Can You Support Your Brain From Stress?

Dr. Debbie Smrz, ND

Stress…we all have it, and know that it’s “bad for us”, but really, what is it anyway, and why is it bad? Or, is it even bad? Stress is a nonspecific response to a demand, a situation that requires you to adjust. We need a little stress in life, it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. Stress is inevitable, but distress is not.

Our body is equipped to deal with stress. When a situation occurs that requires us to adjust – like you are being chased by a bear – our sympathetic nervous system kicks in to allow us to deal with the imminent threat in front of us. However, the body needs to return to homeostasis , and herein lies the issue. Chronic stress allows us to ‘get stuck in sympathetic overdrive, such that our parasympathetic system is not strongly activated which is necessary for rebalance and recovery, and this eventually leads to an inability to cope and burn out.

Your adrenal glands are two little glands that sit on above your kidneys and help you deal with stress in the form of glucocorticoids, which I will refer to as cortisol for simplicity’s sake moving forward. They always play a role in pain perception, sex hormones, excitement and drive, and water regulation so you can see how important they are to your overall happiness and wellbeing and why Naturopaths spend a great deal of time thinking and talking about them. This is also why when dealing with stress, a functional approach to both the brain and adrenal glands must be considered.

Stress should be a transient experience, where our sympathetic nervous system kicks in, our adrenal glands produce cortisol and adrenaline to deal with the situation, and we go back to homeostasis (reaction phase).

However, when we experience long-term stress, our adrenal glands go into what is called the adaptive response, where mineral balance is disrupted, fat cells are encouraged to deposit around our abdomen and underarms, and thyroid function is decreased.

What’s happening in the adrenal glands when you experience stress?

1. Reaction Phase:

  • Release of adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline
  • Mobilizes blood sugar and stimulates metabolism

2. Adaptation Phase: High cortisol

  • Calcium removal from bones – osteoporosis
  • Adipose deposition
  • Insulin resistance – type II diabetes
  • Change in thyroid hormone production
    • Immunity

3. Exhaustion Phase / Burn Out:

  • Metabolic/Immune Collapse

4. ↑ Inflammation → to autoimmune disease, hypertension

5. ↓ Estrogen, testosterone and progesterone

6. Change in thyroid function

7. Inability to deal with stress

8. Fatigue

9. Anxiety

What’s happening in the brain during chronic stress?

In the 1970s, an accepted idea across neuroscience was that the nervous system was essentially fixed throughout adulthood, both in terms of brain functions, as well as the idea that it was impossible for new neurons to develop after birth. This has now been shown incorrect, and we now know that the brain has neuroplasticity. What this means, is that the brain’s makeup alters and that our neurons can change how they talk to each other with experience. This means, that if you do something repeatedly, this will create changes in the brain. This is both a good and a bad thing.

Stress causes an changes in the size of the amygdala, the part of the limbic system which regulates flight/fight/freeze response. This makes us more aware of stress and anxiety and is an important evolutionary change. If we are living in a war zone, you need to be a little on edge all the time, deep sleep should be hard to get into as you need to be ready and adaptable to whatever may come next.

Cortisol has the reverse effect on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, that reasoning part of the brain, which shrinks with cortisol. This forces our attention onto the emotions we feel while restricting our ability to take in new information and makes it more difficult to rationalize our emotions.

In Summary

  • Amygdala – changes in size with stress (14,15,16,)
  • Hippocampus – decreases in size with stress (14,15,)
  • Prefrontal cortex – decreases in size with stress
  • Dendritic cells decrease in length and number
  • Chronic stress has the ability to flip a switch…. that inhibits connections to the prefrontal cortex (15. 16)
  • cortisol is believed to create a domino effect that hard-wires pathways between the hippocampus and amygdala in a way that might create a vicious cycle by creating a brain that becomes predisposed to be in a constant state of flight-or-fight. (15, 16)
  • overproduction of myelin production which interferes with the timing and balance of communication

Interestingly, one’s life events and predisposition to stress determine how adaptive, or maladaptive we are later in life. A study found that highly anxious individuals who prefer high-fat, fast food may be prone to the effects of chronic stress compared to less anxious individuals who eat balanced meals. Just one more example of how much your epigenetics can play a role in your life.

