COULD NUTRITION BE THE KEY FOR OUR STRESSED, EXHAUSTED NATION?

According to an article in Optimum Nutrition magazine, written by a leading stress expert, the answer is a resounding ‘yes'.

As a nation, we are under more pressure than ever. We're so busy working long hours and worrying about the credit crunch that we tend to let our health fall by the wayside.

For many people, fatigue, loss of concentration and mood swings are all part of everyday life, considered ‘normal' and typically attributed to a heavy workload, hormones, feeling ‘run down' or general stress.

What most people don't realise is that these often-debilitating symptoms can be signs of Adrenal Fatigue syndrome, a condition believed to affect 80% of the US population at some point in their lives. Worryingly, the apparent vagueness of this condition's symptoms means that many cases go undiagnosed and therefore untreated.

In cases where Adrenal Fatigue has been diagnosed, treatment typically includes the use of antidepressants and counselling. But in the latest issue of Optimum Nutrition magazine, GMTV's stress expert Liz Tucker BSc BA examines Adrenal Fatigue as a physiological, rather than a psychological, problem and reveals how nutrition can play a key role in treating, and indeed preventing, this complex condition.

To find out more about Adrenal Fatigue and how diet can help this common yet often misunderstood health problem, read Adrenal Fatigue: the science behind the stress syndrome by Liz Tucker, published in the summer 2008 issue of Optimum Nutrition (available now). The article will be available to read in full on The Institute for Optimum Nutrition's website at www.ion.ac.uk.