HYPOTHALAMUS IS THIS THE KEY TO ANTI-AGEING?

An interesting article in the 'DAILY MAIL' today about the hypothalamus, I've written quite a bit on here on this amazing area of the brain. The Hypothalamus is our most primitive area of the brain and the home of our moods and emotions, it is also the area of the brain that controls homoeostasis in the body, in other words, it regulates every thing that goes on in the body, balances body chemistry, hormone levels etc. so it stands to reason how it could be involved in ageing. It will be interesting to see further research on this amazing area of the brain.

Is this the key to eternal youth? Scientists find the brain region that controls ageing - paving the way to turn back the clock

• Signal pathway in the hypothalamus controls ageing throughout the body
• Signalling can be altered to slow ageing process and increase longevity
• Hormone made in the hypothalamus also slows ageing so injecting it into mice increases their lifespan

Scientists are a step closer to finding the key to eternal youth after discovering a single region of the brain may control the ageing process

For generations, we have tried, and failed, to find the key to eternal youth.
But scientists think they may now be one step closer to unlocking the secret.
New research has found that a single region of the brain may control the ageing process.
Researchers believe that the hypothalamus – the area of the brain which controls hunger, thirst, body temperature and fatigue - may be the ‘fountain of ageing’, controlling how the body declines over time.
They say they have discovered a specific age-related signalling pathway which opens up new strategies for combating diseases of old age and extending lifespan.
Senior author Professor Dongsheng Cai, at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the United States, said: ‘Scientists have long wondered whether ageing occurs independently in the body's various tissues or if it could be actively regulated by an organ in the body.
‘It's clear from our study that many aspects of ageing are controlled by the hypothalamus.
‘What's exciting is that it's possible - at least in mice - to alter signalling within the hypothalamus to slow down the ageing process and increase longevity.’
The hypothalamus, located deep within the brain, is known to play fundamental roles in growth, development, reproduction and metabolism.

 

Professor Cai suspected that the hypothalamus might also play a key role in ageing through the influence it exerts throughout the body.
He said: ‘As people age you can detect inflammatory changes in various tissues.
‘Inflammation is also involved in various age-related diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, neurological disease and many types of cancer.’

Researchers believe that the hypothalamus - the area of the brain which controls hunger, thirst, body temperature and fatigue - may be the 'fountain of ageing'

Over several years, Professor Cai and his research colleagues showed that inflammatory changes in the hypothalamus can give rise to various components of metabolic syndrome - a combination of health problems that can lead to heart disease and diabetes.
To find out how the hypothalamus might affect ageing, they decided to study hypothalamic inflammation by focusing on one protein complex.
Professor Cai said: ‘Inflammation involves hundreds of molecules, and this one sits right at the centre of that regulatory map.’
In the latest study, the team showed that activating the protein complex pathway in the hypothalamus of mice significantly accelerated the development of ageing, as shown by various physiological, cognitive and behavioural tests.
He said: ‘The mice showed a decrease in muscle strength and size, in skin thickness, and in their ability to learn - all indicators of ageing.
‘Activating this pathway promoted systemic ageing that shortened the lifespan.’

Researchers found that blocking a pathway in the hypothalamus (shown in red) increased longevity in mice by about 20 per cent

However, they also found that blocking the pathway in the hypothalamus of mouse brains slowed ageing and increased longevity by about 20 per cent.
The researchers also found that activating the pathway in the hypothalamus caused declines in levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is made in the hypothalamus.
Suspecting that reduced release of GnRH from the brain might contribute to whole-body ageing, the researchers injected the hormone into aged mice and made the striking observation that the hormone injections protected them from the impaired neurogenesis – creation of new neurons - associated with ageing.
When aged mice received daily GnRH injections for a prolonged period, the therapy exerted benefits that included the slowing of age-related cognitive decline, probably the result of neurogenesis.
Professor Cai said preventing the hypothalamus from causing inflammation and increasing neurogenesis via GnRH therapy are two potential strategies for increasing lifespan and treating age-related diseases.

WORRYING CAN MAKE YOU ILL

This article below mine comes from the 'Daily Mail' and I have been saying this for years. The article talks about levels of C-reactive protein rising in the blood, but that's not all that happens in the body. Worrying and stress was nature's way of keeping us alert and reacting to danger quickly, however we don't have the same stresses today as way back in our ancestory.