So why would neuroplasticity be a good thing as well? Because we can not only reverse the negative effects of stress, but we can also create positive changes in the brain.

A study found that 3 months of juggling practice created an may support the the grey matter of the brain, which specifically in the area of visual motion.

Meditating showed changes in grey matter in the hippocampus, specifically around areas that support working memory, decision making and emotion regulation. This area normally shrinks with age, but it was found that 50-year-old meditations had the same amount of grey matter as 25-year-old.

Wow, can I repeat that. The expectation is that the hippocampus shrinks in size with age, a ‘normal’ sign of aging. But this does not have to be your reality, the simple act of meditation can may help support and support grey matter to maintain your current level!

Here are 9 ideas to help you deal with stress and support your brain and adrenal glands.

  • Meditate
  • Practice deep breathing
  • Show gratitude
  • Go outside into nature
  • Take supplements that support the adrenal glands
  • Take supplements that support your brain
  • Exercise
  • Plan something that brings you Joy
  • Talk to someone, figuring out what is works for you is just one more stress. Take it off your list

Stop thinking that it’s okay to be super stressed, and when the stress if over you will go back to how you were before. A study was conducted where people were put under stress for 3 weeks, a MRI showed shrinking of the cortex and an change in size of the amygdala. Once the stress was removed, the brain did not go back to normal. Repeat, the brain did NOT go back to normal. However, once interventions such as meditation, supplementation and healthy lifestyle were implemented, the changes did eventually correct.

We would love to help you feel energetic, focused and in control. Call the clinic to book an appointment with any of our Naturopathic doctors.

References:

  1. de Souza-Talarico JN, Marin MF, Sindi S, Lupien SJ. Effects of stress hormones on the brain and cognition: Evidence from normal to pathological aging. Dement Neuropsychol. 2011;5(1):8-16. doi:10.1590/S1980-57642011DN05010003
  2. Chetty S, Friedman AR, Taravosh-Lahn K, Kirby ED, Mirescu C, Guo F, Krupik D, Nicholas A, Geraghty A, Krishnamurthy A, Tsai MK, Covarrubias D, Wong A, Francis D, Sapolsky RM, Palmer TD, Pleasure D, Kaufer D. Stress and glucocorticoids promote oligodendrogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Mol Psychiatry. 2014;19(12):1275-1283. doi:10.1038/mp.2013.190
  3. Nature Neuroscience , Beyond genotype: serotonin transporter epigenetic modification predicts human brain function, Yuliya S Nikolova,1, Karestan C Koenen,2, et al., Nature Neuroscience Volume: 17, Pages:1153–1155 Year published:(2014) DOI:doi:10.1038/nn.3778
  4. Indian J Psychiatry. 2010 Oct-Dec; 52(4): 378–386. doi:  4103/0019-5545.74318
  5. Biology Psychology Press Release: The Biology of Anxious Temperament May Lie With a Problem in an Anxiety “Off Switch “ December 2, 2014
  6. Brain Hand Model. Dan Siegel. Empathy and Cognition, Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vESKrzvgA40
  7. Sarah Lazar, PhD TedTalks Video
  8. Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being
  9. Richard J Davidson1, & Bruce S McEwen2, Affiliations Corresponding authors, Journal name: Nature NeuroscienceVolume: 15,Pages:689–695, Year
  10. , Beesdo K, Knappe S, Pine DS. Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Developmental Issues and Implications for DSM-V
  11. Conrad CD. What is the functional significance of chronic stress-induced CA3 dendritic retraction within the hippocampus?. Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev. 2006;5(1):41-60. doi:10.1177/1534582306289043