In evolutionary terms, man has not come too far down the track since he was a hunter gatherer, and many of the stressful situations of to-day would simply never have arisen. Those that did arise were dealt with effectively via the "flight or fight" mechanism which allowed us to produce sufficient adrenaline to cope with the situation and then just get straight back to normality. Nowadays, there is often no release for the increased adrenaline production, or for another stress hormone - cortisol - which continue to build up create havoc within the system.

As a result of many complex physical reactions, the body does not absorb nutrients well when it is under stress - particularly the B-complex vitamins which are so important for the proper functioning of the nervous system. The digestive system may also be affected and produce such symptoms as irritable bowel syndrome or other disorders.

To find out about your stress profile, try doing the follow stress test. Check the box if the answer to the question is yes.