Toxic Stress, ACES and the Body's Response

Toxic Stress, ACES and the Body's Response
​The Anatomy & Physiology of the Stress Response and Allostatic Load 

​By Ruth Baigent

A discussion referencing biodynamic psychology, and other spiritual, psychological and socio-political factors relating to the body's stress response

This presentation discusses the body's stress response, including medical, psychological and socio-political summaries, from a perspective of Biodynamic and Internal Family Systems (IFS) psychotherapy.

Watch this presentation to find out more about:
 -- ALLOSTATIC LOAD,
 -- ALLOSTASIS,
 -- the impact of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
 -- and other factors involved in a person's INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE to stress.

Watch also to learn more about the little-discussed impact of toxic stress on dental health. This is my own personal perspective covering what I have learned in my studies -- in particular, regarding
 -- MAGNESIUM,
 -- XYLITOL,
 -- BONE BROTH,
 -- and REMINERALISATION (of teeth and bones)

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Key Texts, Links and References (including some that didn't show up on the video)


 -- https://www.naturallyyoudentist.com/cavities ---10-easy-prevention-tips.html
 -- https://www.youtube.com/@dr.elliephillips
 -- Study on Xylitol: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4232036/

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Tooth decay and allostatic load

Studies on magnesium:

--- Oral manifestations of magnesium and vitamin D inadequacy, Anne Marie Uwitonze, Sayeeda Rahman, Nkemcho Ojeh, William B Grant, Harleen Kaur, Afrozul Haq, Mohammed S Razzaque. Inadequacy of those essential minerals is associated with delayed tooth eruption and with enamel or dentin hypoplasia. Taking calcium without magnesium results in soft dental enamel, which cannot resist the acids causing tooth decay.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32084549/

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--- Magnesium and stress, Magdalena D. Cuciureanu and Robert Vink.

"Magnesium status is highly associated with stress levels, with both stress and hypomagnesemia potentiating each other’s negative effects. Indeed, hypomagnesemia has been associated with stressful conditions such as photosensitive headache, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, audiogenic stress, cold stress, and physical stress, amongst others."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507250/




--- Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited, Gisèle Pickering, André Mazur, Marion Trousselard, Przemyslaw Bienkowski, Natalia Yaltsewa, Mohamed Amessou, Lionel Noah, Etienne Pouteau.

"Numerous studies, both in pre-clinical and clinical settings, have investigated the interaction of magnesium with key mediators of the physiological stress response, and demonstrated that magnesium plays an inhibitory key role in the regulation and neurotransmission of the normal stress response. Furthermore, low magnesium status has been reported in several studies assessing nutritional aspects in subjects suffering from psychological stress or associated symptoms. This overlap in the results suggests that stress could increase magnesium loss, causing a deficiency; and in turn, magnesium deficiency could enhance the body’s susceptibility to stress, resulting in a magnesium and stress vicious circle."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7761127/



Bibliography

 -- Boyesen, G. Between Psyche and Soma. (BPS) (E-copy.)

 -- Juhan, Deane. (2003) Job’s Body (JB). NY: Barrytown/Station Hill.

 -- Martini, F; Nath, J; Bartholomew, E. (2012) Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology. San Francisco: Pearson.

  -- Multiple Authors (2022). New Collected Papers of Biodynamic Psychology (NCP). Galashiels: New Psychotherapy Publications. Boyesen, M L. “PSYCHO-PERISTALSIS: Part 1 - The abdominal discharge of nervous tension” (Article 1.3). Boyesen, G. “Experiences with Dynamic Relaxation and the Relationship of its Discovery to the Reichian and ‘Bioenergetic’ view of Vegeto-therapy.” (Article 1.1)

-- Rutishauser, Sigrid. (1994) Physiology and Anatomy, A Basis for Nursing and Health Care. London: Churchill Livingstone.

-- Strauffer, K. (2010) Anatomy and Physiology for Psychotherapists (APP). NY: W W Norton & Company, Inc.

New Collected Papers of Biodynamic Psychology available here: https://www.bodypsychotherapypublications.com/pub_22.html



​By Ruthie Baigent, 28 October 2025