Stress and lifestyle: a female specificity?

Stress seems to affect women more than men and if there are innate biological differences between the sexes, it is mainly stressors facing the female who strongly involved in daily life, said Dr. Patrick Legeron (St. Anne Hospital, Paris), at a press conference organized in Paris by the Theramex laboratory.

Stress is defined as the "reaction of the body against the changes, requirements, constraints or threats of its environment in order to adapt." This reaction is both physical (mobilization of the body by releasing chemical substances such as adrenaline, causing increased heart rate and respiratory rate, increased blood pressure and tensioning of the muscles) and psychological ( mobilization of the psyche by activating emotions such as fear or anger and preparing each individual behaviors of "attack" or "escape").

"This reaction promote our adaptation to our environment aims to: stress is therefore not a disease but a survival response to both natural and necessary," says Dr. Legeron.

As confirmed by a survey conducted by TNS Sofres for Le Figaro Magazine, 55% of women against 35% of men are affected by stress. In addition, considerable stress states are found in 26% of women against 11% of men.

The psychiatrist's opinion, this important inequality man / woman has several explanations: apart from biological differences (role of sex hormones), women have in fact in today's society a "double dose" of stress to deal with, that of their working lives and that of their home life, professionally, they generally know more constraints and less recognition.

"However, when stress becomes chronic and becomes permanent, the health risks appear to both somatic (chronic fatigue, cardiovascular disease, impaired immune system, psychosomatic diseases, digestive and urinary disorders ...) and psychological (mental suffering, behavioral problems, anxiety and depression), "says the specialist.

According to him, the anxiety-depressive consequences of stress are now well established medically and again women pay a heavier toll than men. "Studies show and about 16% of women with anxiety disorders (against 8% of men) and 12% real depressive disorders (against 6% for their male counterparts)," he illustrates by emphasizing the need not to neglect the stress women and intervene before the onset of these anxiety-depressive illness, which is part of the long term, in order to better prevent them.

In fact, it becomes more difficult to fight against after "difficulties assertiveness entrenched (manifested as aggression or conversely by inhibition) of eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia) or against the occurrence of addictions (vis-à-vis tobacco, alcohol or psychotropic drugs), "said Dr. Legeron.

Faced with various stressful situations which are subject particularly women, Théramex laboratory has developed a dietary supplement containing omega 3 (400 mg / day) and vitamin B9 or folic acid (200 micrograms / day) to take form of therapy for three months and sequenced manner: one tablet (brown capsule) per day comprising a combination of vitamin B9 and omega 3 during first 3 weeks, then one tablet (pink cap) of omega 3 in the fourth week.

Indeed, it has been suggested that folic acid as a precursor of serotonin, and omega 3, which modulate the release of neurotransmitters, could play a role in mood and hence the ability to better cope with situations stress, says psychiatrist.

This dietary supplement called EveStress, available in pharmacies, is particularly indicated for active women 20 to 50 years, often with a poor diet, exposure to cyclical changes in mood and subject to stressful life constraints daily.