Inflammation - Everything You Need To Know
What Is Inflammation?
The inflammatory response is a normal, natural, and necessary reaction of our body in response to injury or insult. The typical symptoms of inflammation are heat, swelling, pain and redness. This reaction encourages increased blood flow to the region in order for our white blood cells to infiltrate and start cleaning up the mess. Once the injury has been dealt with, the inflammatory symptoms subside, and the body returns to normal immune system functioning. However – when the inflammatory stimulus is not removed, the symptoms do not subside, and chronic inflammation ensues.
Chronic inflammation occurs when the body is being repeatedly exposed to an injury or insult. This can be from an external source, however it is common to see internal processes causing strong, ongoing inflammatory responses in the body.
In recent years inflammation has become known as the underlying cause of the majority of lifestyle diseases - prolonged stress, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, obesity, anxiety and clinical depression have all been linked with inflammation.
What Can Inflammation Look Like?
Body pain
Fatigue
Insomnia
Mood disorders – anxiety and depression
Weight gain and/or the inability to lose weight
Looking & feeling ‘puffy’
Frequent infections
Digestive complaints including reflux, constipation, diarrhoea and bloating
Allergies & intolerances
Please note that if you have been diagnosed with an Autoimmune Disease, infectious organism (a parasite, bacteria or virus), or you work in a job where you are constantly being exposed to toxins – inflammation will be a big contributor to your current health state. You will greatly benefit from eating and living in an anti-inflammatory way – please see my recommendations below and/or seek advice from a qualified healthcare practitioner.
What Are The Risk Factors?
Increasing age
Obesity
A diet rich in trans-saturated fatty acids and refined sugars
Smoking
Low levels of sex hormones – oestrogen and testosterone
Stress– both physical and emotional
Sleep disorders
Can I Test For Inflammation?
Yes, you can - however none of the testing methods are perfect. You can test for ‘inflammatory markers’ in the body. I recommend seeing if you have any of the symptoms listed above, as well as analysing your current stress levels, environment, and toxin exposure/use to see if you would benefit from anti-inflammatory support.
However, some blood tests that may be of benefit include:
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Anti-Nuclear Antibodies (ANA)
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Serum Protein Electrophoresis (SPE)
For autoimmune conditions it is integral to test the specific antibodies related to the condition. For example, for autoimmune thyroid conditions this may include Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (TPO) Thyroglobulin Antibody, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Receptor Antibody, amongst others.
My Natural Approaches to Dampen the Inflammation:
1. Eat As The Mediterranean’s Do!
The Mediterranean diet is the most researched anti-inflammatory diet we currently have in the literature. Other anti-inflammatory diets include the DASH diet, the vegetarian diet, and other plant-based diets.
To make yourself Mediterranean enjoy fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, wholegrains, beans, and nuts and seeds. Seafood is the main source of protein here, followed by beans and legumes. Dairy and red wine intake is moderate, and red meat is a rare occurrence.
There is nothing overly revolutionary about this diet – my tip would be to focus on wholefoods instead of packaged and takeaway foods, making sure plants the star of every meal, and treat animal protein as a condiment.
2. Up Your Phytonutrient Intake
Organic berries – all varieties
Nuts - including walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, chestnuts
Raw cacao (dark chocolate is best - try my raw chocolate coconut truffles)
Tomatoes (cooking them increases their antioxidant capacity of the compound lycopene)
All herbs both dried and fresh – superstars include clove, mint, rosemary, and saffron
Coffee – espresso style
Black and green tea
Fruits - especially pomegranate, plums, and grapes
Curly kale, artichoke and black olives
Red wine (you’re welcome!)
Try making my smoothie recipe - it is loaded with phytonutrients & antioxidants!
3. Minimise Pro-Inflammatory Compounds
Sugar
Trans-saturated fatty acids – any shelf stable foods (including the ones in the health food isle!). These toxic fats are also found in fried foods & margarine spreads.
Hydrogenated seed oils – including soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, grapeseed, rice bran & peanut oil.
Refined carbohydrates – sugar-sweetened beverages, white bread, pasta and rice, packaged cookies and pastries, fruit juices, breakfast cereals, you get the drift.
Allergies & intolerances – this includes anything that your body reacts negatively to. Common examples I see in my practice include wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, alcohol & some grains
4. Say Sayonara To Stress
I have written a whole blog on tips to reduce stress! You can find it here.
5. Focus On Increasing Anti-Inflammatory Compounds
Omega 3 fatty acids; Found abundantly in wild caught seafood, chia seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts
Curcumin - The active constituent found in turmeric. Please note not all turmeric is created equal. It must be accompanied with a source of fat and black pepper to enhance absorption. The turmeric I prescribe is the most bio-available turmeric I have found through my research.
Zingiber officinale – Ginger is a potent anti-inflammatory & antioxidant
Vitamin C; All citrus fruits, pawpaw, strawberries, parsley, green capsicum, spinach, radishes, raw cabbage, potatoes
Herbal medicines all have some anti-inflammatory activity – they are plants after all! As well as turmeric and ginger that I have mentioned above, additional herbs to combat inflammation include St Marys Thistle, Schisandra, Rosemary, Garlic and Bacopa.
6. Make Sleep A Priority
Research on the benefits of sleep is coming out in droves at the moment. Studies are showing that 7 – 9 hours every single night is recommended, and that the effects of just one night of sleep deprivation can be cognitively detrimental. I recommend listening to this TED talk on the benefits of sleep.
7. Exercise & Movement
This seems counter-intuitive, as exercise does cause an inflammatory response in the body short-term. However, the long-term benefits are all anti-inflammatory! Stress reduction, reduced obesity, a decrease in cardiovascular disease risks, enhanced cognition, as well as heart, muscle, and bone strengthening. Exercise is an anti-inflammatory and longevity weapon. Best of all, it’s free! Research suggests at least 30 minutes of sweaty exercise three times a week.
8. Adequate Levels of Vitamin D
We are now understanding the role of vitamin D and how it regulates our inflammatory pathways. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that around 1 in 4 Australians are vitamin D deficient – this is now a seven year old statistic that I think is very conservative. I see moderate to severe vitamin D deficiencies and the health problems associated in my practice far too often. Please check in with your GP and get your vitamin D levels checked if you suspect they could be sub-optimal.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, however I hope I have provided you with some helpful and accessible tools for you to start adding into your everyday life to reduce inflammation and boost longevity!
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, comments or are thinking about starting your journey to better health. You can also read more about me, how I work, and why I do what I do here.
Thank you for reading!
Jaclyn is a qualified Naturopath with a focus on hormonal complaints, cycle health, reproductive and fertility care, skin issues, and adrenal health.
Author
Jaclyn Cave
BHSc (Nat), BComm (Soc)
Masters Womens Health Med (UNSW - completing)
