Inflammation and disease states

To begin, we have to understand what inflammation actually means. 

The standard definition of inflammation is: 

If your body encounters an offensive foreign body (chemicals which are toxic to your system, viruses, bacteria, food sensitivity) or you have an injury, the body responds via the immune system. The immune system initially sends out something called inflammatory cells and another thing called cytokines (cytokines are chemical messengers which cause the stimulation of more inflammatory cells).

Often we recognize inflammation by pain, bruising, redness or swelling however inflammation can also affect body systems you are unable to see and not even be aware it is happening.

Inflammation can be acute, subacute or chronic depending on the duration of the symptoms. 

Acute inflammatory is commonly seen after some kind of injury, viral or bacterial infections or exposure to some environmental toxin. Usually onset is very fast and can last for several days. Then you can enter something called subacute inflammation. It is the bridge between the acute and chronic phases. After a month and half in the subacute stage, you then enter the chronic phase (also referred to as slow, long term inflammation). This is the point where your doctor has most likely diagnosed your disease. Symptoms of chronic inflammation can often be less obvious when compared to acute inflammation. 

Some more common signs of chronic inflammation can include such things as abdominal pain,  chest pain, fatigue, fevers, joint pain, weight gain or loss, depression, anxiety and skin rashes.

Some disease seen with chronic inflammation are: Alzheimer’s disease, Asthma, COPD (specifically smoking) and Allergies, Abdominal issues (constipation, diarrhea, reflux disease), Cancer, Diabetes type 2, Cardiovascular disease (includes heart disease), Chronic infections, Arthritis (especially rheumatoid and Psoriatic), Kidney and Liver disease, Obesity,Tuberculosis, Autoimmune disorders such as Systemic Lupus, Psoriasis and Eczema (your body over responding and is attacking healthy tissue). Stress (either physical or emotional) and sleep disorders (can be associated with increased cytokine release ☹️).

According to the World Health Organization, chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world. They rank these chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health. They stated that in 2000, 125 million Amercians were living with chronic conditions, 61 million (21%) had more than one. 

In 2014, according to the Rand Corporation, 60% of Americans had at least one chronic condition, 42% had 2-4 conditions, and 12% adults had 5 or more chronic conditions. That was nearly 10 years ago and they were only talking about adults. 

Hopefully, you can see just how important reversing chronic inflammation will be to your overall health and it can be completely reversible. It is never too late. 

If your symptoms are becoming concerning, your primary care physician may run blood tests or send you to a specialist. 

My personal experience is that if there is medication or a pill, that will be the first thing health care goes to as a solution to mask the symptoms, but it does not cure the underlying problem. I am not saying that the pill won’t help because it might change the lab result, but there are two most important points to remember. One, it can have side effects but it does not help your underlying issue that is causing your illness. 

Dietary and lifestyle changes may be very healthful in removing the inflammatory triggers and reduce, if not eliminate chronic inflammation. Here are a few suggestions of where to start. 

• Low-glycemic diet: Limiting the consumption of inflammation-promoting foods like sodas, refined carbohydrates, and fructose corn syrup in your diet can reduce or eliminate your risk of stroke and type 2 diabetes.
• Fiber: High intake of dietary soluble and insoluble fiber are associated with a healthy gut, helping our immune system.
• Nuts: Such as almonds, can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The fat and protein in nuts can help slow the digestion of carbohydrates which reduces the immediate amount of available glucose and can reduce insulin spikes.
• Green and black tea polyphenols: Tea polyphenols are associated with a reduction in CRP (C reactive protein seen in blood work in people with inflammation whether acute or chronic).
• Curcumin: A constituent of turmeric has been shown to be associated with significant improvement in several inflammatory diseases.
• Fish and Fish Oil: The richest source of the omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 polyunsaturated fats appear to be anti-inflammatory.
• Reduce intake of total, saturated fat and trans fats: Some dietary saturated and synthetic trans-fats aggravate inflammation. Reduction in animal fats, processed foods and processed oils instead use avocado, extra virgin olive oil and coconut which are the best to use.
• Fruits and vegetables: Blueberries, apples, brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, mushrooms, that are high in natural antioxidants and polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds.  Cherries and cherry juice have been shown to ease symptoms in patients with gout.
• Mung bean: Rich in flavonoids. It is a traditional food and herbal medicine known for its anti-inflammatory effects. Incorporate it into your vegetable stir fry or other asian dishes.
• Micronutrients: Magnesium [supplementation may significantly reduce different human inflammatory markers, in particular, serum C reactive protein and nitric oxide levels], vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc and selenium. Magnesium is listed as one of the most anti-inflammatory dietary supplements. Vitamin D suppresses inflammatory mediators (chemical agents in your body which take an active part in the development of the inflammatory response) – and evidence has shown it can help reduce your risk of colon cancer. Vitamin E, zinc, and selenium act as antioxidants (may prevent or delay some types of cell damage). 

