How dangerous is chronic stress and how to deal with it?

The intense pace of life leads to stress, and the lack of time management and prioritization skills results in stolen hours of sleep. This is damaging to health. 

"Negative emotions and accumulated worries need to be released. There are thousands of ways to achieve that peace, the central nervous system can be strengthened with natural scientifically researched adaptogens," says Professor Dalia Sekmokienė, a long-time lecturer in food science, healthy living, and Eastern medicine, who has taught at Klaipėda and Lithuanian Health Sciences Universities. 

What happens in the body when experiencing constant stress?

Stress promotes impulsive reactions to uncomfortable, sometimes even dangerous situations. But suffering from stress continuously causes immense damage to the body. 

"Exhaustion occurs, during which changes in the body's protective regulation occur - the activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems is disrupted, sleep, digestion, endocrine glands, especially the thyroid function are affected. Ultimately, muscle, joint, heart and vascular diseases or autoimmune diseases develop," says D. Sekmokienė. 

The most important thing is a proper routine, quality sleep, and breathing

The essential things that allow combating the negative effects of stress are a proper routine, quality sleep, and breathing.

Improving sleep quality will not work without a proper routine. It is obvious that going to bed at midnight and getting up at five in the morning will be challenging. But if you wake up early, you will want to go to bed much earlier that same evening. 

D. Sekmokienė states that it is necessary to reduce the demands placed on oneself: "If we feel that we don't have time to go to the beauty salon to get our nails done or get a haircut - let's give it up. This way, we will avoid additional stress." 

According to the professor, instead of focusing on negative things, it is better to concentrate on positive ones. This can be learned by practicing gratitude - thanking for a good job done can significantly improve well-being. And negative emotions and worries must be released. 

"There are thousands of ways to achieve that peace, one of them is meditation. However, if you can't find time for meditation, the central nervous system can be strengthened with natural and even thousands of years old, scientifically researched adaptogens," advises D. Sekmokienė.

Adaptogens: what are they good for?

Adaptogens - substances that have long been considered life-prolonging and protective against chronic diseases in ancient times. After all, by protecting oneself from diseases that occur in old age due to lung, heart, or liver dysfunction, a person lives significantly longer. 

Today, with more in-depth research on adaptogens, it is claimed that they help to adapt when experiencing a lot of stress or having to work in extraordinary conditions, such as during wartime. This is how the name itself - adaptogen - emerged. 

A special adaptogen - ashwagandha

There are plenty of adaptogens worldwide, and ginseng is considered the king of them. Ashwagandha is also known as Indian ginseng. It is a 75-meter tall shrub of the nightshade family, growing in India, the Middle East, and some African countries. Ashwagandha has been known for thousands of years and widely used in Ayurveda. It is the most significant plant of the rasayana methodology, allowing a person to remain strong and intelligent in old age.

Ancient beliefs held that ashwagandha strengthens three aspects of the mind: understanding, memory, and joyful emotions. From a scientific perspective, ashwagandha indeed contains nutrients that strengthen all body tissues, such as joints and nerves, and especially the central nervous system. 

"This plant has a positive effect on all brain glands, thus helping the body and mind in stressful situations, improving sleep quality, and protecting organs from exhaustion," says D. Sekmokienė.

Comprehensive scientific studies prove the benefits of ashwagandha

Ayurveda is extensively studied in the United States and the United Kingdom, with research conducted at the University of Oxford. In one study, the aim was to determine the effect ashwagandha has on improving sleep quality. 680 people participated in the study, suffering from insomnia for several years and continuously taking sleeping pills. After 60 days, the problem was solved - sleep quality improved for almost all study participants who consumed this herbal plant.  

Moreover, science has already proven that Ashwagandha can help prevent particularly serious illnesses. The plant is characterized by anticancer, antidiabetic, antiarthritic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. D. Sekmokiene emphasizes that Ashwagandha is also suitable for protecting against age-related diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.

When and how to take Ashwagandha?

It is believed that everyone, even when completely healthy, should start taking adaptogens from the age of 40. "We consume too few natural products, so Ashwagandha is an excellent solution," says D. Sekmokiene.

You should take one capsule per day, which can even be done with food, but it is recommended not to mix it with coffee. If you consume caffeine, take Ashwagandha during lunch. Otherwise, you can take this supplement in the morning.

All herbs have a cumulative effect, and Ashwagandha is no exception. It should be used preventively, not when we crave immediate benefits like when taking painkillers or blood pressure medication. The herb slowly heals, cleanses a specific area of the body, and organs start functioning normally. This process can be likened to melting ice - it doesn't happen in a day but gradually as the temperature rises until it eventually turns into water. The same goes for Ashwagandha, but it is worth mentioning that the effects obtained last a long time.

Ashwagandha - an aphrodisiac

Professor D. Sekmokiene reveals that Ashwagandha is also an aphrodisiac. The medicinal plant promotes testosterone production, so men have a healthier prostate and better sexual performance. The latter deteriorates due to perceived stress, which is another reason why Ashwagandha is suitable for stressful situations.

"Because Ashwagandha promotes testosterone production, in Ayurveda, it is recommended for women to take a break after a year of use, while for men - to use it for a lifetime," shares D. Sekmokiene.

The importance of cleaner supplement composition

D. Sekmokiene points out that it is crucial that supplements do not contain preservatives and dyes.

"In modern times, we already get plenty of them from food. We eat processed food, which often contains many additives - usually not natural but synthetic. Our livers become heavily burdened, and this is compounded by changing meat processing methods - we often fry it rather than boil. Supplements with a cleaner composition have a huge positive impact on the body," says the expert.