How to Reduce Inflammation In Your Body
Although you cannot see or feel it, inflammation may be steadily destroying your body.
Inflammation (swelling), a normal aspect of the body’s healing system, aids in the fight against injury and infection. However, it does not just occur as a result of injury or sickness.
An inflammatory response can also develop when the immune system activates in the absence of an injury or infection to combat. Because there is nothing to mend, the immune cells that typically safeguard us start to kill good arteries, organs, and joints.
“The body responds by producing inflammation when you don’t eat well, don’t get enough exercise, or have too much stress,” explains Varinthrej Pitis, MD, an internal medicine physician at Scripps Clinic Carmel Valley. “Chronic inflammation can have long-term negative repercussions.” So, when it comes to lowering inflammation, the food you consume, the quality of sleep you receive, and how much you exercise all have a role.”
What effects can chronic inflammation have on the body?
Early indications and symptoms of chronic inflammation might be hazy, with modest signs and symptoms that can go unnoticed for a long time. You could just feel mildly tired, or even normal. However, when inflammation advances, it begins to harm your arteries, organs, and joints. It can lead to chronic ailments such as heart disease, blood vessel disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other problems if left untreated.
Inflammatory immune system cells lead to the accumulation of fatty deposits in the lining of the heart’s arteries. “These plaques can eventually burst, resulting in the formation of a clot that might possibly block an artery.” “A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage,” explains James Gray, MD, a cardiologist at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine.
A blood test for C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation, is the most frequent approach to evaluate inflammation. Homocysteine levels are also measured by doctors to assess chronic inflammation. Finally, clinicians analyze red blood cell damage by testing for HbA1C, a blood sugar level.
What can I do to lower my chances of developing chronic inflammation?
A balanced, anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle can help you regulate — and even reverse — inflammation. People with a family history of health issues, such as heart disease or colon cancer, should see their doctors about lifestyle modifications that help disease prevention by lowering inflammation.
Follow these six guidelines to reduce inflammation in your body:
1. Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods.
Because they can defend against inflammation, your dietary choices are just as essential as the drugs and supplements you may be taking for overall health. “Making excellent dietary choices, such as including fresh vegetables and fruits and minimizing refined sugar intake, may make a major impact,” Dr. Pitis explains.
“We may not be able to alter many of the stressful events we face in life,” Dr. Gray adds, “but we can modify our attitude and perception by learning to manage stress effectively.”
Consume more fruits and vegetables, as well as foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Cold water fish, such as salmon and tuna, as well as tofu, walnuts, flax seeds, and soybeans, are high in omega-3s.
Grapes, celery, blueberries, garlic, olive oil, tea, and several spices are also anti-inflammatory foods (ginger, rosemary, and turmeric).
The Mediterranean diet is an excellent anti-inflammatory diet. This is owing to its emphasis on fruits, vegetables, seafood, and whole grains, as well as restrictions on harmful fats like red meat, butter, and egg yolks, as well as processed and refined sugars and starches.
2. Limit or eliminate inflammatory foods.
Dr. Gray adds, “An anti-inflammatory diet also excludes items that increase inflammation.”
Red meat and anything containing trans fats, such as margarine, maize oil, deep-fried dishes, and most processed foods, are examples of inflammatory foods.
3. Maintain blood sugar levels
Simple carbs, such as white flour, white rice, refined sugar, and anything containing high fructose corn syrup, should be limited or avoided.
Avoiding white foods such as white bread, rice, and pasta, as well as dishes produced with white sugar and flour, is a simple guideline to follow. Build meals around lean proteins and fiber-rich whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat bread. Examine the labels to ensure that “whole wheat” or another whole grain is included as the first ingredient.
4. Schedule time for exercise.
Dr. Gray believes that “regular exercise is an effective approach to avoid inflammation.”
Make time at least four to five times per week for 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic activity and 10 to 25 minutes of weight or strength training.
5. Slim down
Overweight people have increased inflammation. Losing weight may help to reduce inflammation.
6. Stress management
Chronic stress promotes inflammation. To handle stress during the day, try meditation, yoga, biofeedback, guided imagery, or another technique.
“We may not be able to alter many of the stressful events we face in life,” Dr. Gray adds, “but we can modify our attitude and perception by learning to manage stress effectively.”
“It’s also crucial to remember that anti-inflammatory interventions pay off over time with greater health and a lower chance of chronic illness.”
For References
https://www.scripps.org/news_items/4232-six-keys-to-reducing-inflammation
