Combat Chronic Inflammation by Caring Less (and Relaxing More). Here\u2019s How\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/stress-and-inflammation-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-08-05\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-inflammation\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-inflammation\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-inflammation\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In other words, chronic inflammation not only affects the body physiologically, but it can also begin to trigger additional reactions, such as psychological stress (and the longer your body is in a state of inflammation, the worse the outcome will likely be). \u201cDepression, anxiety, and other symptoms of psychological stress are often linked to inflammation in the body. It&#8217;s the body\u2019s response to external stressors,\u201d Berghoff says.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cDepression, anxiety, and other symptoms of psychological stress are often linked to inflammation in the body. It&#8217;s the body\u2019s response to external stressors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Research shows there&#8217;s a link between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6491771\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6491771\/\">stress-related increases in C-reactive protein (CRP)<\/a> (a protein made by the liver that increases with inflammation), pro-inflammatory <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/body\/24585-cytokines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/body\/24585-cytokines\">cytokines<\/a> (signaling proteins that help control inflammation in your body), and depression.<\/p>\n<p>To put it simply: Stress can lead to inflammation in the body (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/racial-disparities-sleep\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/racial-disparities-sleep\/\">and! vice! versa!<\/a>), and chronic inflammation may lead to poor mental health outcomes. As such, finding ways to cope with stress and reduce inflammation in your body can be a helpful step towards feeling your best, Berghoff says.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3 ways to reduce psychological stress to help keep inflammation at bay<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>1. Make a few lifestyle changes, starting with what you eat<\/h3>\n<p>Berghoff suggests starting by noting what you <em>can<\/em> soothe, especially when stressful situations are inevitable. \u201cWhen going through a stressful era\u2014or if you anticipate that one is coming up because of a work schedule or otherwise\u2014take time to really check in with yourself periodically and make sure all your other stressors that you <em>can<\/em> handle are reduced or eliminated,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Since psychological stressors may fall outside of your control, Berghoff says pivoting and focusing on consuming nutrient-dense foods can help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/inflammation-index-of-foods\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/inflammation-index-of-foods\/\">manage some aspects of inflammation<\/a>. This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-with-omega-3\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-with-omega-3\/\">foods rich in omega-3s<\/a> (like salmon, walnuts, seaweed, and chia seeds). \u201cOmega-3s also support the function of neurotransmitters that are linked to mood regulation, like serotonin and dopamine, and can also improve the body\u2019s stress response to keep your mood stable even in high-pressure situations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Berghoff also points out that vitamin C-filled citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit can help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/vitamin-c-mood\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/vitamin-c-mood\/\">ease stress levels<\/a>. Adding a handful of leafy greens to your eggs or smoothie is a great way to support cortisol and blood pressure levels, too. On the other hand, reducing alcohol and added sugar, which can potentially heighten inflammation levels, is a great place to start.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Manage your sympathetic nervous system more effectively<\/h3>\n<p>When stress levels begin to rise, Berghoff says you\u2019ll want to check in with your sympathetic nervous system. \u201cThe sympathetic nervous state is that \u2018fight or flight\u2019 survival mode state, and is activated when we\u2019re under stress. Being in fight or flight mode for a prolonged period causes inflammation in the body, so the goal is to activate the parasympathetic nervous state, which will bring your body back to balance and help it to heal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>One of Berghoff\u2019s favorite ways to achieve this is by practicing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/quick-breathwork-exercises\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/quick-breathwork-exercises\/\">box breathing<\/a>. \u201cBreathe in for five seconds, hold for five, exhale for five, hold for five, and repeat. Do this three times; really focusing on your whole body just releasing that stress, and it will help reset your body and mind,\u201d she says. The simple breathing exercise helps to decrease an elevated heart rate that, in turn, helps regulate stress. In addition to box breathing, Berghoff suggests journaling, red light therapy, sauna sessions, gentle yoga classes, or walking in nature.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Being in fight or flight mode for a prolonged period causes inflammation in the body. The goal is to activate the parasympathetic nervous state, which will bring your body back to balance and help it to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>3. Do everything in your power to achieve a \u201cstress less\u201d mentality<\/h3>\n<p>Of course, easier said than done. \u201cI get it. Personally, I used to stress over so many things that truly did not matter in the greater scheme of life. But to me, it mattered tremendously and made me sick with worry, anxiety, and indecision,\u201d Berghoff says. Eventually, she found that shifting her perspective to the bigger picture and practicing meditative breathing exercises helped her feel more in control.<\/p>\n<p>With time, rather than worrying about what nail polish color to choose or ruminating over skipping a workout, Berghoff started to cut herself a little slack when it came to things she really shouldn\u2019t be overly concerned about. \u201cI realized that I just cared too much about things. And when I took on a different mindset acknowledging these things truly don\u2019t matter, it helped everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When you can, and when it&#8217;s available to you: Take a deep inhale, have a snack, and care a little less. With luck, in time, science says that your stress levels\u2014and anxiety-induced inflammation\u2014will tarnish.<\/p>\n<p><em>An RD&#8217;s guide for eating to help reduce inflammation:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Dietitian&#039;s Guide to Eating for Inflammation | You Versus Food | Well+Good\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v0jXdgL6nGs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"block-thin post-citations mt-[40px] mb-[30px]\" data-module-init=\"main-2020\/post-citations\" data-module-immediate=\"true\">\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mb-[24px]\"\/>\n<div class=\"post-citations-content flex flex-col gap-[24px]\">\n<p>Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ol class=\"!ml-[18px] !mt-0\">\n<li>\n              Maydych, Viktoriya. \u201cThe Interplay Between Stress, Inflammation, and Emotional Attention: Relevance for Depression.\u201d\u00a0<i>Frontiers in neuroscience<\/i>\u00a0vol. 13 384. 24 Apr. 2019, doi:10.3389\/fnins.2019.00384            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Chen, Linlin et al. \u201cInflammatory responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs.\u201d\u00a0<i>Oncotarget<\/i>\u00a0vol. 9,6 7204-7218. 14 Dec. 2017, doi:10.18632\/oncotarget.23208            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mt-[24px]\"\/>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[0px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reducing inflammation through lifestyle habits is always a worthwhile objective\u2014and giving your mind and body the chance to rest regularly is one of the easiest ways to start, says Maggie Berghoff, a functional medicine nurse practitioner and author of Eat to Treat. According to Berghoff, both mental and psychological stress and anxiety can trigger inflammation. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}