Could Decreasing Inflammation Be the Cure for Everything?
Nov 21, 2019 22:33:57 GMT -5
Kady likes this
Post by tnthomas on Nov 21, 2019 22:33:57 GMT -5
Click the link [above] for the full article, well worth the time. Cutting it to the chase:
So what makes chronic inflammation happen?
Chronic inflammation is a cascading effect of reactions in the body, Pahwa says. Here's a (very) basic breakdown of what's going on.
Something triggers the immune system. Whether it's a chronic disease, an autoimmune disorder, weight gain, psychological stress, poor nutrition, exposure to chemicals or allergens — something puts your body in a state of stress and keeps it there.
The immune system responds. The body goes into attack mode with its inflammatory response, which also includes blood vessel expansion to increase blood flow to the problem areas. Blood is the primary delivery system for all these substances.
And responds … and responds … and responds. An endless cycle of pro-inflammatory foods, rampant stress, bad sleep and more keeps this process in constant motion because we never give the body a break.
There are “pro-inflammatory foods"?
Yes, and they're the same foods you've been warned about by everyone from your dentist to your cardiologist. (And that's no surprise, because gingivitis and sclerotic arteries are both inflammatory conditions.) Foods high in sugar or high in unhealthy fats (think deli meats and fried foods) are top of the list.
"We don't fully understand it yet,” Buford says, “but now we know our gut microbiome, made up of trillions of bacteria, influences physiologic processes throughout the body.” We're born with a balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut. When that balance is thrown off — known as dysbiosis — it can lead to trouble. “A disregulated microbiome has been associated with metabolic diseases, pulmonary diseases, nervous system conditions, Alzheimer's — and these associations grow as we learn more and more,” Buford says.
Chronic inflammation is a cascading effect of reactions in the body, Pahwa says. Here's a (very) basic breakdown of what's going on.
Something triggers the immune system. Whether it's a chronic disease, an autoimmune disorder, weight gain, psychological stress, poor nutrition, exposure to chemicals or allergens — something puts your body in a state of stress and keeps it there.
The immune system responds. The body goes into attack mode with its inflammatory response, which also includes blood vessel expansion to increase blood flow to the problem areas. Blood is the primary delivery system for all these substances.
And responds … and responds … and responds. An endless cycle of pro-inflammatory foods, rampant stress, bad sleep and more keeps this process in constant motion because we never give the body a break.
There are “pro-inflammatory foods"?
Yes, and they're the same foods you've been warned about by everyone from your dentist to your cardiologist. (And that's no surprise, because gingivitis and sclerotic arteries are both inflammatory conditions.) Foods high in sugar or high in unhealthy fats (think deli meats and fried foods) are top of the list.
"We don't fully understand it yet,” Buford says, “but now we know our gut microbiome, made up of trillions of bacteria, influences physiologic processes throughout the body.” We're born with a balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut. When that balance is thrown off — known as dysbiosis — it can lead to trouble. “A disregulated microbiome has been associated with metabolic diseases, pulmonary diseases, nervous system conditions, Alzheimer's — and these associations grow as we learn more and more,” Buford says.
