What happens when you stub you toe against the wall or jam your finger in the door? Blood immediately rushes to the damaged spot for immune cells, hormones and available nutrients to start healing the injured area. This results in it becoming red, swollen, warm to touch and painful – what we term as ‘inflamed’. Inflammation is the body’s way of healing itself after an injury and protecting itself from infection. The body behaves in a similar way when bacteria and viruses get the better of us. Pain and fever are part of the healing process of damaged or infected tissue.
This type of acute inflammation is short term and is considered to be good, as it helps the body get back to its healthy state. Its effects wear off in a few days. But, sometimes, the body is riddled with ‘bad’, or chronic inflammation. “Inflammation is the body’s natural response to defend itself from harmful substances, injuries and to renew damaged cells. However, it is not always beneficial when it becomes chronic, leading to an ongoing destructive process where the immune system attacks the body’s healthy cells. This can cause many chronic diseases,” says Diana Nakhle, senior dietitian at Carlton Nutrition Center, Bahrain.
Goodness! Do I have it?
If you’re wondering how to spot this condition, there are signs and symptoms to watch out for. Diana says: “Depending on the disease type, the symptoms might be generalised pain in the muscles and joints, along with fatigue, fever, loss of appetite and gastrointestinal problems like diarrhoea, abdominal pain and constipation.”
But there are other telltale signs that point to inflammation of the bad kind: excessive belly fat, consistently high blood sugar levels, feeling exhausted all the time, allergies and a puffy look. Depression, skin outbreaks, anxiety or perpetual ‘brain fog’ are other fallouts of chronic inflammation.
Testing your C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, can help determine whether your body is wracked by inflammation or not.
Why does it happen?
According to Diana, chronic inflammation can be caused by an innate body condition or autoimmune response to a viral or bacterial infection or toxin, or other environmental toxins. “But following an unhealthy lifestyle triggers inflammation, whether it is poor nutrition, perpetual stress or smoking. Obesity, especially abdominal obesity and visceral fat, are prime factors too, as fat cells generate substances that produce inflammatory molecules sufficient to cause an inflammatory response in the body.
Also, a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, stress, sleeping disorders or excessive alcohol consumption are all risk factors that increase the likelihood of an inflammatory response,” she warns.
So, what if I don’t treat it?
Chronic inflammation releases a downpour of damaging substances that, over time, can make your body very sick. This condition needs to be controlled for your long-term health and wellness. “If left untreated, it can cause damage to the heart, brain and other organs. It plays a role in almost every major disease, like heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, amongst others,” says Diana.
She advocates that patients with the above-mentioned symptoms consult with a physician, as the treatment depends on the type of disease, medical history and severity of symptoms.
OK, what can I do for myself?
Diana first suggests tweaks in your diet. She says: “An ‘anti-inflammatory diet’ is basically a balanced diet rich in healthy fats, fruits, vegetables with little red meat. When we talk about inflammation we directly think of Omega-3 fatty acid as it is considered anti-inflammatory.
Do include it in your diet – more fatty fish, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds and canola oil.”
She also mentions including antioxidants found in most fruit and dark leafy vegetables. “We should include high-fibre food, whole grains and legumes and exclude as many saturated fats, fried and processed foods as possible. Besides nutrition, physical activity should be a priority for at least 90 minutes per week and we must aim for enough sleep,”
she says.
To conclude, Diana says: “Nowadays our lifestyle is directly affecting our health. We should always think of prevention rather than treatment. Aim for a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and activity, especially if you have certain risk factors. and always seek the help of qualified health professionals.”
Turmeric
Curcumin in turmeric has powerful inflammation-arresting properties. Add generously to food while cooking, or have a hearty turmeric latte, perfect for the season. Combining it with black pepper increases curcumin’s bioavailability by 2,000 per cent.
Almonds and Walnuts
These nuts are the richest known sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. The body converts beneficial fatty acids into cannabinoids, which in turn help to cut down inflammation. A handful of these nuts makes for a healthy snack every day.
Ginger
This culinary spice is shown to reduce inflammation and speeds up muscle recovery. Due to these effects, it has been clinically shown to reduce knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis.
Sip on ginger tea regularly to reap its benefits.
Exercise Eliminates Inflammation
A detailed study shows that as little as 20 minutes of regular brisk walking can reduce inflammation. Each time we are physically active, the body benefits at a cellular level. But remember, over-exercising is counteractive to the purpose. It’s important to give your body time to recover from strenuous exercise. Switch workouts every day so you are not taxing the muscles and be sure to enjoy exercise-free days too.
