Stress is a natural reaction of the body facing an unusual situation. Chronic stress can lead to several health problems and decrease our efficiency. Our body produces several hormones as a reaction to stress. One of these hormones is Cortisol, which is also known as stress hormone.

Cortisol is produced in our body to ease stressful situations; The level of cortisol is high during early morning and diminishes as the day progresses. During a period of prolonged stress, cortisol is likely to remain high. The presence of high level of cortisol for a prolonged duration can cause several health related issues.

Stress, including long duration of stress often leads to negative effects on the mental and physical well being . This deterioration is due to a significant concentration of cortisol in the body. This prolonged concentration can lead to serious problems like:

• Mood swings
• Trouble concentrating
• Cardiovascular Diseases
• Digestive problems
• Skin problems
• Memory loss

An imbalance between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids may be a cause for stress. Our usual daily diet includes too high levels of omega 6 as opposed to very little omega 3. An excessive amount of Omega 6 can contribute to stress, inflammation of the body, which often leads to health problems like cardiovascular disorders. But it can also worsen already existing health problems. The ratio for omega 3 : omega6 works out to be 1:6 whereas an appropriate ratio between the two fatty acids should b between 1:1 to 1:5. It is advisable to maintain this balance to lower the stress levels.

The Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA is a fatty acid of the linoleic series of poly-unsaturated fatty acids and belongs to the family of omega 3 fatty acids. Fish oil and mother’s milk are rich sources of EPA. Studies have demonstrated that it impacts the embryonic growth and specifically the nervous system development in the embryo.

EPA thins the blood and improves circulation in the body. It is also known to promote the production of serotonin. Serotonin is known as the well being hormone. This acts as a stabilizer against cortical which is referred to as the stress hormone.

Many scientific studies related to stress prove that there exists a link between depression and low levels of omega-3 in the body. Thus we see that a low concentration of omega 3 or EPA is often accompanied by severe depressive symptoms like in bipolar disorders. Increasing the supplement of EPA can thus improve the mental health. Fish oil rich in EPA is known to reduce the effect of chronic stress.