Health

Stress Can Degrade Your Health In Surprising Ways

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― If you just woke up and already find yourself worried about what the day will bring, we have something for you think about. Stress can really take a toll on you -- physically.

Apparently being stressed out and worried all the time is even more dangerous than we previously thought.

New research conducted by a team of experts in psychology, medicine, neuroscience and genetics shows that stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart.

A magazine published by the Association for Psychological Science had an essay on this topic last month. It said that stress can make you more susceptible to illnesses like the common cold and even cancer.

Researchers have also found that people who experience high levels of stress at work are more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes and skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.

So what can you do to alleviate your stress? Get ready for this one. There is evidence that an old-fashioned hug can help.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill recently found that holding hands and hugging can reduce stress. And it doesn't have to be with a spouse or someone you're dating. It can just be a hug from a friend or a professional massage.

There are also foods that can help fight stress. An article in Women's Health magazine lists nine foods that can help you release the tension.

Here they are: almonds, pistachios and walnuts, for starters. They are full of vitamin E which is an antioxidant that bolsters the immune system. Next, avocados, skim milk and, something you may enjoy eating for breakfast during the winter months, oatmeal. Carbohydrates make the brain produce more serotonin, the same relaxing brain chemical released when you eat dark chocolate.

The final foods on the list are oranges, salmon and spinach.

Other studies sing the praises of drinking tea ... black or green tea, to reduce stress. Scientists in London have looked at the benefits of drinking tea and found that it does help some people.

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