Inflammation, which is also referred to as swelling, is part of the body’s natural healing system to help fight injury and infection. But it doesn’t just happen in response to injury and illness. An inflammatory response can also occur when the immune system goes into action without an injury or infection to fight. Since there’s nothing to heal, the immune system cells that normally protect us begin to destroy healthy arteries, organs and joints. And this can happen on a chronic basis.
“When you don’t eat healthy, don’t get enough exercise, or have too much stress, the body responds by triggering inflammation,” says Varinthrej Pitis, MD, an internal medicine physician at Scripps Clinic Carmel Valley. “Chronic inflammation can have damaging consequences over the long term. So the food you eat, the quality of sleep you get and how much you exercise, they all really matter when it comes to reducing inflammation.”
Early symptoms of chronic inflammation may be vague, with subtle signs and symptoms that may go undetected for a long period. You may just feel slightly fatigued, or even normal. As inflammation progresses, however, it begins to damage your arteries, organs and joints. Left unchecked, it can contribute to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, blood vessel disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.
Immune system cells that cause inflammation contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits in the lining of the heart’s arteries. “These plaques can eventually rupture, which causes a clot to form that could potentially block an artery. When blockage happens, the result is a heart attack,” says James Gray, MD, a cardiologist at the Scripps Center of Integrative Medicine.
What can I do to reduce the risk of chronic inflammation?
You can control — and even reverse — inflammation through a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet, and lifestyle. Here are some suggestions for reducing inflammation in your body:
1. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Your diet will greatly affect lowering inflammation. The Mediterranean diet is a good example of an anti-inflammatory diet. This is due to its focus on fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limits on unhealthy fats, such as red meat, butter and egg yolks as well as processed and refined sugars and carbs. Additional food sources contain omega-3s found in cold water fish, such as salmon and tuna, and tofu, walnuts, flax seeds and soybeans. Other foods include grapes, celery, blueberries, garlic, olive oil, tea and some spices (ginger, rosemary and turmeric).
2. Limit or Avoid Processed “White Foods”
Limit or avoid simple carbohydrates, such as white flour, white rice, refined sugar and anything with high fructose corn syrup. One easy rule to follow is to avoid white foods, such as white bread, rice and pasta, as well as foods made with white sugar and flour.
3. Exercise and Lose Weight
People who are carrying extra pounds may have more have more inflammation in their body. By losing weight, you can also reduce inflammation. In addition to following the diet suggestions mentioned above, one of the best ways to lose weight is engage in consistent, aerobic exercise. Walking, biking, hiking, swimming and taking classes at a gym are some great ways to drop inches and build up the strength of the body.
4. Manage Stress
One of the little-known facts is that chronic stress contributes to inflammation. Cortisol is a potent anti-inflammatory hormone, and its dysfunction is likely to result in widespread inflammation following a stress response. “We may not be able to change many of the stressful situations we encounter in life, but we can change our response and perception by learning to manage stress better,” Dr. Gray says. Breathing exercises, yoga, meditation or simply calming the body with affirmation statement like “I let go of stress now and breath ease into my body” can reduce stress and anxiety.
Adapted from the online article https://www.scripps.org/news_items/4232-six-keys-to-reducing-inflammation.