Form & Vitality

The everyday cost of low-simmering stress.

Most of us live with a low-simmering level of stress — from juggling work and family responsibilities to navigating sudden problems like a job loss or health scare. Elevated stress hormones, especially cortisol, can increase inflammation, reduce immunity, and raise the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.

Stress is a problem worth addressing through strategies known to be effective: eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, talking to friends or a mental health professional, and practicing relaxation techniques and meditation. During periods of intense physical or mental activity, an additional supplement of vitamin and mineral complexes, superfood ingredients such as spirulina, or adaptogenic plants such as rhodiola and griffonia can help support and stabilize the body's resistance to external stress.