Stress and nutrition

Physical stresses of illness and injury result in clear increases in caloric and protein needs and perhaps vitamin and mineral requirements that remain elevated until the repair process is complete. Extremes in temperature have less effect on nutrient needs. Greater nutrient needs with emotional stresses have not been clearly documented, although changes in eating behaviors have been noted. Malnutrition, either pre-existing or developing as a result of the stress, is in itself a stress to the body. Thus, malnutrition may interfere with the process of adaptation to stress and impair the recovery process.