What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself from infection, illness, injury or something that doesn’t belong in the body such as germs and toxins. It is a normal and important process that allows healing, occurring when inflammatory cells travel to the place of need. The inflammatory response traps germs or toxins to start healing. Fever, for example, is an example of the inflammatory system working correctly.
Acute and chronic inflammation are the two main types of inflammation. Acute inflammation is sudden and temporary and generally due to injury or infection. Chronic inflammation is when your body continues sending inflammatory cells even when there’s no danger.
This post focuses on chronic inflammation due to food & toxins. Healthy bodies are able to process and eliminate a certain amount of food related and other toxins. When there is overload and they cannot be eliminated our cells become inflamed.
Why do we care?
In total, inflammatory diseases account for more than half of all deaths globally. Chronic inflammation is harmful because it gradually damages healthy cells, tissues, and organs.
Chronic inflammation = increased potential risk of
- Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis
- Heart disease and high blood pressure
- Certain cancers
- Gastrointestinal diseases such as Chrohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease
- Lung diseases such as asthma and COPD
- Depression and anxiety
- Type 2 diabetes
- Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Fatty liver disease
Symptoms of chronic inflammation may show as
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain
- Fatigue and/or insomnia
- Fever
- Joint pain or stiffness
- Mouth sores
- Skin rash
- Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
- Gastrointestinal (GI) issues, like diarrhea, constipation and acid reflux
- Weight gain or loss
- Frequent infections
Causes include
- Environmental toxins, including air pollution, hazardous waste and industrial chemicals
- Tobacco products
- Too much alcohol
- Low levels of physical activity, chronic stress, obesity, disrupted sleep
- Food: an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy gut microbes, including due to
- Transfats that occur when vegetable oils are chemically altered to stay solid at room temperature, extending their shelf life — safflower, soybean and canola, for example
- Fried foods
- Cured meats with nitrates, like hot dogs and some deli meats
- Foods high in salt that has been stripped of its minerals
- Sugar
- Refined carbohydrates
- Including wheat bread which usually isn’t much better for us than white bread as it has its own health concerns. In order to increase production, scientists have genetically modified wheat. This tampering with nature has resulted in many people suffering from wheat allergies and related inflammation.
Allergy and sensitivity related inflammation examples: for some, tomatoes, citrus and nuts can lead to inflammation.
What to do?
It seems impossible today to completely avoid food toxins. If it is not the product, it is the packaging. Or, for example, the downstream something from the neighboring farmer or the cleaning product used on the machine. We can reduce inflammation by eating anti-inflammatory foods, managing stress, not smoking, physical activity, and watching alcohol quantity.
Food related
An anti-inflammatory diet is typically based on whole, nutrient-dense foods that contain antioxidants. Antioxidants help to prevent inflammatory responses from happening when they are not required. They work by reducing levels of free radicals, which are reactive molecules that may cause inflammation.
We have an antioxidant system within our body, and we can also get antioxidants from the foods we eat. Foods can include:
- vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and garlic
- fruit, especially deeply colored fruits like blueberries, pomegranates, grapes and cherries
- Tart cherries have the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food (Dr. Group)
- Tart cherries have the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food (Dr. Group)
- high fat fruits, such as avocadoes and olives
- healthy fats like olive oil and avocado oil
- fatty fish, such as wild salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies
- certain nuts
- dark chocolate
- spices, such as turmeric, ginger, fenugreek and cinnamon
- certain teas are known to have anti-inflammatory effects – green, chamomile, ginger, peppermint, turmeric, yerba mate
- red wine as a compound called resveratrol in wine may have anti-inflammatory properties
Also: molecular hydrogen is an excellent antioxidant per Tyler Lebaron in this recent Mercola post.
We like to try to simplify, offer a high-level understanding via a “glance.” For more information there are many sources, including these additional ones that we referenced;
And yet as you do your homework remember there are a lot of half truths out there.
And, as always consult with your Licensed Health Care Professionals. Our content is meant to inform or is the view of others. Research wisely and choose your highest and best.
Happy Health to you.
Photo credit: Image by Andre Mouton from Pixabay.