“To protect and serve”

The title may be the motto of the Los Angeles Police Department since 1955 [1], but Mother Nature has embedded its concept into humans way beyond that date.

Our body is, in fact, protecting us from any threat, at the same time serving us in the most effective way in the course of our lives.

The above is yet generally valid until we start considering the amount of external factors that may have impact on our “body-system” over time, the so called “epigenetic” factors.

I wrote already about some effect on stress caused by this modern lifestyle on other blogs [2] and I’ve highlighted the differences between acute and chronic stressors.

The same set of rules is applicable when talking about inflammation. Have a look to the the table below, which simplify the subject (for more details [3]).

So, why we do focus on chronic stuff?

Yet there are some cases in which acute inflammation is voluntarily created in order for the body to benefit from it: just think about weight training, during which we do initiate a natural response to the training, creating micro-damages to muscles so that repair can occur, thus building up more muscle fibers and so on.

In that specific case, to reduce the likelihood of the inflammation to become chronic, and thus manifesting its negative effects, we need to have proper rest and recovery.

In other cases acute inflammation is the evidence that the system is working and repairs are in progress, such as after being vaccinated we develop immunity. It’s an example of adaptive immunity triggered by inflammation.

It’s worth to mention that the immune system response is “not specific”: it goes against anything and in virtual the same way.

Having said so, the negative side comes with chronic inflammation.

In a chronic inflamed state, the immune system is not able to complete the recovery process, thus continuing to release inflammatory mediators (proteins- cytokines- but also carbs, lipids etc) that are unable to “win the battle” against the cause of inflammation.

And that’s the kicker: these mediators can then either help us or damage the body, both indirectly or directly.

Common causes and symptoms of inflammation.

Inflammation is caused by numerous contributing factors: among them, obesity, high sugar diets, trans fat consumption, unhealthy diets etc. In a nutshell: not having an healthy lifestyle can lead to chronic inflammation. Full stop.

But there is more. Some researches are revealing a link between many cases of depression and body inflammation: depressed people are, in fact, found to have high levels of cytokines in the blood stream and cytokines are just the class of proteins that is pumped into the bloodstream by the body when the immune system is triggered [4]. Et voila’, here is the correlation. [5]

Heart Attacks? Do not point your finger against cholesterol!

Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and many others are also linked to inflammation in many ways.

Doctors and research scientists now believe that a number of diseases are result of chronic inflammation [6] that includes “high-grade” prostate cancer as well [7], or even cancer [8].

Bear in mind that autoimmune diseases can be also the root cause of chronic inflammation.

What tools do I have to check my levels of inflammation?

Some classic signs of being inflamed are regular aches and pains, constant fatigue, or just swelling. Most of the time these signs are underestimated, because are considered as “light” and tolerated and subsequently they become “familiar” and we start accepting them for granted.

Fortunately, there are some markers that are analyzed to check the level of inflammation, and a comprehensive blood work panel with a subsequent evaluation by a competent medical practitioner, will give you some sound results.

I’d generally look for (minimum):

-High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HS-CRP),

-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),

-plasma viscosity (PV)

-Ferritine levels

Testing omega 3/6 ratio and vitamin D levels as well as Magnesium is for sure a good thing (for many other reasons) [ 9]

Some useful tips to reduce inflammation

I personally would go to the root cause of inflammation, thus embracing the functional medicine approach.

In any way, the standard approach of reducing excessive belly fat, improving the quality of the diet, together with magnesium supplementation and monitoring of sleep quality deficiency is universally recognized to have positive effects on the body system.

There are numerous studies and evidences that Omega 3 and curcomin might have beneficial anti inflammatory effects. So let’s go with Salmon or Sardines, Turmeric (golden milk anyone?!)

But try also some spices, like green herbs like sage and oregano or many others (refer to [10]).

Go green!

Eat more dark-colored greens and cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cabbage with high sulforaphane content [11]

Drive the inflammation nuts!

Nuts May Fight Diseases By Reducing Chronic Inflammation [12]

But do not exaggerate or you will mess up with your omega 3 omega 6 ratio [13] (other than your daily calories intake) !

Have a look here for the omega content of seeds and nuts.

Three, two, one…Freeze!

Although studies are mainly on acute inflammation [14], the benefits of Whole body Cryotherapy are really a lot.

So, take your time and book a trip to Alaska. Or just try WBC at the nearest SPA, or, go with Wim Hof instead [15]…

Meditate on that

Immune and nervous systems are strongly linked. Mindfulness exercises and meditation techniques helps reducing inflammation overall. And the positive effects of Mindfulness training does not stop here [16] .

Disclaimer: The information and reference guides in this website are intended solely for the general information for the reader. The contents of this article are not intended to offer personal medical advice, diagnose health problems or for treatment purposes. It is not a substitute for medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. Please consult your health care provider for any advice on medications.