Take the stress test: What is your stress type?

August 10, 2011 — Stress is an inevitable consequence of modern life, and chronic stress can take a toll on an individual’s physical and emotional health. To assist allopathic, osteopathic, and naturopathic physicians and their patients in identifying the six common stress response types, Metagenics Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reversing chronic illness and improving health, recently developed the Identi-T™ Stress Program.

This program, along with the Identi- T Stress Assessment test, helps doctors identify a patient’s stress triggers and create a personalized, targeted nutritional regimen to help them cope and increase their body’s tolerance to stress.

“Chronic stress can significantly affect the body’s immune system, which can lead to serious long-term health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders,” said Joseph J. Lamb, MD, director of intramural clinical research for the Functional Medicine Research Center at Metagenics Inc. “Everyone responds to stress differently and that’s why we developed the Identi-T Stress Program.”

The Metagenics Identi-T Stress Program assists healthcare practitioners by offering patients a targeted nutritional regimen, immediate stress relief and diet tips that address the six unique psychological and physical responses to stress. Additionally, the program recommends Metagenics’ supplements that supports and strengthens the body’s stress resolve.

According to surveys conducted by the American Psychological Association, approximately 75 percent of American adults experience moderate to high levels of stress in a given month and 54 percent are concerned about the level of stress in their daily lives. Some symptoms of stress include anxious thoughts, body aches and pains, and memory problems.

The limbic center in the brain regulates the stress response by processing environmental and physiological stressors into biochemical signals that support a “fight or flight” response. While some of these changes may be beneficial to survival in the short term, they present an increased risk for serious health conditions, poor eating patterns, and unhealthy food choices and, if the changes persist, can lead to chronic or prolonged stress.

“Chronic or prolonged stress interferes with an individual’s sense of well-being and leaves them feeling tired, mentally exhausted or achy and fatigued,” said Dr. Lamb. “But once people know their stress response type, they can better manage it and enhance their stress tolerance.”

To take the Metagenics Identi-T Stress Assessment or to locate a healthcare provider that offers the Metagenics Identi-T Stress Program, visit the website at www.metagenics.com.

Source: Metagenics Inc., www.metagenics.com