Stress, defined as the state of threatened, or perceived as threatened, homeostasis, is normally coordinated by the Stress System, consisting of central and peripheral components and signal mediators. Chronic activation of the stress system has been identified as a major factor related to the so-called chronic non-communicable disorders, including anxiety, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and osteopenia/osteoporosis [
1]. Exposure to stress during vulnerable periods of brain and body development may have substantial long-term and even permanent effects on brain development, and later mental and physical health. Persistent neuroendocrine and epigenetic changes, as sequelae of early life stress, represent strong biological risk factors for behavioral and/or somatic disease in later life [
2]. …