Stress damages DNA – 7 tips to avoid it

You wake up in the morning thinking about what you have to get done today. You hardly stop during the day, and when you go to bed at night, your head is spinning and sleep is not coming… This is the daily reality for many of us. Unfortunately, such chronic stress can have a negative impact on our health, but also on our slim line. How to fight it effectively?

Nature has equipped us with an efficient mechanism that allowed our ancient ancestors to better survive in the harsh nature. When we experience a sense of threat, our adrenal glands release the hormone cortisol to provide the body with enough energy to fight or flee. Therefore, in the case of intense fear, cortisol shuts down everything that is not necessary for survival (for example, sexual functions) and tries to provide the body with as much quickly available energy as possible to be ready for fight or flight – for example, by increasing blood glucose levels and breaking down proteins.

Unfortunately, our body cannot distinguish whether the feeling of threat is caused by an angry bear or an impending deadline at work. Thus, when we experience chronic stress, cortisol levels are elevated over the long term, which has a number of negative consequences. For example, we mentioned that the release of cortisol results in an increase in blood sugar. If we’re being chased by a bear, that’s pretty darn handy – it gives our muscles plenty of energy for a frantic run, which will also use up the extra glucose released. But if we’re sitting at the computer, it’s worse, because we don’t burn much sugar by clicking the mouse. So glucose levels remain elevated, which is not good news for the body. That’s when we start to gain weight, because fat storage intensifies. It also increases the intensity of inflammatory processes in the body, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, for example, and the risk of insulin resistance and therefore type II diabetes.

In addition, cortisol directly suppresses the production of growth hormone and testosterone and also promotes the breakdown of muscle protein. This is not good news for athletes, as it leads to loss of muscle mass, but neither is it good news for men, as the decrease in testosterone is also reflected in a decrease in appetite for sex and impaired erections.

How does cortisol affect our genes?

But this is not the end of the list of negative effects of cortisol. Like all hormones, it has epigenetic effects. It affects cell signalling (i.e. the transmission of information between and within cells), as well as the activity of a number of important genes in our DNA.

Clear evidence of a negative epigenetic effect of cortisol has been provided by research on Cushing’s syndrome sufferers. In this disease, there is a massive secretion of cortisol, similar to chronic stress. At the same time, people who suffer from it have different patterns of one of the basic epigenetic reactions called gene methylation. Moreover, these epigenetic changes are similar to those seen in people suffering from certain psychiatric illnesses, particularly depression and anxiety. Diseases of the soul in particular have a strong epigenetic background and are often triggered by strong stress stimuli.

Chronic stress also causes significant changes in our brains, especially in the hippocampus and amygdala, through epigenetic means. It also negatively affects the formation and differentiation of brain cells called oligodendrocytes, which also increases the risk of psychiatric illness.

Some epigenetic changes related to stress and trauma are even passed on from parents to offspring, affecting their physical and mental health.

What to do when stress attacks?

A popular saying goes that the greatest art of life is to recognize what we can let go of. In the case of dealing with stress, it fits 100%. Setting priorities, not suffering from a sense of being indispensable (at work or in the family), learning to say “no”, but also not worrying about unnecessary fears about the future are the most important skills in this regard. It’s not just about reducing your workload either – the level of cortisol release is also determined by your inner emotional state.

In addition, it is worth taking other measures to help us reduce cortisol levels and alleviate the negative consequences of stress.

1. Move, but in moderation

Movement not only helps us use up the glucose released by cortisol, but also has a direct anti-stress effect. What is important in this respect, however, is its degree. While aerobic exercise of mild to moderate intensity for 30- 50 minutes has a clear positive effect, intense endurance exercise or exercise of longer duration (over 90 minutes) increases cortisol production.

2. Eat healthy

In times of increased stress, it is advisable to limit the consumption of carbohydrates, especially those with a high glycaemic index. Blood glucose levels, already elevated due to cortisol, rise even more significantly in excess, which promotes insulin resistance, weight gain and the risk of diabetes. The rate of inflammatory processes in the body also rises.

Conversely, it is advisable to add foods with positive epigenetic and anti-inflammatory effects, such as vegetables or fish, to the diet. Among dietary supplements, omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, curcumin, pomegranate or EGCG are excellent anti-inflammatory substances.

3. Sleep more

Long-term sleep deprivation firstly directly increases blood cortisol levels and secondly has a number of negative epigenetic effects. The level of histone acetylation decreases and with it the activity of genes responsible for memory and cognitive processes. Methylation of the FOXP3 gene, which is involved in T-lymphocyte production, is also increased. This reduces its activity, leading to a deterioration in immunity. Interestingly, lack of sleep can paradoxically cause insomnia.

That’s why it’s important not to restrict sleep even in the rush of work and other responsibilities. If stress makes it difficult to fall asleep, rosemary, for example, can help. This epigenetic herb improves falling asleep and sleep quality, while also helping to reduce depression and anxiety. Omega-3s also have a similar effect, and the Baikal coneflower contributes significantly to reducing anxiety.

4. Lose weight sensibly

The body also perceives as stress a state where it is in a significant energy deficit. Therefore, increased cortisol production occurs even when we severely restrict calorie intake or combine dietary measures with intense physical activity. The consequence is not only a higher risk of health problems, but also a reduced willingness of the body to lose weight.

5. Include adaptogens

Substances belonging to the adaptogens firstly improve the body’s adaptation to stress (both physical and mental) and also directly help to reduce cortisol levels. These include, for example, ginseng, suma, rhodiola or maca. Curcumin also has a direct anti-stress effect due to its epigenetic action.

6. Practice yoga

Yoga has a direct anti-stress effect (i.e. it reduces cortisol production). Moreover, its regular practice leads to epigenetic changes in the genes that control the stress response and also to changes in the production of the transcription factor NF-kB, which influences the course of inflammatory processes in the body.

7. In menopause, take phytoestrogens

An interesting finding is that high levels of the sex hormone estrogen largely protect women from the negative epigenetic effects of stress and traumatic events. Thus, the decline in estrogen levels that begins after age 40 and continues dramatically after menopause also reduces resilience to stress, among many other negative effects. For this reason, it is important to compensate for the loss of natural production by including phytoestrogens in the diet. Dietary supplements such as resveratrol or genistein have this effect.