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How Reducing Stress Can Curve the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

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How Reducing Stress Can Curve the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Everyone gets stressed out. It’s one of the staples in our lives that never seems to go away. From wonderful events to wretched bills, we find ourselves in a constant battle over what is worth worrying about. There are people who find it easy not to stress, but what about those of us who are kicked into high gear on a regular basis?

It turns out our fight or flight response can put us at risk for developing diabetes.

According to Rebecca Hasson, Ph.D., the director of Childhood Disparities Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan, one of the biggest connectors between stress and Type 2 diabetes is cortisol. This hormone gets released during stressful times. The body puts it into action to help us deal with everything that life throws at us. And when the stress becomes too much, it can become a problem.

Since higher amounts of cortisol are present during stressful events, we find ourselves craving high-calorie foods. That’s because cortisol regulates the body’s blood glucose and energy levels. High-calorie foods are required when there is an increase of energy you’re using. Think of it this way: you’re burning calories, and you need to replace them because you’re in high focus mode. This includes energy used by excessive worrying.




 
The biggest problem with elevated cortisol levels is what it can do to the body. According to Hassan’s research, for people living in impoverished conditions, this can be a constant functioning level. With a constant worry about bills, healthcare, and their next mean, their stress rises to incredible levels. Increased stress equates increased risk. Increased risk means medical bills that might spike their stress levels. As you can see, it becomes a vicious cycle.

So, if poor and underpaid people of color are more at risk, what can we do to help curve their exposure for developing type 2 diabetes?

We can help support our impoverished communities to improve the lives of those who have less. Healthy people make for a healthy functioning society—they can go to work without worry and fuel the economy which in turn helps everyone. If we can make healthcare more affordable and readily available, it would reduce much of the stress impoverished people face.

In summary, with Hassan’s research in mind, reducing the level of cortisol in people who are in a constant state of stress can actually save their lives as well as the lives of their children. It slashes their risk for type 2 diabetes and can improve their overall health.

A healthy community is a thriving community.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Trapani for writing this article. 

References

Diabetes Forecast. URL Link. Accessed March 7, 2017.