Acute inflammation is a sudden, natural process in your body that’s job is to protect you against “invaders” such as infection, injury, or toxins such as chemicals, dust, fumes, toxins or other irritants. Inflammation is supposed to be temporary, resolving when you are healed and no longer in danger, but it doesn’t always work that way. Chronic inflammation acts differently. One major difference between acute and chronic inflammation is that acute inflammation can be healing, whereas chronic inflammation can cause many problems, because when it goes on for years it damages your body’s tissues. Chronic inflammation has been linked to many diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression and even Alzheimer’s Disease.
There are a lot of factors that can contribute to or trigger chronic inflammation. These include environmental factors like pollutants in the air, obesity, poor diet, smoking, poor sleep habits and high levels of stress. Common symptoms of chronic inflammation include fatigue, insomnia, muscle and joint pain, depression, anxiety, constipation or diarrhea, acid reflux, weight loss or weight gain and skin issues.
Most of us will have some degree of chronic inflammation with aging. The good news is that, while some choices in diet and lifestyle accelerate chronic inflammation, there are other lifestyle and dietary choices that can help reduce your risk of disease and issues. Things like moderate exercise, not smoking, working on stress and sleep patterns are helpful in reducing chronic inflammation. And the old saying” you are what you eat” does have some merit.
Some of the foods, spices and herbs that can help prevent inflammation:
Berries: Berries have something called polyphenols in them. These have powerful antioxidant properties that help prevent and repair cell damage and fight the free radicals that can promote inflammation
in the body. Blueberries are especially good, containing the antioxidants called flavonoid and resveratrol.
Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate also has polyphenols that protect your body against inflammation. You should choose a dark chocolate that has at least 70% pure cocao. The serving size is about one ounce.
Olive Oil: Olive oil (specifically extra virgin olive oil) has something called Oleocanthal in it. Oleocanthal has anti-inflammatory properties that work similarly to Ibuprofen to block the inflammatory enzymes COS1 & COS 2.
Walnuts: Walnuts are a source of Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA reduces inflammation in your arteries. Almonds are also good, they have been shown to improve the balance of fatty acids in your blood, which reduces inflammation and risk of heart disease.
Salmon: Wild caught salmon and other fatty fish have the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These are healthy fats that reduce inflammation throughout the body. It is also a very good source of vitamin D.
Avocado: Avocado is an anti-inflammatory food that is a healthy fat, rich in fiber, magnesium and potassium and contains polyphenols which work as antioxidants that fight cellular damage in your body.
Green Tea: Green tea is loaded with healthy polyphenols that reduce chronic inflammation. It has also been linked to improving heart and brain function. My favorite source of green tea and other teas is Peets. I have added a link on the resources page.
Garlic: Garlic has sulfur compounds, including one called Organosulfur, that fight substances in your blood stream that cause inflammation. It also reduces inflammatory markers and boosts antioxidants. Garlic has been used over the years for everything from treating toothaches to coughs to constipation.
Ginger: Ginger is another spice that has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine. It is a root plant that is also widely used for cooking. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce swelling and pain in joints and has antioxidants as well.
Rosemary: Rosemary is an herb that works against the free radical superoxide by heightening the activity of an essential enzyme in your body called Superoxide Dismutase. This superoxide free radical has been linked to chronic inflmmation. Rosemary works best when cooked.
Turmeric: Turmeric is the spice that makes curry a yellow color. It is also sometimes added to butter and cheese for the yellow color. Curcumin is the one of the major ingredient in Turmeric and it is a very powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals which are harmful to the body. It has been used thoughout the ages as a medicine. According to an February 2024 article online in Nutrition entitled “9 Herbs and Spices That Fight Inflammation”, Curcumin is powerful enough to rival Cortisone in treating inflammation (Seltz, 2024). While it is beneficial to add Turmeric to your diet, it is difficult to get enough at one time without taking a supplement. It is important to choose a quality supplement and to make sure that you discuss it with your own healthcare provider to make sure that it is safe for you, I have added a link for two of the best Turmeric supplements on the resources page.
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