 

Well this goes way back to the times when we were developing as humans and in early periods in history. The body's chemistry was designed to protect us with "The fight or flight response". For example man sees a big bear approach what does he do? he either tackles it or he runs off. Nature is very clever and gives us the capacity to do this. However in 2011 we no longer have the bears, wolves, etc. (ok some of you may) like of yesteryear we have different stresses. Your work colleagues or your neighbours may annoy you but you can't fight them, nor can you run away, but you can learn to deal and dissipate your stress levels so that it doesn't impinge on your health.

But firstly we need to deal with the science bit for if we understand the physiology of stress we're half way there to solving the impact stress has on our lives.

THE SCIENCE BIT

Deep within the brain we have an area known as the Hypothalamus (1), its the home of our moods and emotions and a very primitive part of the brain. The Hypothalamus is also the area that maintains equilibrium in our bodies and it maintains and regulates every bit of our body's chemistry. It is the area that controls the Endocrine system, it forms part of the Autonomic Nervous System and part of the Limbic System. It is Hypothalmus that is the key to managing stress and all its detrimental effects on our mind and body. It is directly through this area that the holistic therapy Aromatherapy works and is managed by other holistic therapies.

Since the Hypothalamus is the home of moods and emotions anything that affects these will influence the Hypothalamus, thus will have an effect on the body's equilibrium.

Now if we are stressed and modern stressors are not the same as those stressors we had as we were evolving as humans, they still have the same effect resulting in "the fight or flight response"

(1)The Role of the Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls the endocrine system.

The Pituitary gland lies beneath the Hypothalamus and it is this that controls the other endocrine glands.

The Hypothalamus receives information about the Homeostasis (balance) of the body, this is achieved by two means:

The blood circulation i.e. temperature, blood glucose levels and hormone levels

The nervous system i.e. The Autonomic Nervous system i.e. the part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions e.g. breathing, heart rate etc. and mental and emotional states, our feelings: these influence ‘automatic responses’ e.g. ‘The fear, flight response’

The Hypothalamus responds to these changes by:

Secreting Hormones (chemical messengers) that regulate hormones to be released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary

The hypothalamus also directly releases hormones via the Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary , Vasopressin (ADH) and Oxytocin

And by stimulating a nerve response to the ‘Central Nervous System’ (Brain & spinal Cord)

SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE?

Moods/emotions affect the hypothalamus, the hypothalamus evokes a reaction on the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces Adrenocorticotropic hormone this in turn targets the adrenal glands causing them to secrete Cortisone, Cortisone in turn effects the kidneys causing a rise in blood pressure by causing changes in the amount of salt secreted, this hormone causes the body to retain salt. Now remember the Hypothalamus one of its jobs is to maintain the body's equilibrium, it detects a rise in salt levels in the blood so to keep balance it causes the body to retain fluid, it is this retained fluid that increases blood pressure. At the same time, the Hypothalamus being part of the Central Nervous System evokes what is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System this diverts blood away from the digestive system and to lesser important body structures such as the skin and concentrates the blood to the heart, lungs and muscles. Simultaneously this nervous response influences the adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin and Noradrenalin, it is these hormones that induces vasoconstriction (reduces the blood supply) to the skin and peripheral tissues, thus also raising blood pressure.

Now this is putting it simply there are a few other processes also going on to increase blood sugar to give the body fuel to either run off or fight, Corticotrophic hormones influence the pancreas to secrete glucagon this has the opposite effect as insulin.

When the stress is over the Parasympathetic Nervous reverses the process again it is the Hyptholamus that instigates this.

Obviously its much more complex than this and I have focused on a few key hormones as it the action of these hormones that affects our well-being, the ageing process and blood pressure.

The fight or flight response was not designed to last forever it was meant ti instigate an action to deal with an aggressor, be it a wild animal or in a fight with an attacker therein lies the problem modern stressors tends to be work, work colleagues etc. the stress becomes long acting, this kind of reaction is fine in the short term but very detrimental to the body in the long term.

Take Cortisone, it has a damaging effect on specialised cells within the dermis (the skin), fibroblasts, these cells produce collagen and elastin, it is collagen and elastin that gives our skin elasticity and support. Adrenalin reduces blood supply to the peripheral tissues, such as the skin and hair, therefore, these structures do not receive adequate nourishment from the blood. So the effect of long term stress affects the skin resulting in ageing of the skin. However the skin is the least of our problems, those same hormones are responsible for raising the blood pressure, (fine if its short term) long term it put's strain on the heart having to pump harder, this in turn puts stress on the arteries and the tiny arteries (arterioles) within the kidneys and can cause damage to them. The raised blood pressure can lead to strokes and the circulating Cortisone as well as damaging the fibroblasts in the skin damages specialised white blood cells the T-lymphocytes which are instrumental in keeping our immune system healthy and enabling us to fight infection. The immune system is also responsible for destroying rogue mutant cells that can induce cancer. 

