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“Inflammation” is a term used quite often nowadays. You may have heard about an “anti-inflammatory diet” that is supposed to cure all illness, or how inflammation is harmful to our bodies. But the truth is we don’t properly understand what inflammation is.
Inflammation is actually a good thing, it’s our body’s first line of defense. We think of inflammation as swelling, redness, or irritation. That’s only partially true. When your body is in pain the immune system is told to release inflammatory cells to trap the toxins. By trapping these toxins, blood vessels release fluids which may cause swelling or redness.
That’s basically the good news, because the products of inflammation as well as the factors creating it can be a silent killer. Inflammation is one of the leading contributors to cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Further, you can’t test it or cure it.
One of the major negative products of inflammation is your body sending false distress signals, which causes these white blood cells to gather near your organs for a long time, looking for an infection to fight. The accumulation of these cells put your organs at risk for infection as they pointlessly fight off the good cells, putting you at risk for an infection or disease.
Some of the major causes are anxiety and obesity, which we already know are bad for your health. Carrying extra weight causes your fat cells to swell, which signals the white blood cells to come down and help. This collection of white blood cells causes the body to become resistant to insulin over time, which is the body’s leading sugar-regulating hormone. Eating high fat and sugary foods causes excess sugar to rush into the bloodstream, causing inflammation. These are all contributors to diabetes. Along with obesity, stress is a major contributor to inflammation. Constantly feeling anxious in social situations triggers the release of hormones to combat the stress, leading to inflammation. George Slavich, Ph.D., a researcher in psychoneuroimmunology at the UCLA says long term anxiety or depression causes regular spikes in inflammation.
there is no secret pill or vaccine you can get to prevent this silent killer. Instead, it’s the same old solution your grandma offered for staying healthy: eat an apple a day, walk to school, and don’t leave the house without a smile. Basically, munching on fruits and vegetables, exercising, and being happy all lower your risk of inflammation.
Sometimes grandma does know best.
