How to Treat Chronic inflammation Naturally
What is chronic inflammation?
You’ve probably heard of chronic inflammation—it’s a hot topic for good reason. You might already know it has a significant impact on your health, but do you know what causes it?
Chronic inflammation occurs when your immune system stays active for an extended period, even when there’s no immediate threat, like an injury or infection. Instead of supporting healing, this ongoing inflammation can harm healthy tissues, leading to issues like joint pain, heart disease, diabetes, or autoimmune conditions. Think of it like a fire that keeps smoldering instead of burning out.
Why chronic inflammation occurs
The answer is simple: our food. Over the last 100 years, significant changes in our food supply have drastically altered the balance of fats we consume. Advances in technology and modern agriculture have led to the mass production of vegetable oils high in omega-6 fatty acids and a shift in animal feed from grass to grains. These changes have flooded our diets with omega-6 fatty acids while reducing the amount of omega-3s we consume.
Omega-3 fatty acids primarily come from fish. However, if you’ve ever browsed the seafood aisle at your local grocery store, you’ve likely noticed that much of the fish is labeled “farm-raised.” Farm-raised fish are typically fed a grain-based diet, further reducing their omega-3 content.
Today, the typical diet provides an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 16:1, far from the optimal 2:1 ratio. This imbalance contributes to widespread chronic inflammation. Maintaining a healthier ratio is especially important during pregnancy and for preventing chronic diseases linked to high inflammation levels.
How does chronic inflammation effect the body
Chronic inflammation occurs when your body continues to send inflammatory cells, even when there’s no actual threat. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory cells and substances mistakenly attack the tissues in your joints. This causes inflammation that flares up and subsides but can ultimately lead to severe joint damage over time.
With chronic inflammation, processes meant to protect your body end up causing harm instead. It can persist for months or even years, with periods of improvement followed by flare-ups.
Researchers have linked chronic inflammation to many inflammatory conditions and health issues. Common symptoms of chronic inflammation include:
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain
- Fatigue or difficulty sleeping
- Fever
- Joint pain or stiffness
- Mouth sores
- Skin rashes
- Depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders
- Gastrointestinal problems (such as diarrhea, constipation, or acid reflux)
- Unexplained weight changes
- Frequent infections
Conditions Linked to Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the development of many diseases, including:
- Autoimmune Diseases: Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
- Cardiovascular Diseases: Heart disease and high blood pressure.
- Certain Cancers: Chronic inflammation can contribute to the development of some types of cancer.
- Gastrointestinal Diseases: Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Lung Diseases: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Mental Health Conditions: Depression and anxiety.
- Metabolic Diseases: Type 2 diabetes.
- Neurodegenerative Diseases: Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Together, inflammatory diseases are responsible for more than half of all deaths worldwide, highlighting the critical importance of managing chronic inflammation to support overall health.
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