This stress response was only designed to be for the short term and it works very well in this way to protect us from danger. But you need to ask yourself what are you worrying about? what will it achieve? My personal philosophy is this: if I can do something to alleviate my worry, I will strive to do this or seek help if I can't do so myself, if however no one can help what is the point of worrying, what will it achieve? as we can see ill health and we don't need this as well. The other part of my philosophy is this: thoughts are energy and like attracts 'like' in the universe, so negative thinking will attract negative energy and situations to us and likewise positive thoughts attract positive energy and situations to us. So it is true dwelling on stressful events can weaken your immune system and make you ill. However 'Daily Mail' and researchers us in Holistic Medicine have known this for decades

********

Article below from the 'Daily Mail'

Are you a born worrier? Just dwelling on stressful events can weaken your immune system and make you ill

• Researchers at Ohio University studied 34 healthy young women
• They were asked to give a speech about her candidacy for a job
• Half of the group was asked to contemplate their performance
• For this half of the group levels of an inflammatory marker rose

Worrying too much about stressful events can trigger inflammation, according to a new study.

Researchers found dwelling on negative events can increase levels of inflammation in the body.

They discovered that when study participants were asked to ruminate on a stressful incident, their levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of tissue inflammation, rose.

The study is the first time to directly measure this effect in the body.

Worrying too much? Researchers found dwelling on negative events can increase levels of inflammation in the body

Study lead author Peggy Zoccola, an assistant professor of psychology at Ohio University in the United States, said: 'Much of the past work has looked at this in non-experimental designs.

'Researchers have asked people to report their tendency to ruminate, and then looked to see if it connected to physiological issues. It's been correlational for the most part.'

The research team recruited 34 healthy young women to participate in the project. 

 

Each woman was asked to give a speech about her candidacy for a job to two interviewers in white laboratory coats, who listened with 'stone-faced' expressions.

Half of the group was asked to contemplate their performance in the public speaking task, while the other half was asked to think about neutral images and activities, such as sailing ships or grocery store trips.

The researchers drew blood samples that showed that the levels of C-reactive protein were significantly higher in the subjects who were asked to dwell on the speech.

The study found that when study participants were asked to ruminate on a stressful incident, their levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of tissue inflammation, rose

For these participants, the levels of the inflammatory marker continued to rise for at least one hour after the speech.

During the same time period, the marker returned to starting levels in the subjects who had been asked to focus on other thoughts.

The C-reactive protein is primarily produced by the liver as part of the immune system's initial inflammatory response.

It rises in response to traumas, injuries or infections in the body.

C-reactive protein is widely used as a clinical marker to determine if a patient has an infection, but also if he or she may be at risk for disease later in life.

Doctor Zoccola said: 'More and more, chronic inflammation is being associated with various disorders and conditions.

'The immune system plays an important role in various cardiovascular disorders such as heart disease, as well as cancer, dementia and autoimmune diseases.'

Now Dr Zoccola is working with Fabian Benencia in Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and Lauren Mente, a registered nurse and graduate student in the School of Nursing, to investigate the effect of rumination on additional inflammation markers.

She also hopes to study the issue in other populations, such as older adults, who might be vulnerable to rumination and health problems.

She was due to present the findings at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Miami.

STRESS IS AS DAMAGING TO YOUR HEART AS SMOKING FIVE CIGARETTES A DAY

Stress and how it affects us 

We need stress for without it we'd have no motivation to do anything. Imagine this scenario: you've suddenly acquired a vast amount of money on the lottery, riches beyond your wildest dreams. So what's the first thing you do? likelihood you give up your job, people often find their jobs as stressful. You've got enough money so you don't need to work. That makes you feel less stressed, or so you think. Of course you buy the big house, the cars, the boat, designer wardrobe and you party. You really think you have it made. There comes a point though when you can have anything you want, you don't have to work for it, there's no sense of achievement, no goal in sight. You don't have to cook or clean what do you do all day? eventually you will run out of ideas and you will become bored, you will have no motivation to do or achieve anything. Stress is a catch 22 situation if you have no motivation, you become depressed and bored, the days are long that equals stress. So a certain amount of stress is necessary to motivate us and stimulate us and give us a reason to be here and a sense of accomplishment this can be seen simply as this:

Stress = Motivation > Stimulation > Accomplishment = Satisfaction

Stress The dictionary definition of stress is: a constraining or impelling force, effort or demand upon physical or mental energy. A stressor is a person or situation that makes you become stressed. We are more likely to suffer stress in society today than that of our ancestors. 70% of all illness to day is now directly attributed to stress. Modern society with all its pressures traffic congestion, over-crowding, noise, fears and general uncertainties about work, mortgages and family life present situation after situation where the state of stress is ever present. Stress is an everyday part of modern life, everyone experiences at sometime or another and everyday stresses are not necessarily harmful. A certain about of stress keeps us motivated and stimulated to make life more enjoyable and interesting. It is the effect of long-term stress that can be positively harmful to our bodies.

