Stress (was Re: Another Newbie)

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Stress is defined as

2. The sum of the biological reactions to any adverse stimulus,

physical, mental

or emotional, internal or external, that tends to disturb the

organisms

homeostasis, should these compensating reactions be inadequate or

inappropriate, they may

lead to disorders. The term is also used to refer to the stimuli that

elicit the

reactions.

Eustress is the opposite of stress:

J Psychosom Res. 2004 Mar;56(3):377-9.

Pleasant feeling from watching a comical video enhances free radical-

scavenging

capacity in human whole saliva.

Atsumi T, Fujisawa S, Nakabayashi Y, Kawarai T, Yasui T, Tonosaki K.

OBJECTIVE: Free radicals have been implicated in aging, mutagenesis,

inflammation

and other pathological conditions. .... the relation between a

pleasant feeling as

a psychological eustress and free radical-scavenging capacity (FRSC)

in saliva.

METHODS: Saliva was collected from 27 healthy volunteers. FRSC

before, during and

after watching a cheerful comical video for 30 min was measured ....

RESULTS: The median values of FRSC (micromol/ml) before, at 10 and 20

min during

and after watching the video were 54.5, 66.8, 66.6 and 69.4,

respectively. The FRSC

values obtained after watching the video were significantly higher

than those

before watching it (P<.001). When the FRSC before watching was taken

as 1, the value

for the group that felt " Very good, " " Good " or " Ordinary+Dull " while

watching the

video for 30 min was 1.38, 1.20 or 0.98, respectively (P<.01).

CONCLUSION: Watching a comical video enhanced the FRSC in saliva; in

addition, a

pleasant feeling boosted it even more.

PMID: 15046977 [PubMed - in process]

Do not CRers have high cortisol stress hormone levels? Maybe only

one case, but

my adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates stress

hormones, was high

also (2-11.6 = reference range; my value = 27.9).

http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?query= & action=Search+OMD

ACTH: A peptide hormone that is produced by the anterior pituitary

gland. It

stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete glucocorticoid hormones,

which help cells

synthesise glucose, catabolize proteins, mobilizefree fatty acids and

inhibit

inflammation in allergic responses.

Glucocorticoid: Corticosteroid substances (drugs or hormones) that

are involved in

carbohydrate metabolism by promoting gluconeogenesis and the

formation of glycogen

at the expense of lipid and protein synthesis. They are steroid based

and possess

anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Glucocorticoids

are also

produced normally by the adrenal cortex and provide for the response

to stress.

Al Pater.

>

> > I was let go from my job on the 15th and have enough to pay my

rent

> > and insurance at the end of this month and very little money left.

> > This was a total surprise to me as I received great reviews, a

raise

> > and a bonus just last month. Fickle lawyers! I am interviewing

and

> > should have a job soon as I have 16 years in the legal field.

> >

> > My problem is I am scared to spend any money right now. I went

out

> > and bought lots of frozen dinners last weekend - Healthy Choice

and

> > the like, to get me through. I don't really have any junk food in

> > the house, but I need to at least go and get some veggies and

> > fruits.

> >

> > Although I want to jump into this with both feet, I am restrained

> > from doing so because of no income at this point and fear that it

> > will take awhile to find another job.