Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury or infection. Think of it as your body's way of signaling the immune system to heal and repair damaged tissue, as well as defend against invaders like bacteria and viruses. Inflammation is a vital part of the immune response. I often describe it as your body sending out the fire trucks because it sees smoke.
Is Inflammation good or bad?
Well, it can be both. In the short term (acute) inflammation is necessary for healing. It's like when you cut your finger, and it becomes red, swollen, and warm.
Ongoing, long-term (chronic) inflammation can last for months or even years. Unlike acute inflammation, it doesn’t help your body in the same way and can actually cause damage over time.
How does inflammation become chronic?
Once the acute threat is gone, your body should be able to stop the process of inflammation (stop sending the fire trucks once the smoke is gone). Sometimes things go awry and your body continues to perceive a threat, therefore, inflammation doesn’t get turned off. Chronic inflammation can be triggered by various things:
Diet: Processed foods, sugary drinks, and trans fats can promote inflammation.
Food sensitivities: some people are genetically predisposed to have an inflammatory response to certain foods/ingredients, such as gluten, dairy, or histamine.
Infections: Persistent or untreated infections can lead to ongoing inflammation.
Hormonal imbalances: Inflammation can be triggered when hormones are out of balance with one another.
Impaired gut microbiome: can cause the immune system to become dysregulated, thereby producing inflammation
Environmental Factors: Pollution, chemicals, and other toxins can contribute to inflammation. Some people are more genetically predisposed to having an inflammatory response to certain toxins.
Stress: Both physical and emotional stress can exacerbate inflammation.
Lifestyle Factors: Lack of exercise, poor sleep, and smoking are also significant contributors.
Why does this matter?
Chronic inflammation is associated with many chronic conditions and diseases:
Heart Disease: Inflammation can damage the inner walls of arteries, leading to plaque build-up and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes: Inflammatory markers are often elevated in people with type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation can interfere with insulin signaling.
Arthritis: Inflammation of the joints can cause pain and stiffness.
Cancer: Chronic inflammation can lead to changes in cells that increase the risk of cancer.
Neurodegenerative Diseases: Conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease have been linked to chronic inflammation in the brain.
Digestive Disorders: Inflammation in the gut can contribute to conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Chronic inflammation can even alter the way genes behave. It can cause certain genes to be “turned on” and others to be “turned off”.
Ex: your genetics may make you more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. This doesn’t mean you currently have or ever will develop rheumatoid arthritis. However, when your body is in a state of inflammation, you are more likely to “turn on” the gene that predisposes you to rheumatoid arthritis → you end up with rheumatoid arthritis.
Bottom Line: chronic inflammation = bad. It’s not a trend, it’s the truth.
Schedule your Foundational Assessment with us to start the process of understanding how inflammation may be affecting you!
