What is Inflammation?

What is inflammation, it’s real causes and ways to treat it?

Inflammation is a protective mechanism used by the body to heal from any internal or external injuries. This include the removal of pathogens entering into the body through various routes. This is important for our survival otherwise we will succumbed to injuries and infections.

Causes

• Direct injuries like cuts, accidents or trauma
• Pathogens like bacteria, virus or fungi 
• Heavy Metals, chemicals, smoking & alcohol 
• Antibodies produced by body in response to sensitive or allergic foods 

Acute vs Chronic Inflammation 

Acute inflammation

It is important for survival to recover from injuries and to protect us from various pathogenic microbes. When we are injured or attacked by pathogens, our immune system brings the necessary nutrients, hormones and immune cells at the site of injury. This is to neutralise that threat & initiate healing process.

Body does it by increasing the temperature, promoting swelling and increasing pain at the site of injury in order to restrict further damage.

Chronic inflammation

If body is not capable of handling the injury at first step then other processes are initiated. And if there is consistent damage through antigens like sensitive foods, heavy metals, smoke, alcohol the inflammatory process becomes chronic. Body keeps doing it silently without even you knowing it by producing more antibodies to that antigens.

The cytokine & pro inflammatory proteins production increases overtime during Chronic Inflammation. If this condition persists for longer duration there is an increase in antibodies and other proteins. This increase in antibody burden haphazardly attacks its own system to organs in our body causing Autoimmune Condition.

Diseases associated with Inflammation

• Heart – myocarditis 
• Eyes – uveitis 
• Nose – rhinitis 
• Kidneys – nephritis 
• Joints – arthritis 
• Bones – osteoarthritis 
• Appendix – appendicitis 

Food as a source of Inflammation 

• Processed Foods/High sugar foods & drinks are pro-inflammatory
• Trans fatty acids are not recognised by our body as food and acts as pro inflammatory agent
• Excess Saturated fats & Omega 6 fatty acids found in refined oils promotes inflammation

How to Control or Reduce Inflammation?

There are many anti-inflammatory foods, nutrients, herbs and supplements. Use of supplements and other nutrients to suppress the inflammation is like putting a bandaid over an open cut. The Goal should be towards finding the root cause. 

There can be multiple reasons but prime focus should be to find the underlying cause of any Inflammatory cascade. It can be microbes, sensitive or allergic foods, trans fats, high sugar, smoking or even lack of sleep. 

Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients/Foods

• All extreme colour containing foods have phytonutrients and antioxidants. These food have anti-inflammatory properties. It includes foods like broccoli, tomatoes, pomegranate, bell peppers, spinach, berries etc 
• Herbs like turmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano  [Study]
• Supplements like resveratrol, green tea, vitamin C, curcumin, boswellia 

Contact me here if you are unable to find the true solution for chronic ailments and/or Inflammation.