When do stress levels become harmful? 

The factors that seem to make any situation dangerously stressful are:

• Lack of predictability

• Lack of control

• Lack of outlets for frustration

For when these elements are present even simple situations can become stressful and produce a reaction that is completely out of proportion to the cause. It is not the situation but our reaction to it that creates the stress in our lives. The problem with us humans we have this tendency to dwell on the past and worry about the future and this takes our attention away from the present. Yet it is in the present moment that we have the greatest clarity to deal with any situation. We should enjoy our life in the present for in holding on to the past and holding back the future we create fear and ultimately stress. Growth in our lives is usually preceded by change the problem is handling change can be difficult in the short term and life-changing events such as:

• Bereavement

• Moving House

• Debt

• Ill Health

• Difficult Relationships

• Stressful Work

• Family Problems Have been identified as the most likely to cause negative or harmful stress.

Even positive events such as:

• Marriage

• Pregnancy

• A child starting school or University May cause you stress and can ultimately lead to illness.

Your personality and coping mechanisms will largely determine how you deal with these daily stresses and strains.

WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE ARE STRESSED?

Well this goes way back to the times when we were developing as humans and in early periods in history. The body's chemistry was designed to protect us with "The fight or flight response". For example man sees a big bear approach what does he do? he either tackles it or he runs off. Nature is very clever and gives us the capacity to do this. However in 2011 we no longer have the bears, wolves, etc. (ok some of you may) like of yesteryear we have different stresses. Your work colleagues or your neighbours may annoy you but you can't fight them, nor can you run away, but you can learn to deal and dissipate your stress levels so that it doesn't impinge on your health.

But firstly we need to deal with the science bit for if we understand the physiology of stress we're half way there to solving the impact stress has on our lives.

THE SCIENCE BIT

Deep within the brain we have an area known as the Hypothalamus (1), its the home of our moods and emotions and a very primitive part of the brain. The Hypothalamus is also the area that maintains equilibrium in our bodies and it maintains and regulates every bit of our body's chemistry. It is the area that controls the Endocrine system, it forms part of the Autonomic Nervous System and part of the Limbic System. It is Hypothalmus  that is the key to managing stress and all its detrimental effects on our mind and body. It is directly through this area that the holistic therapy Aromatherapy works and is managed by other holistic therapies.

 Since the Hypothalamus is the home of moods and emotions anything that affects these will influence the Hypothalamus, thus will have an effect on the body's equilibrium.

Now if we are stressed and modern stressors are not the same as those stressors we had as we were evolving as humans, they still have the same effect resulting in "the fight or flight response"

(1)The Role of the Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls the endocrine system.

The Pituitary gland lies beneath the Hypothalamus  and it is this that controls the other endocrine glands.

The Hypothalamus receives information about the Homeostasis (balance) of the body, this is achieved by two means:

• The blood circulation i.e. temperature, blood glucose levels and hormone levels
• The nervous system i.e. The Autonomic Nervous system i.e. the part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions e.g. breathing, heart rate etc. and mental and emotional states, our feelings: these influence ‘automatic responses’ e.g. ‘The fear, flight response’

The Hypothalamus responds to these changes by:

• Secreting Hormones (chemical messengers) that regulate hormones to be released by the anterior lobe of the pituitary
• The hypothalamus also directly releases hormones via the Posterior Lobe of the Pituitary , Vasopressin (ADH) and Oxytocin
• And by stimulating a nerve response to the ‘Central Nervous System’ (Brain & spinal Cord)

SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE?

