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 | | GOOD MOOD FOODS | | | FORTITECH | | 21/05/2008 | | | Stress and Health
The experience of lifestyle stress and its impact on health and well-being is shared by people on a global basis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 500 million people suffer from stress worldwide. In Europe, 17% of people believe that stress is the most important risk factor to health. According to statistics from a Roper Starch Worldwide Survey of 30,000 people, ages 13 to 65, in 30 different countries, the highest degree of stress is felt by women who are working full-time and have children under the age of 13. It is reported that worldwide, female executives and professionals, and 19% of their male counterparts are "super-stressed." The US Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, found that 25 to 40% of American workers have experienced stress-related job burnout, causing a loss in corporate productivity at a cost of up to $300 billion, annually, in stress-related compensation. The push for increased productivity and lower labor costs has fueled employment in sweatshops in developing countries, as well as call centers in India, creating additional sources of stress amidst already challenging living conditions. Even cultures known for having a daytime rest, i.e., siestas, are falling victim to the globalization of stress factors.
The physical manifestations of stress are major contributors to several leading causes of death, including heart disease and cancer. Annually, there are 17 million deaths from heart disease and about 8 million per year, worldwide, from cancer. Physical and emotional stress beyond normal limits compromises the immune system, creates memory loss, and is correlated with obesity, depression and suicide. Common stress-related ailments also include headaches, upset stomach, back pain and trouble sleeping. It has been estimated that one in 20 adults, throughout the world, suffer from a headache every day. People with chronic headaches are three times more likely to suffer from depression.
Good Nutrition as a Key Strategy in Stress Management
While people cannot always control their environmental stress, good nutrition is emerging as a key strategy for stress management. A properly balanced diet may improve mood, stress level, brain function and energy level.
Nutrient deficiencies related to stress:
It is important for everyone to maintain optimal nutrition for proper growth and development, to ward off infections, and to decrease the risk of developing chronic disease. Various studies have shown that people with depression or other mood-related conditions can have lower blood levels of many nutrients, including zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Additionally, common health conditions, such as glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes, can be significant factors affecting mood. Given the worldwide rising tide of obesity and type 2 diabetes, we are likely to see many more people grappling with mood problems besides the 20 million people already suffering with type 2 diabetes and currently at increased risk of developing mood disorders. Currently, there are 400 million people in the world who are obese and many more who are overweight. By the year 2015, there will be 700 million obese people in the world. Additionally, many people just do not get enough sleep due to the heavy demands of their work schedule, work-related disruption of their sleep schedules, or one or more of the 100 identified sleep disorder conditions. Moreover, depression is often associated with insomnia.
Nutrients and bioactive factors related to stress management:
Nutrients and bioactive factors found in food, and some botanicals, can have important effects by influencing cognitive functioning and mood. For example, more than 20 different nutrients and bioactive factors can be found in published scientific literature that have positive effects on mood when they are given as a dietary supplement in human clinical trials (Table 1).
Table 1. Factors Found to Have a Positive Effect on Mood in Human Clinical Trials
- Foods and Nutrients:
Glucose; Complex Carbohydrates; Chocolate; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; Phytoestrogens; Creatine; Selenium; Zinc; Chromium; Magnesium; Vitamin D; High-dose Vitamin B-1, B-2, B-6; Multivitamins-minerals
- Botanicals and Bioactives:
St. John’s Wort; Ginseng; Kava-Kava; Black Cohosh; GBE (Ginkgo Biloba Extract);
Probiotics; Caffeine; Phosphatidylserine
Mood clearly impacts food choices that we make and mood enhancement is an important function of food. Today’s consumer wants foods that boost energy, counteract stress, help to relax and aid in sleep. A successful functional mood altering food product should be proven to be effective in delivering benefits, safe for consumption, highly palatable, pleasant smelling, properly labeled, safe and easily available. It should also provide comfort and pleasure, as well as health benefits. There may also be potential to motivate healthier eating through the use of food products that enhance mood and thereby dissipate food cravings and assist in the control of comfort eating.
It may be surprising to know that the leading disorders in the US are not diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease, but rather mental disorders such as stress and depression. According to the WHO, depression is the leading cause of disability as measured by YLDs (Years Living with Disability) and the 4th leading contributor to the global burden of disease as determined by DALYS (Disability Adjusted Life Years). By 2020, depression is projected to reach the 2nd place ranking among DALYS, calculated for all ages and both sexes. Today, depression is already the 2nd cause of DALYS in the 15-44 age category for both sexes combined.