Next is the benefit of an exercise routine.

I struggle with this one as well when making my diet as healthy as possible. 

The energy you use through exercise lowers multiple proinflammatory molecules and cytokines which occurs independent of weight loss. Reducing inflammation and thereby disease. Committing just 30 minutes a day of walking will not only reduce your inflammation but also improve your overall brain function. Almost 92% of the population do not get enough exercise. 

Identify your inflammation triggers. 

What is a trigger for one person may not be a trigger for you. Your doctor may help you get the tests you need – ask for their help. My best friend struggled with eczema for years. She kept asking to have her allergies checked to no avail.  But, finally, her doctor gave in to her requests. She was found to be allergic to wheat, avocado, and banana’s. Once she gave those things up, her skin cleared up and her issues with chronic inflammation completely resolved. This was the first time I had ever considered the relationship of diet to disease. 

One of the most common methods to identify your trigger(s) is to give up the most common triggers such as sugar, alcohol, red meats and wheat. After being off them for several weeks, reintroduce one at a time over a period of a week or 2 and see if your symptoms start to return. If they do then voila, you found your trigger. One of the most common is wheat, you would be surprised that it is not just in bread but is everywhere (even in your ketchup), it takes time, but soon you will be an expert in reading ingredient labels.  

Start by avoiding these foods, as much as possible, to further reduce inflammation: 

1. Red meat and processed meats, including bacon, hot dogs, lunch meats and cured meats
2. Refined grains, including white bread, white rice, pasta and breakfast cereals
3. Snack foods, including chips, cookies, crackers and pastries
4. Sodas and other sweetened drinks
5. Fried foods

The number one rule: fresh is always best.  Refined/highly processed foods are not healthful. When shopping, avoid the inside aisles of a food store and shop the periphery areas of the store. 

Next up is what we put ON our bodies.

Our skin is the largest organ of our bodies.  

According to Harvard Medical School and many other studies: 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/toxic-beauty

You might assume that all those ingredients have been tested to ensure that they’re safe for long-term use on our skin. That’s not the case.

At least on the federal level, no one is checking to make sure that the chemicals you’re putting on your body are harmless. “Products are tested to make sure they don’t cause short-term problems, such as skin irritation. But they’re not tested for long-term safety,” says Dr. Kathryn M. Rexrode, associate professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School. The FDA steps in only if people actually complain about a product because they suspect it harmed them. Prior to that, the onus is on the company alone. 

As is also mentioned in the article, you can get more information regarding products you might be using at: www.ewg.org. 

Stress and inflammation. 

Chronic inflammation is an essential component of chronic diseases. There is growing evidence that increased levels of markers of inflammation (like your C- reactive protein blood test) can be in the process of depressive disorders. If the inflammatory response remains untreated, a chronic release of proinflammatory cytokines can promote disease, including depression according to some studies. 

After my sister was diagnosed with cancer, I had to make a difficult decision to leave direct patient health care, not that I did not love what I did, but because of the level of stress it was creating in my life. My disease was under control, thankfully from medication, but I knew it was not the cure to my disease. I knew over time it would get worse and would cause me more disability. I am right here with all of you. Looking for answers. I hope that my years of experience and advice in health care (over 10 specialty areas) can help even just one person have a positive experience of health that would make all my years of experience worth it. 

Thank you for taking this health care journey with me and allowing me to share things I have gained over the years. 

Next up I want to talk about diabetes. It is a huge problem and just getting worse. I am sure by now most of you understand the reason why it will be the number one issue of our century.