Moods/emotions affect the hypothalamus, the hypothalamus evokes a reaction on the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces Adrenocorticotropic hormone this in turn targets the adrenal glands causing them to secrete Cortisone, Cortisone in turn effects the kidneys causing a rise in blood pressure by causing changes in the amount of salt secreted, this hormone causes the body to retain salt. Now remember the Hypothalamus one of its jobs is to maintain the body's equilibrium, it detects a rise in salt levels in the blood so to keep balance it causes the body to retain fluid, it is this retained fluid that increases blood pressure. At the same time, the Hypothalamus being part of the Central Nervous System evokes what is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System this diverts blood away from the digestive system and to lesser important body structures such as the skin and concentrates the blood to the heart, lungs and muscles. Simultaneously this nervous response influences the adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin and Noradrenalin, it is these hormones that induces vasoconstriction (reduces the blood supply) to the skin and peripheral tissues, thus also raising blood pressure.

Now this is putting it simply there are a few other processes also going on to increase blood sugar to give the body fuel to either run off or fight, Corticotrophic hormones influence the pancreas to secrete glucagon this has the opposite effect as insulin.

When the stress is over the Parasympathetic Nervous reverses the process again it is the Hyptholamus that instigates this.

Obviously its much more complex than this and I have focused on a few key hormones as it the action of these hormones that affects our well-being, the ageing process and blood pressure.

The fight or flight response was not designed to last forever it was meant ti instigate an action to deal with an aggressor, be it a wild animal or in a fight with an attacker therein lies the problem modern stressors tends to be work, work colleagues etc. the stress becomes long acting, this kind of reaction is fine in the short term but very detrimental to the body in the long term.

Take Cortisone, it has a damaging effect on specialised cells within the dermis (the skin), fibroblasts, these cells produce collagen and elastin, it is collagen and elastin that gives our skin elasticity and support. Adrenalin reduces blood supply to the peripheral tissues, such as the skin and hair, therefore, these structures do not receive adequate nourishment from the blood. So the effect of long term stress affects the skin resulting in ageing of the skin

A SOLUTION FOR STRESS, YOU WILL FIND THIS IN THIS SECTION

All Holistic therapies are excellent at dealing with stress and since the choice is vast you can be sure to find one that will suit you

ARTICLE FROM THE DAILY MAIL BELOW

Being stressed is as damaging for your heart as smoking five cigarettes a day 

• People who reported feeling stressed were 27 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack 
• Stress raises blood pressure and levels of 'bad' cholesterol
• Researchers liken the effect to smoking five cigarettes a day - and the effect gets worse as we age

Are you stressed? If so, your chances of heading to an early grave are significantly higher.
New research has found that people who reported feeling anxious and overwhelmed were 27 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack.
The study, led by Columbia University Medical Centre researchers, was published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

American researchers found people who reported feeling stressed were 27 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack

The researchers looked at six previous studies where people had been asked about their perceived stress with questions such as ‘how stressed do you feel?’ and ‘how often are you stressed?’.
The groups were separated into high and low stress scores and then followed for 14 years to track the number of heart attacks .

Those who were the most stressed were 27 per cent more likely to have a heart attack.
The effect of stress was so profound that the researchers compared it to smoking more five cigarettes a day.
It was also likened to a 2.8mmol/l increase in LDL cholesterol and a 2.7/1.4 mmHg increase in blood pressure.
The British Heart Foundation says that people who are at high risk of, or already have, heart disease should aim for an LDL cholesterol level under 2 mmol/l.

Stress has also been found to increase levels of 'bad' cholesterol and blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease

Therefore, it says the figures suggest a 2.8mmol/l rise is more than double the recommended cholesterol levels for heart and stroke patients.
A healthy blood pressure reading should be below 140/90mmHg.
LDL cholesterol is considered a risk for heart disease that can lead to heart attack because it contributes for narrowing of the arteries that supply blood flow to the heart from plaque buildup, or atherosclerosis.
Higher blood pressure puts stress on the heart and contributes to stiffening of the arteries, making them more susceptible to blockage. It is  thought to be responsible for 50 per cent of all heart attacks and strokes.
The researchers did further analysis to try to learn what might unpin the link between stress and heart disease. They found that while gender was not a significant factor, age was.
Among older people, the relationship between stress and CHD was stronger, suggesting the effects of stress compound over time.
They also noted that older people tend to have worse risk factors such as high blood pressure and raised cholesterol to begin with, and that stress may interact with those risk factors to trigger a heart attack.
‘These findings are significant because they are applicable to nearly everyone,’ said study author Safiya Richardson.
‘The key takeaway (message) is that how people feel is important for their heart health, so anything they can do to reduce stress may improve their heart health in the future.’
Her co-author, Donald Edmondson, assistant professor of behavioural medicine at CUMC added:  ‘This is the most precise estimate of that relationship, and it gives credence to the widely held belief that general stress is related to heart health.’
Heart disease is Britain’s biggest killer. Around 270,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack every year and and nearly one in three die before they reach hospital.
www.bhf.org.uk

Maggie Brown (Author)

Visit Amazon's Maggie Brown Page

Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

Top Stories

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS "THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM"

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM PART ONE

DIAGRAM OF THE ENDOCRINE GLANDS

It is often said that it is the Pituitary Gland that controls the Endocrine system however this is not strictly true although it plays a big part in it. It is the area of the brain known as the Hypothalamus that maintains homeostasis (balance) within the body and one of its functions is to regulate the pituitary gland. You can see from the diagram above the Endocrine system organs which are known as ductless glands meaning their hormones (chemical messengers) are excreted directly into the blood and not through a duct. 