Stress affects the immune system, making it difficult to fight off viruses and harmful bacteria. Stress also affects sleeping patterns. According to the National Sleep Foundation, nearly seven out of 10 Americans experience sleep problems. Scientists have found those that suffer from insomnia and other sleep related disorders also experience high levels of stress hormones in the blood.
Eating a healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, incorporating exercise into our daily lives and getting plenty of sleep helps the body deal with stress. Unfortunately, most of us fall short of such a basic approach.
Today’s consumers have pushed the industry to look for natural alternatives to drugs typically prescribed for stress and depression.
Scientific views:
Scientists continue to examine the causes of various mental disorders caused by biological factors. Based on the findings, it is evident that depression correlates to neurotransmitters being out of balance – especially serotonin, which is a natural mood stabilizer and norepinephrine, which is a natural energizer and mental focuser. These neurotransmitters carry nerve signals and messages throughout the brain and the rest of the nervous system. They have a profound effect on mood and self esteem, as well as many other important functions within the body.
Since the deficiency in these neurotransmitters can lead to such conditions as depression, anger, anxiety, sleeplessness, obesity and other serious conditions, many companies are developing products that increase serotonin in the brain. One solution that may help consumers maintain proper brain function is to use foods containing some of the nutrients listed here:
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) -- DHA is the key component in the membrane of brain cells, enhancing the way our brain is able to utilize various chemicals and can turn on the genes that make serotonin to help reduce mood swings and depression. The brain needs omega- 3 fatty acids to form healthy nerve cells. They are also a component of the myelin sheaths which cover the nerves and help to properly send messages.
Tryptophan -- there are certain types of foods that can increase serotonin levels in the brain. Tryptophan is an amino acid found in milk, as well as in many protein rich foods, along with whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit that can increase serotonin levels.
Green tea -- according to research, green tea contains L-theanine, which is said to relax the brain, thereby reducing stress and anxiety with tranquilizing effects. As it is digested in the small intestine, L-theanine stimulates the brain’s production of alpha waves, which makes a person feel relaxed but alert. It also helps with relaxation by stimulating the body to produce other calming amino acids such as dopamine and tryptophan.
Other nutrients that should be considered include:
•Vitamin B complex B1, B3, B6, B12
•Phosphotidylserine (PS)
•Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)
•Acetylcholine
•Ginseng
•Ginkgo
•St. John’s Wort
•S-adenysyl-methionine (SAMe)
•Acetyl L-carnitine
•Choline
As the demands of society continue to grow, so too will the number of cases of over-stressed and depressed individuals. Experts agree that the mood health market has tremendous potential for growth in the future, as consumers prefer products that can safely and naturally improve mood health.
Nutrient effects on serotonin, tryptophan and cortisol levels and stress management:
Over 30 different substances can act as chemical neurotransmitters in the neural synapse, which is the junction point between one neuron and the next. Among these neurotransmitters, serotonin is important for inhibiting pain pathways and the control of mood and sleep. When serotonin levels are too low, depression can set in and patients experience symptoms of grief, unhappiness, despair, and misery. Like other chemical neurotransmitters, serotonin is released from the ends of small neuronal tree-like branches called dendrites that project out from the main body of the neuron. Because some of the serotonin secreted by the dendrites is destroyed during the process of neuronal activation, a new supply of serotonin must be constantly made by the neuron – this is where diet comes in. Diet can affect brain neurotransmitter synthesis.
Serotonin is synthesized from a dietary amino acid called tryptophan. If too little tryptophan is available in the brain, then it may limit the amount of serotonin that gets synthesized, which could lead to feelings of depression and mood and sleep disturbances that increase a person’s ‘stress’ level. A chronic increase in stress will cause the body to secrete a hormone called cortisol. Chronically high levels of cortisol can be detrimental to health and lead to loss of muscle protein, depressed immunity, visceral adiposity (central fat accumulation) and insulin resistance causing glucose intolerance.
