New health drink launched

Work-related stress kills.

It might seem like an exaggeration but this statement is based on fact. A recent large-scale study conducted in London involving thousands of civil servants revealed that work-related stress can contribute to heart disease.

The study — the result of several surveys conducted over a 12-year period — showed that chronically stressed workers have a 68-percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide.

The research also found that work-related stress is associated with poor health behaviors such as eating junk food, drinking unhealthy beverages, smoking excessively, and low physical activity. These behaviors were found to lead indirectly to coronary heart disease.

Dr. Tarani Chandola of the University College London, said, “We found that around 10 percent of a working population of civil servants reported chronic stress. This shows that chronic work stress is potentially another risk factor for coronary heart disease.”

The British study further revealed that the association between chronic work stress and heart disease was strongest among those still working and in employees younger than 50 years.

The situation is similar in the local setting where countless young employees and some 250,000 call center professionals working night shifts experience intense on-the-job stress.

“Stress is part of work and having a career. It is, for all intents and purposes, unavoidable,” said Nina Peña, sales and marketing manager of Philippine pharmaceutical firm Sydenham Laboratories Inc. (SLI).

“However, there are several ways with which we can manage and control work-induced stress. These include regular exercise, meditation and relaxation, time management, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and of course, having a well balanced diet,” she said.

To give Filipinos a healthy alternative to carbonated drinks, caffeinated beverages, and unhealthy juices, Peña said Sydenham Laboratories has taken the initiative to produce Peak, a new health drink.

SLI chief executive officer Jacob Peña Jr. describes Peak as a “three-in-one health drink” formulated to give consumers, busy and mobile professionals, and individuals with stressful lifestyles three major benefits: reduced stress levels, more energy, and enhanced memory.

Peak contains stress-reducing L-Carnitine, memory-enhancing taurine, calcium, zinc, and essential vitamins and minerals.

Peak comes in mango and dalandan flavors.