As the Hypothalamus is trying to maintain balance within the body it is constantly check our blood analysing what's needed to help it function at its best so if it detects a fall in certain hormones it will send a message to the pituitary gland say and that pituitary gland will send a hormone to its target organ for example Thyroid Stimulating Hormone that is then excreted into the blood stream to target the Thyroid gland to produce Thyroxine, the Hypothalamus will be constantly checking levels of Thyroxine in the blood and when the levels are correct, it will send a message to the pituitary gland to stop secreting Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and if the levels drop again the same thing happens all over again. This is known as a 'Feedback System' and that is basically how our hormone levels are maintained.

Obviously the subject matter of the Endocrine system is vast and I am only giving the basics and keeping it simple but one thing that affects us all is stress and the endocrine system really is worked.

CORTISOL OFTEN KNOWN AS THE 'STRESS HORMONE' 

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced within the adrenal cortex in the adrenal glands, these are cone shaped organs sitting on top of the kidneys. It's a very important hormone and responsible for proper glucose metabolism, helping regulate blood pressure, has a part to play in insulin and blood sugar levels and is part of the inflammatory response. It's often known as the stress hormone but as you can see that's only part of its functions, and this is because it's secreted in higher levels as part of the 'Fight or Flight response'. When secreted in short bursts its beneficial to the body as due to it's actions, it helps mobilise energy reserves, heightens memory and lowers response to pain. This is how and why it's beneficial in the 'Fight and Flight response', it acts quickly and helps survival, however today's stresses are not the same as yesteryear and therein lies the problem.

When there is prolonged secretion of this hormone, when stress is on going, it causes blood sugar imbalances, affects bone density, causing it to decrease and also causes a decrease in muscle tissue. It raises blood pressure affects the body's immune system making us more susceptible to infection and leads to poor healing. It also causes shifts in body fat by increasing more fat around the abdominal areas and leads to higher levels of cholesterol.

The Hypothalamus & the Relationship to the Endocrine System in ‘Stress’

Below the flow chart illustrates how our minds' emotions and feelings trigger a reaction in the Hypothalamus to instigate what happens in the 'Fight or Flight' response. The Hypothalamus then in turn influences both the Autonomic Nervous System and the Endocrine system. This is fine short term it helps us cope in dangerous scenarios and was designed as a protective response, however the stresses of today are not those of yesteryear. No harm comes to our bodies in the short term, this is not the case in long term stress. All is not lost for there are ways we can influence the Hypothalamus to prevent the long term damaging effects of stress on our health. I shall be exploring this under Holistic Therapies. 

Maggie Brown (Author)

Visit Amazon's Maggie Brown Page

Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

Top Stories

STRESS AND THE EFFECT IT HAS ON OUR HEALTH (STRESS PART ONE)

STRESS AND OUR HEALTH

The human body is very clever and nature has really thought of everything. One of the reason's why I loved teaching anatomy and physiology was how amazing and wonderful,l how cleverly crafted and designed it is. Anyone can remember anatomy by rote but it is understanding the physiology that brings anatomy to life and it makes the anatomy easier to remember. When you begin to understand the body's physiology you will become hooked and want to know more. It is all the more amazing when you realise what happens in our bodies during stress.

As we evolved as humans like most animals we had predators but nature being clever it gave us a mechanism to enable to deal with predators and danger for when we lived a simple life, it was this that caused us stress, this is known as "The Fight or Flight Response".

What this fight or flight response did was to make us super human for a short space of time, it gave us an extra boost of energy, it raised our heart rate, boosted blood flow to the muscles, so we could run away fast or give us the strength to fight off our predators and increased our oxygen levels so our muscle cells, both in the heart and skeletal muscles could function properly, like so.

