Could Chronic Stress Be Lowering Your IQ?

Are you too stressed to think straight? Is your brain fried.....or your head ready to explode?

You might think these are just popular phrases. But there’s actually a lot of truth to them—and you might be surprised to learn just how much a stressful life could be battering your brain. In fact, research shows that chronic stress can do some considerable damage over the course of months and years, contributing to impaired cognition, mood and memory function in the long run.1

Why? Scientists suspect that excessive levels of the stress hormone cortisol could be to blame. Numerous clinical studies have revealed that higher salivary cortisol is linked with poorer overall memory performance (including visuospatial memory, working memory, and selective attention) plus significant verbal memory deficits in subjects with major depression.2-3 Individuals struggling with common work-related “burnout” have also demonstrated noticeably slower performance on cognitive tests, when compared with healthy controls.4

What’s worse, population studies suggest that Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—which is thought to be caused by overproduction of beta-amyloid peptides in the brain—may be linked to excess stress, too. Not only do chronically stressed individuals have a higher risk of AD, but studies on rats have shown that increased stress can actually magnify the damaging effects of beta amyloid on learning and memory, resulting in significantly worse cognitive impairment.5

The takeaway message here is crystal clear: Reducing your stress levels is absolutely critical to lasting mental health, in more ways than one. Unfortunately, this is one task that’s always easier said than done—and that’s precisely why a few key supplements can come to your rescue.

Research shows that a special blend of extracts from Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense barks called Relora® can reduce the damaging effects of cortisol on your body. In a clinical study of 50 stressed patients, 82 percent reported that supplementation with Relora was able to reduce depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness and difficulty concentrating in as little as two weeks—while 78 percent reported increased relaxation, and 74 percent reported more restful sleep.6

Ashwaganda is another important stress-relieving botanical—and a patented extract of this botanical called Sensoril®, which optimizes Ashwaganda’s immune-modulating benefits and its bioavailability, has been the subject of a growing pool of research. In one study, rats receiving Sensoril had significantly higher survival rates when exposed to overcrowding and tactile stress than those who did not—while showing noticeably less adrenal gland enlargement, a common physiological side effect of severe stress.7 Try pairing Sensoril with Relora (as you’ll find in VRP’s Cortisol Control) for synergistic benefits.

For even more support, consider supplementing with adaptogenic herbs like Eleutherococcus senticosus, which improves endurance while inhibiting stress-induced cortisol release and immune suppression.8-9 Schisandra chinensis can also improve your stress response and reduce elevated corticosterone levels—and Aralia Manchuria has demonstrated an impressive 90 percent success rate in subjects suffering from stress overload and weakness. You’ll find all three of these potent natural stress relievers, along with other potent adaptogens, in the formula AdaptaPhase® 1 from Vitamin Research Products.10-13

References:

1. Yuen EY, Liu W, Karatsoreos IN, Feng J, McEwen BS, Yan Z. Acute stress enhances glutamatergic transmission in prefrontal cortex and facilitates working memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2009 Aug 18;106(33):14075-9.

2. Gomez RG, Posener JA, Keller J, DeBattista C, Solvason B, Schatzberg AF. Effects of major depression diagnosis and cortisol levels on indices of neurocognitive function. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Aug;34(7):1012-8.

3. Hinkelmann K, Moritz S, Botzenhardt J, Riedesel K, Wiedemann K, Kellner M, Otte C.Biol Psychiatry. Cognitive Impairment in Major Depression: Association with Salivary Cortisol. 2009 Aug 25. Published Online Ahead of Print.

4. Osterberg K, Karlson B, Hansen AM. Cognitive performance in patients with burnout, in relation to diurnal salivary cortisol. Stress. 2009;12(1):70-81.

5. Srivareerat M, Tran TT, Alzoubi KH, Alkadhi KA. Chronic psychosocial stress exacerbates impairment of cognition and long-term potentiation in beta-amyloid rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. Biol Psychiatry. 2009 Jun 1;65(11):918-26.

6. LaValle J and Hawkins, E. Relora—The Natural Breakthrough to Losing Stress-Related Fat and Wrinkles. North Bergen, NJ: Basic Health Publications; 2003:16.

7. Bhattacharya S. et al. Anti-stress activity of sitoindosides VII and VIII, new acylsterylglucosides from Withania somnifera. Phytother Res. 1987;1: 32-37.

8. Kimura Y, Sumiyoshi M. Effects of various Eleutherococcus senticosus cortex on swimming time, natural killer activity and corticosterone level in forced swimming stressed mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Dec;95(2-3):447-53.

9. Upton R, ed. Schisandra Berry: Analytical, quality control, and therapeutic monograph. Santa Cruz, CA: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1999;1-25.

10. Panossian A, Wagner H. Stimulating effect of adaptogens: an overview with particular reference to their efficacy following single dose administration. Phytother Res. 2005 Oct;19(10):819-38.

11. Lee S, Kim DH, Jung JW, et al. Schizandra chinensis and Scutellaria baicalensis counter stress behaviors in mice. Phytother Res. 2007 Dec;21(12):1187-92.

12. Chiu PY, Leung HY, Ko KM. Schisandrin B Enhances Renal Mitochondrial Antioxidant Status, Functional and Structural Integrity, and Protects against Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2008 Apr;31(4):602-5.

13. Martinez B, Staba EJ. The physiological effects of Aralia, Panax and Eleutherococcus on exercised rats. Jpn J Pharmacol. 1984 Jun;35(2):79-85...................

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