Opinion | Stress busters put to the test

An exam is a mental marathon – a test of resolve and endurance – and preparing for it should include a good diet. But extensive studies link altered eating habits with stress, including that caused by exams.

When one is chronically stressed, the hormone cortisol is released, which causes some individuals to binge.

Researchers Tanja Adam and Elissa Epel found that people who identified themselves as stress eaters had higher urinary cortisol and insulin levels when they were under pressure. Studies also show that female students demonstrate a proclivity to increase food consumption under stress.

Psychology researchers from Montclair State University in New Jersey found that while a group of students placed in stressful situations did not necessarily eat more, they were more inclined to eat more unhealthy, higher-calorie food.

They also found that people who were generally more restrained with food tended to eat much more when they were under perceived stress. Other studies note that non-stressed students have more fruits and vegetables in their diet than stressed peers who consume more soda and junk food.

Can we help the body cope with stress? Nutrition research expert Rohini Tiwari, of Avinashilingam University in India, points to serotonin, the brain’s stress-relieving hormone, as the key.

“Its proper functioning will help reduce anxiety and stress, improving mood and ensuring good sleep,” says Tiwari, who is launching a study aimed at creating a diet specifically for students preparing for exams. The list includes cereals, grains, leafy vegetables, roots, tubers and fruits.