Alternative Health Blog

Don’t know about you, but high school seemed more stressful than just about any time in life. There might be self-manufactured drama about taking final exams, going on first dates (or, ahem, not) or simply fitting in—or not sticking out.

It might seem that some if not all of that stress is folly now. But a new UCLA study suggests that teen stress might be much more than little bit of nothing for its potential to affect our health well into adult years. Researcher Andrew J. Fuligni and colleagues discovered that volunteer subjects who were healthy teens but self-reported as experiencing “various negative interpersonal interactions” tested higher for an inflammatory marker in the blood called C-reactive protein or CRP.

CRP is considered a predictor of heart disease, in part because inflamed arteries and other blood vessels can disturb normal circulation. It turns out that teens can manufacture a long-term supply through regular fights with peers, parents and other family members by beginning a biological pattern in teen years. Other stressors include harassment from classmates or punishment administered by teachers or parents.

The study evaluated the daily emotions of 69 teens over two weeks and factored out family income status or “oversensitivity” to life events. Like adults, stress can lead to inflammation in the body.

Along with stress management techniques—one tip for parents is to respect a teen’s sources of stress no matter if you think you know better or feel tempted to wave off the hollow drama of it all—additional new research points to eating fish as a way to improve brain function and maintain it over the longer haul. A study of nearly 5,000 teen boys shows that those who ate fish more than once per week scored higher on intelligence exams up to three years later.

The best fish to eat contain the highest amounts of healthy omega-3 fats and include salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines.  While other studies have pointed to similar brain enhancement in adults (such as pregnant women and elders), the significance of the Swedish findings is that fish meals help when is still most “plastic” or positioned to learn new skills and adapt to new situations, such as finding a date for prom, making an athletic team, looking cool while carrying textbooks, navigating the cafeteria offerings or finishing time sections of placement exams without leaving entire sections blank.

Now, doesn’t that seem more stressful than you first thought looking back on it?

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.