Chronic psychological stress
Toxins · Lifestyle
High priority
What this is
Like sleep, listed as a 'toxin' because the physiological consequences are well-characterized and measurable. Telomere shortening (Epel 2004) was a landmark finding for biological aging effects. Chronic stress is arguably more actionable via behavior change than many chemical exposures on this list and has larger effect sizes.
Mechanism
Sustained activation of HPA axis; chronically elevated cortisol; sympathetic predominance; shorter telomeres (Epel 2004); systemic inflammation; immune suppression; accelerated biological aging
Dose & route
Meditation/mindfulness; CBT; social connection; exercise; psychotherapy for trauma; time in nature
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15574496/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28759712/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8219790/
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This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.