Stress in small doses may be beneficial - Brief Article

AORN Journal, Feb, 2004

An occasional burst of stress or low levels of stress may be a good thing, according to a Dec 16, 2003, news release from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. Although experiencing sustained stress is not good for individuals, scientists have found that brief exposure to environmental or physiological stress produces Long-term benefits because it unleashes a number of special protective proteins (ie, molecular chaperones) that respond to stress in a cell and promote Longevity. Stress triggers a reaction inside cells that results in repair or elimination of misfolded proteins, thus preventing and delaying cell damage and prolonging life.

Proteins, which are basic components of all riving cells, fold themselves into specific shapes to function properly. Molecular chaperones prevent misfolding or detect misfolded proteins and prevent their further accumulation. Misfolded or damaged, protein accumulation can result in neurodegenerative disease, such as Huntington's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Lou Gehrig's diseases.

A Little Stress May Be Good (news release, Evanston, Ill: Northwestern University, Dec 16, 2003) http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/20 03_12/stress.html. (accessed 31 Dec 2003).