Inflammation

GOOD FOR HEALING INJURIES, BAD FOR THE HEART

Inflammation is all the rage in the media today – everyone, from pro athletes to natural health healers, are talking about its’ detrimental effects.

Contrary to its’ slight demonization, inflammation is a normal bodily process that occurs in response to injury and infection.

In fact, inflammation is actually a part of the healing process and it works in concert with the immune system.

When inflammation becomes a problem

Inflammation becomes a problem when it becomes chronic – when our body thinks it’s always in need of healing, triggering an ongoing inflammatory response.

This kind of chronic inflammation is thought to play a role in many diseases, including anything that ends in itis such as arthritis, colitis, bursitis and tendinitis.

There’s also another type of inflammation that may not be so obvious.

This silent inflammation involves an underlying low-grade stimulation of the inflammatory process and has no outward signs. Silent inflammation can be a major factor in the development of many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, allergies, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. So, to review: chronic inflammation = bad, silent inflammation = really bad.

What causes inflammation?

There is some great research out there on inflammation and we know for certain that lifestyle factors can cause it – the silent and chronic versions, that is:

• Stress

• Environmental toxins: BPA, heavy metals (lead, mercury, aluminum and cadmium), parabens and phthalates (among many others) • Sedentary lifestyle

• Lack of sleep

• Smoking

• Emotional Stress: depression is an independent risk factor for the development of both coronary artery disease and stroke, meaning you really could die of a broken heart.

Common foods that cause inflammation

You may not be able to control some of the causes listed above, but food is a great way to ratchet up your inflammation, particularly if you diet is heavy in these:

• Sugar: Refined carbohydrates rapidly increase your blood sugar, which in turn causes your body to release large amounts of insulin. This often results in a pro-inflammatory response.

Red meat: Too much red meat (>2x/week) will increase a pro-inflammatory fat called arachidonic acid. The human body needs some arachidonic acid, but too much can be toxic and can lead to chronic inflammation.

Hydrogenated oils (found in many processed foods). This one is pretty obvious.

Dairy: Dairy is considered a common food allergy that can put stress on the immune system and increase the proinflammatory fat, arachidonic acid.

Gluten: A common food allergen that can result in an immediate inflammatory response when it enters the body.

• Too much coffee or alcohol.

How to tell if you have chronic or silent inflammation

If you identified with one to many of the causes above, you’re constantly feeling run-down and sluggish, and you’re prone to getting every little bug, flu and virus that crosses your path, there may be an inflammation problem.

Even if these symptoms don’t appear, however, your body may be riddled with inflammation that will catch up with you later.

If you’re worried about inflammation, you might want to see an MD or naturopathic doctor. We can order a blood test, called C-reactive protein (CRP) to measure inflammation in the body.

If you have a history in your family of heart disease, in particular, you might also want to discuss these tests with your MD or ND: Lipoprotein (a), Apolipoprotein B, homocysteine and LDL particle size.

How to beat inflammation

Fear not! Inflammation can have a nasty impact, but there are ways to mitigate the harm it causes. Try:

• Eat heart-smart foods: dark leafy greens, berries, healthy fats, nuts and seeds, fish and legumes – rich in flavonoids and antioxidants to help to reduce CRP and inflammation.

• Minimize stress and get enough sleep: The stress hormone cortisol can have detrimental effects on the body when released in large amounts during chronic stress. Practice stress management techniques such as yoga, deep breathing and meditation. Also support your stress glands, ‘the adrenal glands’, with B vitamins and herbs such as Rhodiola, Siberian ginseng and Ashwagandha.

• Include fish oil in your diet: Take a minimum of 800 mg EPA and 400 mg DHA from good quality fish oil daily.

• Eat lots and lots of curry: The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers of curcumin (found in high doses in turmeric root – a common ingredient in curry powders, prevent and fights a wide variety of conditions. Spice it up: Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, rosemary and ginger all possess anti-inflammatory properties. Supplement with Vitamin C and lysine: Double Nobel prize recipient, Dr. Linus Pauling studied the powerful effects of combining both Vitamin C and lysine for reducing inflammation and preventing and treating arterial plaque and heart disease.

CoQ10 and magnesium: Both of these popular heart supportive supplements are not to be forgotten, and in my opinion are fundamentals for the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Happy heart month!

Eat heart-smart foods like dark leafy greens, berries, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, fish and legumes – rich in flavonoids and antioxidants to help reduce CRP and inflammation.