The most primitive part of our brains is known as the 'Hypothalamus' it is this part of our brain that maintains homeostasis in the body, in other words regulates everything, it is the home of our moods and emotions and our drive and an important part of its job is to regulate our hormones, these are chemical messengers that target various organs in our bodies to achieve an effect. We can influence our hypothalamus via holistic therapies more about this later.

When we are frightened this evokes a reaction within the hypothalamus, now its a long time since we've had to cope with being a victim of predators and the stress that caused but we do have other stressors, as far as the body is concerned the stress of work, not having enough money or an argument with a partner, its all stress and we can expect the body to react in the same way as we evolved as humans. Therein lies the problem, life was simpler all these years ago, we hunted for food, we didn't have the society as we do now, we didn't have to keep up with 'The Jones's' as we do now coveting the latest gadgets and cars and not having the money to pay for them. As a result we are switched on to 'The fight or flight syndrome' for longer than nature really intended and this mechanism was only designed to be in use for a set period not the length of time it is today. The trouble is, how can you compare being chased by a hungry tiger to that of your work colleagues annoying you? In my opinion I would say the stress of having a tiger chasing me was the real stress and not the latter. I feel as humans we have somehow allowed ourselves to become more easily stressed for longer and we don't know how to switch this stress mechanism off.

To understand how stress affects the body you need to understand the physiology of what actually goes on in the body. Now anxiety, fear etc is felt in the hypothalamus it has a two fold reaction.

HYPOTHALAMUS

has two actions

1 Hypothalamus releases a hormone to the anterior lobe of the Pituitary gland to stimulate it to produce Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH)	2 Fight or flight response Sympathetic Nervous Response
ACTH targets the Adrenal cortex (Adrenal glands) to produce Mineralcorticoids and Glucocorticoids and this can also trigger the release of more Androgens	Activates Adrenal Medulla to release Adrenaline and Noradrenaline
It is the Mineralcorticoids and the Glucocorticoids which sustain the effects of stress by keeping the blood pressure raised. Glucocorticoids also release more sugar into the blood to give the bodies cells more energy to deal with the stress	These hormones increase the heart rate and blood pressure by constriction of the very small arteries (arterioles) in the body diverting blood flow away from the less important organs in the body i.e. The skin and hair and keeps the blood to the core important organs such as the heart, lungs and brain. Adrenaline also keeps the brain alert to enable a fast response to danger
However if this stress continues for a long period the increased blood pressure which is sustained due to the effects of the release of mineralcorticoids impairs the body's immune system, it has an effect of decreasing the body's inflammatory response as this hormone affects the body's electrolyte balance (salts) Glucocorticoids whilst initially releasing more sugar into the blood as fuel can instigate type 2 Diabetes and thus poor healing if this continues for a long time. These corticoid hormones damage Fibrocytes, it is these cells which produce collagen and elastin so skin is damaged, losing its elasticity and firmness Increased Androgens (a knock on effect of the other adrenal hormones being produced) can stimulate masculine hair growth patterns and stimulate the oil glands in the skin causing spots	Adrenaline increases the blood pressure, increases the heart rate Sympathetic nervous system diverts blood from the less important organs such as the skin and hair and the digestive system to the muscles, lungs and heart and makes the mind very alert

Now nature never designed this system to go on indefinately it was only meant for short term use to protect us from danger, so can you now see how stress can affect our health, by impairing our immune system (the corticoid hormones damage T-lymphocytes and important part of our immune system) and how long term stress raises the blood pressure, straining the heart and can lead to kidney damage and strokes. It also has a detrimental effect on our skin and hair by reducing blood flow and damaging collagen and elastin, and impairs our digestion. The adrenaline prevents us from switching off and relaxing and impairs sleep. 

However all is not lost there are effective ways in reducing stress and alleviating all these effects and I shall write about this soon.

Maggie Brown (Author)

Visit Amazon's Maggie Brown Page

Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

Top Stories

AQUIRING A MUFFIN TOP IS A WARNING YOU ARE DAMAGING YOUR HEALTH

Not a new story, the one below as it has been well documented in the past fat carried around the abdomen is unhealthy as fat there is likely to be around the heart. On the whole men are more prone to fat around their abdomen than women and this is because of female hormones. Oestrogen causes fat to be distributed around the hips and thighs and gives women, their curvy shape. This fat placement is designed to sustain pregnancy and breast feeding and indeed women who breast feed regain the figures back easier and quicker than those who don't. Whilst we are on the subject it's not breast feeding that causes breast tissue to droop but pregnancy and not wearing the correctly fitting bras as the "Coopers ligaments" the natural bra, within the breast tissue can become over stretched and once this happens no amount of exercise, breast firming creams will help. Prevention is the best policy here.

