ARE YOU AT RISK OF INFLAMMATION OVERLOAD?

IF YOU cut yourself, or catch a bug, your body responds by sending out white blood cells and hormones to tackle the problem. This is the inflammatory response — our body’s defence system. (Visual signs of it include the red tissue as a wound heals, or a raised temperature.) The inflammatory response usually lasts a few hours or, at most, a few days. However, sometimes this ‘fire alarm’ keeps on ringing a nd t he i nf l a mmatory response won’t turn off. This can be as a result of lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol and stress, environmental factors such as pollution, and also health conditions such as allergies or food intolerance. It is also triggered by what we eat. Research shows that highly processed foods, packed with additives, sugar and saturated and trans fats, are inflammatory. So, too, is an excess of many simple carbs such as white bread and pasta. When the inflammation becomes permanent, it can cause lasting damage as the white blood cells mistakenly attack healthy tissue. The cells can also create harmful molecules known as free radicals, which damage other cells.

This permanent state of inflammation is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular illnesses and type 2 diabetes — which are responsible for three out of five deaths globally. Living with a chronic inflammatory disease also increases your risk of infection, including Covid-19.

The good news is that one of the key factors for tackling inflammation is within our control: our diet.