# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Stress triggers the body's fight-or-flight response. Chronic stress can cause negative health effects on your mood, immune and digestive systems, and cardiovascular health.

You're sitting in traffic, late for an important meeting, watching the minutes tick away. Your hypothalamus, a tiny control tower in your brain, decides to send out the order: Send in the stress hormones! These stress hormones are the same ones that trigger your body's "fight or flight" response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles ready for action. This response was designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react quickly. But when the stress response keeps firing, day after day, it could put your health at serious risk.

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences. Everyone expresses stress from time to time. Anything from everyday responsibilities like work and family to serious life events such as a new diagnosis, war, or the death of a loved one can trigger stress. For immediate, short-term situations, stress can be beneficial to your health. It can help you cope with potentially serious situations. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones that increase your heart and breathing rates and ready your muscles to respond.

Yet if your stress response doesn't stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated far longer than is necessary for survival, it can take a toll on your health. Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and affect your overall well-being. Symptoms of chronic stress include:

Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your "fight or flight" response. In your brain, the hypothalamus gets the ball rolling, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rev up your heartbeat and send blood rushing to the areas that need it most in an emergency, such as your muscles, heart, and other important organs.

When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal. If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn't go away, the response will continue.

Chronic stress is also a factor in behaviors such as overeating or not eating enough, alcohol or drug abuse, and social withdrawal.

Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response, you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. If you already have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to breathe.

Under stress, your heart also pumps faster. Stress hormones cause your blood vessels to constrict and divert more oxygen to your muscles so you'll have more strength to take action. But this also raises your blood pressure.

As a result, frequent or chronic stress will make your heart work too hard for too long. When your blood pressure rises, so do your risks for having a stroke or heart attack.

Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar ( glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If you're under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge. Chronic stress may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can also upset your digestive system. You're more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux thanks to an increase in stomach acid. Stress doesn't cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), but it can increase your risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.

Stress can also affect the way food moves through your body, leading to diarrhea or constipation. You might also experience nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache.

Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you're stressed. They tend to release again once you relax, but if you're constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Over time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop exercising and turn to pain medication for relief.

Stress is exhausting for both the body and mind. It's not unusual to lose your desire when you're under constant stress. While short-term stress may cause men to produce more of the male hormone testosterone, this effect doesn't last.

If stress continues for a long time, a man's testosterone levels can begin to drop. This can interfere with sperm production and cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. Chronic stress may also increase risk of infection for male reproductive organs like the prostate and testes.

For women, stress can affect the menstrual cycle. It can lead to irregular, heavier, or more painful periods. Chronic stress can also magnify the physical symptoms of menopause.
What are the causes of inhibited sexual desire? "
Stress stimulates the immune system, which can be a plus for immediate situations. This stimulation can help you avoid infections and heal wounds. But over time, stress hormones will weaken your immune system and reduce your body's response to foreign invaders. People under chronic stress are more susceptible to viral illnesses like the flu and the common cold, as well as other infections. Stress can also increase the time it takes you to recover from an illness or injury.
Keep reading: Learn tips on managing your stress "

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Constant stress can increase your risk for long-term health issues like heart attack and diabetes. Learn the toll stress can take on the body.

# data[].attributes.body
2 STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Food contains nutrients essential for health, but it may also include chemicals that can increase your risk of disease. These chemicals can include pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and industrially produced fats and sweeteners. Not all of these substances may appear on the food product label.

Pesticides

Fruits and vegetables that contain pesticide residues can be a health risk for people of all ages. Research by scientists at the Harvard University School of Public Health published in "Pediatrics" in June 20101 discovered exposure to organophosphates may contribute to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Children who switch to organic produce no longer have significant levels of organophosphates in their urine, according to research by scientists at Emory University published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in April 2008. Exposure to a combination of the pesticide maneb and the herbicide paraquat increases risks of Parkinson's disease, especially in young people, according to research by scientists at the University of California in Berkeley published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" in April 2009.

Preservatives

What Are the Dangers of Preservatives?

Manufacturers use preservatives such as nitrites and sulfites in processed foods to inhibit growth of microorganisms and increase shelf life. Yet these preservatives increase your health risk. Nitrites are common preservatives used in processed meats and fish to prevent bacterial growth. Your body converts nitrites to carcinogenic substances called nitrosamines. Research by Susanna Larsson at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm published in the "International Journal of Cancer" in August 2006 found that increased nitrosamine consumption from processed meat increases the risk of stomach cancer. Sulfites used to preserve dried fruits, fruit juices, wine and beer may increase the risk of asthma attacks, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Artificial Colors

Artificial colors increase consumer appeal but may also increase your risk of disease. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, reports that caramel coloring used in many popular cola soft drinks contains two chemicals called 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimadazole that cause cancers of the lungs, liver and thyroid and leukemia. Food colorings such as Yellow No. 5, 6 and10 and Red No. 40 can increase the risk of or exacerbate hyperactive behavior in children.

Fats and Sweeteners

Problems With Sucralose

Industrially produced fats and sweeteners common in processed foods are bad for your health. Manufacturers use transfats -- which increase your risk of coronary artery disease -- in breads, cookies, margarine and microwave popcorn. High-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener used in soft drinks, salad dressings and desserts, can increase your risk of obesity, according to research by scientists at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in April 2004. Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta reports eating high-fructose corn syrup can increase your risk of diabetes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Food contains nutrients essential for health, but it may also include chemicals that can increase your risk of disease. These chemicals can include pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and industrially produced fats and sweeteners. Not all of these substances may appear on the food product label.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What You're Really Eating! 6 Worst Food Chemicals: Health, Safety, Nutrition, Detox Tips

# data[].attributes.body
1 CHEMICALS IN FOOD

# data[].attributes.body
MOST NEGATIVE FACTORS WHICH HAVE LED TO A DETERIORATION IN HUMAN HEALTH

# data[].attributes.body
Health