Chronic inflammation is not your friend
Headlines declare “Our Greatest Enemy? Inflammation” and “Inflammation in Midlife Tied to Brain Shrinkage Later in Life.” Scary stuff. But what exactly are they talking about, and what can you do about it?
Those are good questions, and they’ve made us realize that we often mention inflammation without really explaining the nitty gritty of it. And that, unfortunately, may make it harder for you to take (and keep taking) steps to become your healthiest self and achieve a younger RealAge. So here’s a short course in inflammation and how you can help put out the destructive fire that may be glowing inside you.
Acute, short-term inflammation is your friend: It signals that your immune system has been called into action to fight off invading viruses and bacteria (or to help heal an injury). Here’s the drill: Sentinel cells, the guys at the guardhouse, alert your immune system when invaders appear. Then other cells cause your capillaries to leak blood plasma; its function is to envelop and slow down the invaders. Next, macrophages release cytokines. These are germ fighters that are then joined by your B- and T-cells, which KO the invaders. And then, when the hordes are vanquished, more cytokines are released that signal the battle is over and your immune soldiers can head back to their barracks. Without an acute inflammatory response, you would get ill from every passing germ, and a cut or scrape could turn lethal.
Chronic inflammation causes disease instead of fighting it. It turns out that for a variety of reasons, the body can get caught in a state of persistent low-level inflammation. When that happens, your immune-system warriors cruise around your body even when there is no bacteria to fight off or injury to heal. Without specific targets to attack, they begin to damage organs, nerves and arteries.
They can interfere with how the body uses insulin, and that can lead to chronic-inflammatory conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and gastrointestinal woes. Chronic inflammation also is implicated in causing the tangle of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and rogue inflammatory cells produce free radicals that cause genetic mutations leading to cancer and feed the growth of tumors.
What causes chronic inflammation? Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are two identified culprits. Excess fat cells (particularly in the belly) trigger the slow and steady release of those inflammatory first responders, the cytokines. And a sedentary lifestyle contributes to both obesity and chronic stress, which in turn feed chronic inflammation.
In addition, chronic inflammation is stoked by a diet packed with inflammatory foods, such as red meats and added sugars and syrups; lack of exercise and sleep; environmental assaults from air pollution; toxic chemicals; hormone disruptors; and the use of tobacco, marijuana, and hookah and vaping parlors. Johns Hopkins researchers suggest “avoiding contact with heavy metals such as mercury, which is found in dangerous amounts in some large fish, and limit exposure to substances, such as diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke that can set off the immune system.”
SIGNS YOU HAVE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
Are you all-over achy, often fatigued, have irregular poop (either constipation or diarrhea), bloating, high blood pressure, weight gain? These can be signs that your immune system has gone rogue. But for a surefire diagnosis, ask your doctor for a CRP-HS blood test; it’s readily available to help in the evaluation of inflammation.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO MAKE
Opt for seven to nine servings of fresh fruits and veggies daily; get 900 mg of omega-3 DHA (helps lower background inflammation, according to a Stanford University study), aim for seven to eight hours of restful sleep nightly, get moving with both aerobic exercise (five days a week) and strength building (two days). Start meditating for 15 minutes daily. And be smart about avoiding potential toxins in plastics and receipts (phthalates and BPA), household cleaners, garden pesticides, water (use a home filter) and air. That should help put out the flame.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit sharecare.com.
(c) 2018 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.