How Stress Can Turn Germs Hostile

It has long been known that stress has a direct immuno-suppressive effect.  New research is demonstrating another angle on this issue;stress can turn on gene switches in bacteria that turn them from harmless to hostile.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center¹ have discovered the specific gene signal on E coli that causes it to activate into a hostile organism.  It turns out that this gene signal is turned on by human adrenaline.  We are just beginning to learn the complex nature of interactions that take place in our digestive tracts.  This information is likely to apply to many more organisms than E coli, as stress is a common theme related to survival. 

For example, parents quarreling in front of their children often wind up with sick kids.  I have seen Candida albicans flare up from stress in many people even when they are doing their best to keep sugar and junk food in check.  It now appears that our own stress chemicals can activate gene switches that lead to a hostile situation.

Adrenaline dampening nutrients like quercetin may help prevent the adverse influence of stress within the digestive tract. This is a good tip for those who have a lot of stress on a regular basis.