Everyone knows what acute inflammation is… it’s that annoying redness, swelling, and pain that results when you cut your finger or as I did last week, burn your arm on a hot pan. It’s a very important mechanism that allows our body to fight infection and ultimately heal. In this type of inflammatory response, our body sends in white blood cells to fight infection and when their job is done, they retreat, satisfied with a good day’s work.
In chronic inflammation, the problem is that there is no infection; instead, the immune response is continually triggered by a faulty signal. The white blood cells are sent in to do their job, but there is nothing for them to attack; instead, they start to damage normal tissues. This is a big problem, especially since there are no real symptoms to alert us when this is occurring. Most often, it is only realized once a disease has progressed.
Below I have highlighted the key things you need to know: the causes of chronic inflammation and the measures you can take to prevent it.
Primary causes or triggers:
- Being overweight. When an individual is overweight, white blood cells may inflame fat cells and induce insulin resistance. This is a major reason why those with a BMI>25 are at an increased risk for developing Type II diabetes.
- Regular consumption of high-sugar & high-fat foods.
- High anxiety/stress levels. What goes on in our minds produces huge physiologic changes in our bodies, with one of those being that it seems to decrease the body’s ability to regulate inflammatory response.
- Exposure to toxins, cigarette smoke, or polluted air.
Some important measures you can take to reduce inflammation:
- Increase your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in salmon, tuna, walnuts, and flaxseeds.
- Eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, with an emphasis on varieties that contain carotenoids (carrots, sweet potatoes, squash), lycopene (tomatoes), and resveratrol (grapes).
- Eat at least 3 servings per day of whole grains and boost your fiber intake.
- Exercise. Current recommendations are to exercise at least 150 minutes per week, combining aerobics and resistance training.
- De-stress. Read a book, hang out with friends, go for a swim, or do whatever it is that makes you feel good when you are feeling stressed.
Resources
1. Sheldon Cohen, Denise Janicki-Deverts, William J. Doyle, Gregory E. Miller, Ellen Frank, Bruce S. Rabin, and Ronald B. Turner. Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. PNAS, April 2, 2012. http://www.pnas.org/content/109/16/5995.full
2. Landro, Laura. The New Science Behind America’s Deadliest Diseases. Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303612804577531092453590070.html