Stress and The Brain: How to Protect Your Brain and Prevent Long-Term Effects

Everyone experiences stress and anxiety from time to time. These emotions are a regular part of life and can help motivate and keep you out of harm’s way. However, prolonged stress and worry about finances, work, health, relationship problems, or other concerns can harm physical, mental, and cognitive health.

Research on brain health and function suggests that chronic stress impairs memory and specific aspects of brain function, potentially increasing the risk of mental health conditions, memory loss, and dementia. Here’s a look at stress and the brain, including how and why chronic stress is harmful and steps to take to protect your brain from the long-term effects of stress.

How Does Chronic Stress Affect the Brain?

The stress response causes a cascade of hormones, also known as “the fight-or-flight” response. Hormones and neurochemicals, such as cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine, cause increased heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to muscles.

In cases of acute stress, these physiologic changes can protect you from danger or harm, but when stress becomes chronic, cortisol and other hormones negatively affect how the body functions, which leads to: ¹

• • Reduced insulin sensitivity and higher glucose levels, which can lead to diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • High triglyceride levels
  • Inflammation 
  • Impaired immune response

There are also significant mental and psychological effects of stress. Long-term exposure to cortisol and other fight-or-flight hormones contributes to insomnia or poor sleep quality, headaches, and migraines.¹ Chronic stress can also trigger and worsen mood disorders like anxiety and depression.¹ 

Long-term exposure to stress hormones can cause a neurochemical imbalance that alters brain function. Excess cortisol can cross the blood-brain barrier and impact various portions of the brain through receptors. Cortisol dysregulation also increases neuroinflammation, affecting blood flow in the brain. These are potential pathways believed to increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.^1,2 

Chronic stress also impairs neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to rewire, adapt, and change in response to the environment, new information, and experiences. This can harm memory functions, particularly your ability to learn and retain new information.³ 

6 Symptoms of a Stressed Brain

Although symptoms of physiological stress, such as racing heart, sweating, and upset stomach, are hard to miss, symptoms of brain stress can be more subtle. As your body’s most vital and complex organ, your brain works hard to adapt to stressors and maintain normal functions. 

Still, these symptoms of cognitive stress can develop with a neurochemical imbalance, which occurs with stress hormone dysregulation:

• Agitation or irritability. You may feel restless or easily irritated, especially when encountering new situations.
  

• Brain fog. This can cause problems concentrating, finding the right words, or mental exhaustion.
  

• Insomnia or poor sleep quality. Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or not feeling rested after sleeping, can quickly stress your brain.
  

• Mood changes. You may feel stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or “in a funk” for long periods. These may be signs your brain is rewiring.
  

• Short-term memory loss or forgetfulness. With brain stress, learning new tasks and remembering information you recently discovered may be harder.
  
• Trouble focusing on tasks. Your mind may wander, and it can take longer than usual to complete tasks that require focus and attention.

How to Nourish and Protect the Brain 

Like every other organ, your brain needs proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and fat to function normally. These nutrients help build and repair brain tissue, support neurotransmitter production, and maintain cognitive function. 

Diet patterns, such as the Mediterranean, MIND, and DASH diets, provide key neuroprotective nutrients that promote better cognitive function and protect against the effects of chronic stress, especially as you age.⁴ These diets are rich in:

• • Fiber from plant foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Fiber may help protect the brain through the gut-brain axis, which is influenced by beneficial bacteria and microbes in the gut.⁴
  • Omega-3 fats from fish, like salmon, sardines, and anchovies. Brain cells contain significant amounts of these long-chain unsaturated fats. Higher intakes of omega-3 fats are linked with better brain structure and cognitive function in adults.⁵  
    
  • Polyphenols and other antioxidants. These compounds occur naturally in a wide range of colorful plant foods, from blueberries and leafy greens to tea. They protect the brain from inflammation and reduce brain cell damage from oxidative stress. Polyphenol compounds also improve blood vessel health, which is critical for blood flow throughout the brain.⁴

Supplements That Support Focus and Clarity

While a balanced diet provides essential nutrients for brain health, supplementing with these neuronutrients and adaptogens for brain health can provide added support for stress resilience and cognitive support, especially during stressful periods: 

• • Ashwagandha. This adaptogenic herb has been used for thousands of years in Traditional medicine to improve resilience against stress. Research suggests that ashwagandha reduces cortisol levels and supports a healthy stress response, which may improve memory and focus.⁶ Ashwagandha is a key ingredient in Calm Support.^†
    