This process is controlled by an amino acid transport system that also transports certain neutral amino acids into the brain. As it turns out, these neutral amino acids compete with tryptophan for access to the same brain barrier amino acid transporter, resulting in lower than optimal tryptophan transport across the blood-brain barrier and lower brain tryptophan concentrations. The reduction in availability of tryptophan consequently lowers brain serotonin, which can result in depressed mood and a body stress response.
Consuming carbohydrates causes the body to secrete the hormone insulin from the pancreas. Insulin facilitates the movement of the simple sugar called glucose, derived during digestion from the carbohydrates in a meal, into cells so that it can be burned for energy or stored in a starch-like material called glycogen for later use. Insulin also facilitates the movement of neutral amino acids in the blood, but not tryptophan, into muscle. Interestingly, this movement of neutral amino acids into muscle reduces the level of these amino acids in blood compared to tryptophan. This, in turn, lessens the competition on tryptophan to enter the brain via the amino acid transporter. Higher brain tryptophan concentrations, which occur after consuming a carbohydrate meal, lead to increased brain serotonin production. The higher serotonin levels improve mood and cause a reduction in the stress response, which helps to lower cortisol levels.
Applications and Product Innovations for Delivering Nutritional Ammunition Against Stress
Portable anti-stress products for people on-the-go:
In this busy rush-rush world of ours, we often find ourselves always on-the-go and feeling stressed. Whether you are a mom or dad delivering the kids to after-school programs, a business person rushing to make an airline flight connection or to meet a fast approaching company deadline, we all need nutritional ammunition to fight stress. And, we want it ready-to-eat and in a highly portable and convenient form that fits with our fast-paced lifestyle. There are many such products already in the marketplace and more in the product pipeline designed to accommodate the particular needs of the over-stressed consumer. For example, consider the rocketing popularity of the new “one-shot” yogurt drinks that provide a probiotic boost when needed. Or, the good old standby chocolate-covered breakfast bar that we can easily drop into the kids’ lunch bag, a briefcase or purse so that it’s there when we need it to deliver a wide array of helpful nutrients or bioactive food components that will help us put a little chill into our busy day. Think about all the possibilities that exist in using small, highly portable hard candies or a fortified chewing gum that we could easily pop into our mouth while on-the-go to help replenish those needed good mood nutrients or provide a quick mood pick-me-up during the day.
Challenges in Combining and Delivering Bioavailable Nutrients and Nutrient Combinations for Stress Relief
The key to wide consumer acceptance of any food product is taste. In the end, no matter how good your product might be from a nutritional point of view, if it does not immediately taste good, then the product is doomed from the start. This creates formulation challenges because certain key product ingredients can bring along unpleasant tastes or odors. For example, we know that the long chain fish oils like EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) can be beneficial ingredients in anti-stress products. However, fish oils can be technically difficult to incorporate at functional levels because they can impart an unpleasant ‘fishy’ taste to a product and reduce shelf life by increasing the chances of developing rancidity. However, these and other technical challenges in product development can be overcome by partnering with experts during product development who can help you with the judicious selection of ingredient
sources and strategies for employing appropriate taste masking techniques when needed.
It’s also good to remember that some nutrients just don’t mix well with others. For example, it is well known that certain iron compounds can have unfavorable effects on product quality and consumer acceptance by increasing the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids or other food ingredients. On the other hand, inclusion of suitable amounts of antioxidants, like a vitamin E, is important to protect polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidation. In liquid beverages, adverse interactions between calcium and phosphorus can be tricky and can result in unsightly mineral precipitation products under certain conditions. Finding an experienced fortification team can help to minimize these problems.
Finally, creating an optimal anti-stress product includes more than just designing the best packaging or picking the right logo or product name, although these aspects of product development are clearly important. In the end, it’s going to be what’s inside the product that counts. Whether the consumer comes back again to use your stress fighting product will be determined by their full experience with the product, including its taste, smell, mouth feel, stability and overall emotional appeal, as well as their perception of the anti-stress functionality of the product ingredients. To maximize consumer satisfaction, careful consideration of many of these aspects of the product will be necessary. This includes choosing the right functional anti-stress ingredients, delivering them in the proper amounts and ratios, and choosing the best formulation technologies to achieve the desired manufactured product. To keep up-to-date and to find out more about conditions, nutrients and product applications for anti-stress products and many more types of fortified products log on to fortitech.com. | |
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