The Science of Allostatic Load: Why Chronic Stress Ages You Before Your Time
When stress becomes a constant companion, our body’s finely tuned adaptive systems begin to fray. What starts as a helpful reaction to immediate challenges (fight-or-flight) turns into a wear-and-tear effect that scientists call allostatic load. This involves overactivation of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis, chronically elevated cortisol, inflammatory responses, and impaired recovery from stressors. Research shows…