    

• • B-complex vitamins. Folic acid, vitamins B-6, and B-12 are vital for neurotransmitter production and maintaining healthy levels of homocysteine, a protein that can build up and cause inflammation and damage to blood vessels and the brain.^{7 †}
    
    

• • Omegas. These essential fatty acids support healthy brain cell function and neurotransmitter synthesis and function. Equazen® Pro provides a unique composition of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in a balanced 9:3:1 ratio of EPA:DHA:GLA, promoting healthy fatty acid metabolism, supporting cognitive health, and helping individuals with ADHD reach their potential. ^†
    
    

• • Phosphatidylserine. This phospholipid (a fat-based substance) exists in your brain and nerve cells. It protects brain cells and enables them to communicate with each other. Phosphatidylserine tends to decrease with age, so you may benefit from eating more phosphatidylserine-rich foods, like edamame, tofu, fish, and eggs, or taking a supplement.^7†
    
    

• • Rhodiola. This adaptogen is a key ingredient in Adrenamin^TM, along with B vitamins. It supports the nervous system and a healthy stress response.^† Studies suggest rhodiola has neuroprotective effects and supports memory, concentration, and mood.⁸ 

The Link Between Stress, Sleep, and Brain Health

Sleep and brain function are closely linked, as are stress and sleep. During deep sleep, the brain recharges and detoxes, clearing out metabolic waste and toxins through the glymphatic system. However, stress and high cortisol levels can affect your sleep quality and ability to fall asleep. 

Your brain pays a price when chronic stress affects your sleep quality, as toxins build up.  Memory, focus, and mood are negatively impacted when you’re sleep deprived. Sleep disorders are also linked with an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.⁹ 

Stress-reduction techniques and good sleep hygiene practices can help reset sleep-promoting neurotransmitters and get you back on track when stress keeps you up at night. Lifestyle strategies include:

• • Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
•  
  • Avoid eating a heavy meal late at night, and caffeine-containing beverages and foods starting in the late afternoon.
•  
  • Get 30-60 minutes of daily exercise, ideally outside in sunshine.
•  
  • Keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature.
•  
  • Limit alcohol in the evening. It may make you sleepy, but it causes disrupted sleep.
•  
  • Practice mindfulness and stress reduction techniques like meditation, yoga, or journaling before bed or late in the day to help you destress and relax.
•  
  • Turn off your phone, tablet, and television at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
•  
  • Use magnesium and melatonin or a botanical sleep support supplement to help you fall asleep faster.

When practiced regularly and supported by neuroprotective nutrients, these lifestyle strategies can help your brain rewire neural pathways affected by stress and get back on track.

How to Talk to Your Doctor About Cognitive Stress

Everyone experiences symptoms of mild cognitive stress from time to time. However, if you have frequent memory loss from stress, trouble concentrating, brain fog, or mood changes, or if they affect your daily life, talk to your doctor. 

Keep a list of your symptoms and any stress-related or other triggers. A food diary and sleep journal can also help identify areas in your diet and lifestyle that need to be addressed. Discuss these with your doctor, who can rule out serious health conditions and recommend personalized strategies to reduce the symptoms.

FAQs

• Can stress cause memory problems? Many studies link memory problems to stress. However, other factors, like medications, excessive alcohol use, or health conditions, can also impair cognitive function, so talk to your doctor if you notice changes in your short or long-term memory.  
  
  

• How quickly can the brain recover from stress? Everyone’s brain works differently, but with the proper stress management techniques, improved sleep, and adequate neuroprotective nutrients, your brain can start to rewire and break out of negative patterns.
  
  

• Can stress increase the risk of mental health disorders? There is some evidence that chronic stress is a risk factor for mood disorders like anxiety and depression, as well as mild cognitive impairment. It’s essential to talk to your healthcare provider if you notice changes in your mental health.
  
  

• Can dietary choices influence the brain's resilience to stress? Evidence suggests that nutrients found in the Mediterranean, MIND, and DASH diets can protect the brain. Adaptogens like rhodiola and ashwagandha also support a healthy stress response and promote resilience to various stressors.
  
  

• Should any health supplements be avoided when under stress?  It’s always important to talk to your healthcare provider for personalized supplement recommendations, especially if you’re under significant stress, have other health conditions, or take medications.

^† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.