North Shore Shape Up: For stress, try a little vitamin C

Need a little help managing your stress level? Peel yourself an orange! Cleveland Clinic Wellness says:

When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands pump out the stress hormone cortisol, and when you stay in “red alert” mode over time, the excess cortisol can seriously damage your health. Since vitamin C helps to regulate cortisol, getting extra C may help in times of stress. Taking extra C was shown to reduce cortisol levels in animals, and in a study on women, a slow-release vitamin C supplement reduced physical and mental symptoms of stress.

For the most health benefits, the clinic recommends eating fresh produce rather than taking a supplement — and the fresher, the better.

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