Diabetes risk cut in half by avoiding work stress, study shows

(NaturalNews) Does work stress you out? Unless you're lucky enough to be the exception, work is probably one of your leading sources of stress, primarily because it's a root cause nearly impossible to eliminate.

Scientists working for the German Research Center for Environmental Health discovered a strong correlation between stress-related work and type 2 diabetes, according to the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (HMGU).

A team of experts headed by Dr. Cornelia Huth and Prof. Karl-Heinz Ladwig, with the HMGU, concluded that individuals under high levels of pressure at work, with the perception of having little control over their activities, are 45 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those experiencing lower stress levels.

Type 2 diabetes results in the body being unable to use insulin properly. It causes your blood sugar levels to rise higher than normal, preventing your body from producing enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels.

Simply reducing your stress at work can pay off, big time.

While some are able to successfully recover from type 2 diabetes through weight loss and a healthy diet (Mike Adams is a perfect example), others aren't so lucky and suffer from the condition for a lifetime.

Published in the scientific journal Psychosomatic Medicine, their research found that what increased one's chance of type 2 diabetes was not just any type of stress but high levels of stress in individuals who had no control over their work situations, having "little scope for maneuver or for decision making."

The conclusions are based on more than 13 years of research collected from at least 5,300 employed individuals with ages ranging from 29 to 66 years old. The population-based study, known as MONICA/KORA, analyzed healthy participants who had no known history of diabetes.

Following the post-observation period, which lasted an average of 13 years, almost 300 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. "The increase in risk in work-related stress was identified independently of classic risk factors such as obesity, age or gender," stated the researchers' press release.

Scientists from the Institute of Epidemiology II at the HMGU in collaboration with Prof. Johannes Kruse from the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg discovered that roughly one in five people suffered from high levels of mental stress at work.

By "high levels of mental stress," researchers emphasized that this is not your typical level of work-related stress but situations in which individuals ranked the demands put on them as "very high."

"In view of the huge health implications of stress-related disorders, preventive measures to prevent common diseases such as diabetes should therefore also begin at this point," noted Prof. Ladwig.

The German Environmental Health center partnered with the German Center for Diabetes Research to develop new approaches for diagnosing, treating and preventing diabetes, one of the most common diseases afflicting developed countries.

Stress has repeatedly been documented to induce a range of other health complications affecting the body both physically and mentally

Physical complications stemming from stress include:

• cardiovascular disease
• high blood pressure
• obesity
• fatigue
• headaches
• muscle tension or pain
• sleep deprivation

Stress-induced mental complications include:

• anxiety
• restlessness
• sadness or depression
• irritability or anger
• lack of motivation
• social withdrawal

Stress can severely impact your cardiovascular system and your metabolism by creating an inflammatory response in the body. Even those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face an increased risk of developing the disease.

If you're stressed out at work, it's important to take time for yourself, particularly in the form of exercise, meditation and/or slow, deep controlled breathing. Just a brisk, 20-minute walk outdoors can melt away your worries, help you refocus and build strength to face the next day. Repeat these activities several times a week or every day if possible. Clearing your mind does wonders for the body and spirit.

Additional sources:

http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de

http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de

http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de

http://www.mayoclinic.org

http://www.healthline.com

http://www.diabetes.org

http://science.naturalnews.com