Three harmful, unhealthy food items that can trigger stress in your body

What you eat can affect your body’s stress response. Food provides the human body with the energy required to function. The nutrients from the food eaten by a person get absorbed inside that act like chemical messengers to keep your system healthy and safe. 

However, when in stress, you eat a lot or nothing at all. It is because the food you eat affects the body. To ensure a healthy lifestyle, here are the three unhealthy food items, if consumed in excess, can directly trigger stress.

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1. Sugar:

Eating more sugar leads to glucose spikes which affect a person’s mood. This sudden spike and drop in sugar level can make a person feel uneasy and anxious at times, even mimicking a panic attack. Sugary treats are a contributor to overall anxiety. Foods such as cakes and pastries cause your blood sugar to go on a rollercoaster ride of spikes and crashes, which makes your energy go up and down.

2. Caffeine:

Caffeine contributes to anxiety as it can elevate cortisol levels in the body, a hormone that regulates stress. Hence, high levels of caffeine intake can lead to chronic stress. But, when consumed properly, it can also lift a person’s mood.

3. Artificial Sweeteners:

A previous study at the Florida State University College of Medicine observed the link between an artificial sweetener named aspartame that was responsible for producing anxiety-like behavior in mice. It got found that once consumed, the artificial sweetener breaks down to produce three chemicals methanol, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine, all of which can have adverse effects on the central nervous system.

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