When women go through the menopause, the amount of oestrogen is diminished, the fatty tissue and adrenal glands still produce a little but not enough to prevent menopause, however due to the ratio of androgens (male hormones and both sexes produce a little of male and female hormones) becomes higher than female hormones as a result there is a shift in fat distribution. Post menopausal women will notice their waist will become thicker and they will store more weight on their abdomens than their hips. They will also find their bottoms become flatter due to this redistribution as a result they are more prone to heart disease than pre menopause. The effect of oestrogen protects women more from heart disease and this is largely down to the way fat is stored.

Now to compound things a bit further one of the things heavy, binge drinking does, it causes more androgens to be produced in women over time, this will have an effect on the female to male hormone ratio as a result more fat will be distributed in the and around the abdomens in females, obviously it goes without saying this makes them more prone to heart disease as this fat is going to collect around the coronary arteries. Alcohol of any description is high in calories too.

If you have read previous articles I have posted on this blog and you can find them on here by going to the stress section, the effects of stress long term on the body due to high levels of cortisone (stress hormones) causes a change in weight distribution also, with more fat being stored around the abdomen also.

Young women because of their lifestyles where they are drinking more than ever and the effects of today's stresses are now finding they are more prone to heart disease than ever before. Many women who have families now go out to work, nothing wrong with that, but due to time constraints rely on convenience foods and these are often high in salt and fat and MSG, (I have a blog on this here too how MSG stimulates the appetite). With a little planning it is possible to balance a full time job and a family and eat healthily. And with the use of a freezer you can prepare in advance your own convenience store of food when you are in a hurry. Don't overlook the humble slow cooker either, nor are seasonal vegetables expensive, so there is no excuse really. Even for those who say time prevents them from preparing vegetables  frozen vegetables are often higher in vitamin content than fresh as frozen vegetables are picked very fresh and frozen immediately and thus the vitamin content is locked in. How can anybody say they dislike fruit, its naturally sweet, which has the right kind of unrefined sugars, seasonal fruit is not expensive, its high in vitamins and roughage so is filling and what preparation is needed little if any.

Frankly it's just too easy to reach for that biscuit, which really is what I term 'empty calories' in other wards there is no nutritional value in them, likewise cakes and sweets. The trouble is when you get into this cycle of sweet quick fixes, it often results in weight gain. Every time you reach for that sweet, yes it will make you feel better momentarily but you are doing your pancreas no favours in the long run. For every time you eat refined sugars your poor pancreas has to produce insulin to counteract this so you end up with a pattern of blood sugar highs and lows and it is in these lows your body craves sugar and thus another biscuit. In time this can affect the pancreas and can instigate type 2 Diabetes in later life and in this generation we have action found type 2 Diabetes in over weight children.

So next time you reach for that bag of salty, fatty crisps (and too much salt raises the blood pressure, there is a blog on that here somewhere) or biscuit, think of the muffin top and all that fat furring up and blocking your arteries. Tip print the pic below and  tape it to your biscuit tin

'Muffin Tops' or a beer belly double heart disease risk

Having a ‘modest’ beer belly or muffin top can double the risk of dying from heart disease or strokes, say scientists.
A U.S. study of nearly 16,000 patients with coronary heart disease found that a layer of flab around the stomach can be as dangerous as smoking a packet of cigarettes a day or having very high cholesterol.
The findings add to the evidence that heart problems and furred arteries are not just linked to how much fat people have - but also to the location of the fat.

Danger: A study of nearly 16,000 patients coronary heart disease found that a layer of flab around the stomach can be as dangerous as smoking a packet of cigarettes a day or having very high cholesterol

Past studies have shown that ‘apple-shaped’ women with fat around their waists are at greater risk than ‘pear-shaped’ women whose fat is on their hips.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, looked at data from 15,923 patients with coronary heart disease. They found that those with fat around their waists were twice as likely to die from the disease.
Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, said that fat around the waist was more metabolically active.

'It produces more chances in cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar,' he said. 'However, people who have fat mostly in other locations in the body, specifically the legs and buttocks, don't show this increased risk.'
Doctors often assess a patient's risk of coronary artery disease by looking at their body mass index - a measure that takes into account someone's weight and height.
However, the study authors say doctors should advise patients with heart disease with normal BMIs to shed weight if they have a large waist or high waist-to-hip ratio.
The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1382805/Muffin-Tops-beer-belly-double-heart-disease-risk.html#ixzz1LNBYhy3e

Maggie Brown (Author)

Visit Amazon's Maggie Brown Page

Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

Top Stories