What is inflammation?
From the latin ‘inflammatio’- to set on fire. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or attack as it tries to remove the stimulus and bring about tissue healing.
An inflammatory response generally presents as heat, swelling, reddening of the skin, loss of physical functionality and pain as immune cells and blood rush to the scene. It is an IMMUNE response and is necessary for survival!
This kind of response to an acute invasion or damage to the body is healthy however when inflammation becomes chronic and affects the systems of the body on a low level, it becomes dangerous.
A healthy immune system does not respond to things that are in themselves not harmful to the body. It knows when to switch off!
“Chronic, low grade inflammation is now thought to be at the root of almost all chronic diseases ”
Conditions linked to chronic inflammation:
* There is a strong body of evidence that links the following conditions to underlying inflammation:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Asthma, Skin Diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Depression, Type II Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Auto-immune disease (i.e Ankylosing Spondolytis, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis), Cancer, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Stroke.
What can trigger inflammation?
Physical injury: this is normally only last for a short period and then is resolved.
Environmental toxins: pesticides in food, pollution, cigarette smoke, cleaning chemicals, food additives, medications (especially NSAIDs and antibiotics) heavy metals like aluminium and lead.
These cause oxidative stress and can cause imbalance in the microbiome (bacteria, fungi and other organisms that live in the gut and play a very important role in digestion, immunity, mood and so on) and in turn may trigger hyperpermeability of the gut lining, which can lead to inflammation or an activation of the immune system.
Pathogenic infections (bacterial, fungal, parasitic) and their metabolites (known as LPS)
Diet:
High in trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats found in certain baked and processed foods. Look out for ingredients.
High in refined carbs and sugar- soft drinks, sweets, pastries, pizza, white bread.
High in processed foods- Containing additives, sweeteners, preservatives, trans fats and so on.
High in junk and fast food.
Food sensitivities and allergies: ie gluten and dairy- are thought to be inflammatory for many people.
Endotoxins- Gases and byproducts of imbalanced gut flora (dysbiosis) and/or leaky gut.
Psychological or emotional stress- Relationships that are unhealthy, or being in constant states of anxiety, fear, low mood or other kinds of stress can literally switch on our inflammatory immune molecules.
Excess alcohol consumption- alcohol can affect the gut microbiome due to its high sugar and yeast content resulting in inflammation.
In addition, inflammation can be further fueled by physiological imbalances like obesity, blood sugar imbalances, poor detoxification, and adrenal fatigue and vice versa. It is therefore important to address all of these.
“An intolerant immune system will lead to a wide range of illnesses, and the gut is where many people first lose immune tolerance”
So what can I do to reduce inflammation?
The most important nutritional interventions are those that focus on addressing gut imbalances and healing the gut. There are also many positive lifestyle changes that one can implement. Click here for more information on this approach.
References:
The Functional Nutrition Cookbook, 2013. Nicolle & Bailey. Singing Dragon: London.
Biochemical Imbalances in Disease, 2010. Nicolle & Beirne eds. Singing Dragon: London.
Fasano A: Zonulin and its regulation of intestinal barrier function: the biological door to inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer. Physiol Rev. 2011;91(1):151–75. 10.1152/physrev.00003.2008 [PubMed]
Pahwa R, Goyal A, Bansal P, et al. Chronic Inflammation. [Updated 2020 Nov 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/
Madison A, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2019;28:105-110. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.011
Mu Q, Kirby J, Reilly CM, Luo XM. Leaky Gut As a Danger Signal for Autoimmune Diseases. Front Immunol. 2017;8:598. Published 2017 May 23. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2017.00598
Dr. Mark Hyman podcast: How The Most Important Superfood You've Never Heard About Will Rejuvenate Your Immune System with Dr. Jeffrey Bland.
