Stress kills. It’s the driving force behind depression, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Not all stress affects you the same way. But new research suggests work stress may be the worst of them all. And not surprisingly, it’s one of the main sources of stress for most Americans.1
This type of stress can lead to eating disorders and violence…2 It even increases your risk of having a heart attack by 25%.3 But the consequences don’t end there…
Researchers from Harvard Business School and Stanford University reviewed data from 228 studies.4 The three worst stressors they discovered aren’t surprising… These were high job demands, job insecurity, and long working hours. But the toll they took on participants’ health is…
Demanding jobs made people 50% more likely to have a diagnosed medical condition. That could include something minor, like above normal blood pressure levels. It could also include something much more serious… Like cancer. Feeling insecure in their positions increased participants’ chances of having poor mental and physical health.5 And working long hours increased their risk of death by 20%.6
To top it all off… If you’re working long hours, you’re probably spending too much time sitting. Being sedentary can make you 24% more likely to develop colon cancer. When you finally leave work, you have less time to be physically active. It’s a dangerous combination to say the least.
And even if you retired over 10 years ago… You could still be feeling the effects of decades’ worth of built-up stress. That’s why it’s critical to take stress-reducing measures… No matter what stage of life you’re in. There are easy ways to start preventing—and reversing—stress today.
One trick is to eat more spinach to cope with stress. It’s high in magnesium. This mineral helps calm you. It also helps your body produce the hormone melatonin. Getting more melatonin is a great way to let your mind and body relax. And here’s one you may not have heard of…
Try supplementing with ashwagandha. It’s an ancient Ayurvedic herb. Taking it can help your body adapt to any stressful situation you encounter… Whether it’s at work or not. You can find it in most health food stores and online.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
Like this Article? Forward this article here or Share on Facebook.
References:
1http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/job-stress.aspx
2http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/job-stress.aspx
3http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289969.php
4http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299142.php
5Ibid
6Idem