Bayou Health | How Stress Impacts Women and Men Differently and Contributes to Chronic Disease

by Shannon Dahlum, FDN-P

According to the American Psychological Association, women are more stressed than men, and statistics tell us that women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety disorders than men. In traditional households, women carried more of the domestic burden while men supported the family financially, but in recent times those roles have blurred somewhat and often overlap. Are the higher rates of stress and anxiety in women due to the fact that they carry a heavier burden or is it simply a matter of gender differences in how stress impacts them?

Women’s physiology is exquisitely more hormonally sensitive to the effects of stress than their male counterparts because their bodies are biologically designed to create life. Stress creates a high energy demand on a woman’s body, as does pregnancy and motherhood. During periods of increased stress (whether the threat is real or perceived) a woman’s sex hormones often down regulate to prevent conception. This is a brilliant survival mechanism to promote the species as a whole, and it’s also why women will often suffer from the symptoms of hormonal imbalances as one of the first indications of increased stress. A minor uptick in stress can alter her menstrual cycle for up to three months, while chronic stress can cause a more profound depletion of sex hormones and even thyroid function over time. Even the degree to which she experiences uncomfortable symptoms during her perimenopausal years is directly correlated to the amount of stress her body has endured up to that time in her life.

Generally, when she experiences stress, a woman’s physiology goes into a state known as “tend and befriend” which motivates her to nurture others. She is driven to turn her attention toward others to increase oxytocin and bonding, which turns down stress hormones. In short, a woman will blunt her own stress by internalizing it and focusing on others. Perhaps this was an evolutionary tool to motivate women to care for children, elderly, or others in the tribe who were unable to care for themselves during attack, famine, or natural disasters.

Stress not only alters a woman’s sex hormones, but it influences her immune function. When her immune system is responsive to stress, antibodies increase. This up regulation in antibody pathways can lead to autoimmunity. In the short term, turning her attention toward others can help blunt her stress, but if she lives in this state for an extended period of time, she can develop autoimmunity, in which the body “attacks” itself. Because of this immune response to stress, women are nine times more likely to develop an autoimmune condition than men. Repressing her emotions to turn her attention to others also contributes to the development of anxiety disorders.

Men’s physiology responds quite differently under stress. While women tend to internalize their stress and focus on others in a state of “tend and befriend,” men are more likely to go into a state of “fight or flight” which motivates them to express their stress outwardly in the form of aggression or impulsivity. When men’s immune systems are responsive to stress, there’s an increase in inflammation and inflammatory pathways are up regulated. This had a very useful impact for our ancestors, because inflammation triggers healing. Because men are driven to fight in times of stress, they’re more likely to be injured, so the corresponding increase in inflammation can help their bodies heal once the stressor/attacker is gone. When stress and the corresponding inflammation becomes chronic, however, it leads to an increased risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, susceptibility to infectious disease, and drug abuse, all of which are generally observed to be higher in men.

Regardless of gender, chronic stress drives chronic disease of all kinds and learning to properly work through and mitigate stress is imperative for maintaining long term health. Because the general physiological stress response in women drives them to repress their needs and care for others, it may be important for her to find ways to turn her attention back to caring for herself. Anything that helps her to bring her awareness back to her own body may be helpful; intentional self care practices, breathwork, and yoga, for example. Seeking out friends with whom she can talk through her stress is important as well, as we know that women thrive through bonding and social support. Talking it out, or even writing it out in a journal, can help her recognize and express her stressful emotions properly, so they don’t remain repressed.

Since men tend to express their stress outwardly through aggression and impulsivity, regular physical activity can be an important tool to allow them to express their stress in healthy ways. Participating in sports, weight lifting, or exercise classes can be helpful. Training for competitions, like local races, can give them goals to shoot for and work toward. The sense of purpose along with regular physical activity training for a competitive event can be a great way for him to work off the energy created by his stress.

Of course, diminishing the overall stress load is incredibly important for both men and women. There’s only so much that can be done to help the body manage the stress it encounters, so diminishing that stress load can make a huge impact. Avoiding stress entirely isn’t possible (or desirable) but avoiding unnecessary stress by tending to the body’s foundational needs is fairly simple:

Sleep Routine
To enhance your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed, and aim to be in bed with the lights out by 10:30pm. Avoid artificial light and electronic screens at least one hour before bed (wear blue blocking glasses if this isn’t possible for you), as exposure to blue light will delay the melatonin release that’s necessary for healthy sleep. Be sure to sleep in a cool, dark room.

Nutrition
Adequate intake of nutrient-dense foods lets the body know it’s safe: protein, veggies and fruits, healthy fats, fibrous beans and grains. Deficiencies in any of the macro or micronutrients is seen as a threat to the body that increases the stress hormones. Regular, consistent intake throughout the day of unprocessed foods sends a signal to the body that energy is abundant. Remember that intermittent fasting can perhaps have therapeutic benefits for some, but it is a stressor. For many of us who are already carrying a heavy burden of stress, adding more stress in the form of fasting isn’t helpful.

Movement
Intense or strenuous exercise isn’t appropriate for everyone, but regular movement (like walking) is important for circulation, lymphatic drainage, and healthy blood sugar regulation. A good goal for creating consistent movement throughout the day is to get in a ten minute walk after each meal. This not only creates a habit of moving at fairy regular intervals, but it helps tremendously with digestion and blood sugar regulation after meals.

Time Outdoors
Getting outside at least a few times each day to expose your eyes and skin to the sun’s rays triggers important functions in the body. Your daily cortisol rhythm takes its cues from the light your brain receives through the naked eyes from the sun, for one. Cortisol isn’t only one of your stress hormones, but is your body’s master regulating hormone. When your cortisol rhythm is off (because you spend most of your day indoors in artificial light, remaining mostly sedentary, maybe eating late at night) other downstream hormones and even blood sugar regulation are negatively impacted as well.

Pleasure
Experiencing joy and pleasure immediately diminish the stress response in the body. Our culture tends to prioritize productivity and being busy, but this certainly promotes chronic stress. All of the “doing” needs to be balanced with time to just “be.” Spending some time on hobbies, bonding with friends, being creative, or other activities that bring a sense of peace or joy increase hormones that mitigate stress.

The fact is, regardless of gender, all of us are living under a heavy burden of chronic stress that is affecting our health. Understanding the differences in how both genders experience stress may help us recognize when our bodies are overwhelmed with it, and help us find better tools to overcome it.