Inflammation is your friend if you fall and injure yourself, or contract an infection. An army of chemicals from your white blood cells leap into action, increasing blood flow to the area, drawing in fluid to help protect it while you heal. However, inflammatory abnormalities and certain lifestyle factors can cause inflammation to hang around in your life when it isn’t needed, leaving you feeling tired, sluggish, bloated and depressed. These, among other low-level symptoms, will most likely slip under your radar, but could be causing long-term damage to your cells. Think of it like a wound that your body keeps picking at: eventually it will leave a scar behind, rather than healing.
“A lot of the illnesses we wrongly associate with being a natural part of the ageing process have chronic inflammation as an underlying ‘common denominator’,” says our columnist Jayney Goddard . Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even muscle wasting and frailty are all conditions that have been linked to chronic inflammation, along with many more. “The truth is that we really don’t have to succumb to them and they are in fact largely avoidable. Most are reversible, many can be turned around and people can recover.” We’ve pulled together the very best advice for stopping chronic inflammation in its tracks.
What is inflammation?
With so much bad press, it’s easy to forget that at its basic level, inflammation is a natural reaction in the body – and a vital part of our immune response.
“Ultimately, inflammation has been designed to be beneficial,” explains Dr Jenna Macciochi , an immunologist who has studied inflammation extensively. “It’s a vital immune response and fundamental to our health. If we didn’t have an inflammatory response we would be unable to fight infection and recover and heal from injury.”
The inflammatory response
Our inflammatory response is perhaps most visible and recognisable when we cut ourselves, are stung by an insect or suffer from a muscle sprain – and the feeling of pain, redness and swelling is a clear indicator that your body is working to help the wound.
However, a similar mechanism also works inside the body when other triggers set off the inflammatory response. For example, the itchy eyes and runny nose associated with animal allergies or hay fever is a result of our immune systems fighting allergen proteins that have triggered an inflammatory response.
“Inflammation occurs after an injury or exposure to an external aggressor (such as bacteria, viruses or toxins) to support the healing process,” adds Dr Laure Hyvernat , a naturopath, nutritionist and expert in inflammatory conditions. “It releases a cascade of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine and prostaglandins, causing the tissue to swell. This natural response is protective and aims to isolate the foreign substance from further contact with body tissues.”
But – as we all know – while inflammation can be beneficial and useful, too much inflammation in the body can have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing.
“It’s important to see inflammation as a spectrum,” explains Dr Laure. “As a first line response to external aggression, it is a part of our immune response and very beneficial in acute situations, but inflammation becomes an issue when your body is constantly exposed to external aggressors, which leads to a chronic inflammation state.”
What is chronic inflammation?
So, when exactly do the scales tip into problematic territory? To understand this, it’s important to know that there are two types of inflammation: acute inflammation and chronic inflammation.
“While inflammation is a vital immune response, it is, by design, an acute short-term assault,” explains Dr Jenna. “This is because it is as damaging to our own tissues as it is to any invaders. Triggered incongruously, it becomes more than a short-term problem. Like lingering, unwanted house-guests, if inflammatory immune cells continue to stay active and recruited to a part of our body, this is chronic inflammation, and they eventually cause problems long after the danger is gone.”
Indeed, if left for too long, the inflammatory response can damage healthy cells, tissues and organs – a process that is linked to the development of a variety of conditions. “Inflammation is now emerging as a key factor in negative health issues and chronic ‘non-communicable diseases that plague our modern lives, including heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, allergies and autoimmunity,” Dr Jenna says.
Common causes of chronic inflammation
• Untreated causes of acute inflammation, such as an infection or injury that’s not healing.
• Exposure to irritants over a long period of time, such as chemicals or air pollution.
• An autoimmune disease, which results in your body mistaking normal healthy tissue for a pathogen and attacking it.
Lifestyle factors can also contribute to chronic inflammation, including smoking, obesity and stress. Some people can even react in an inflammatory way to certain foods containing gluten, dairy or other components. Of course, it’s important to remember that everyone is individual and people’s bodies react to certain triggers in different ways.
Spotting the signs of inflammation
If you’re worried you may be suffering with the effects of chronic inflammation, it’s time to tune in to your body to see what it’s telling you. “A myriad of symptoms rings the bell before it is too late and makes us aware that chronic inflammation is rising at the cellular level,” explains Dr Laure. “Low energy levels, joint pain, food intolerance, poor digestion, regular infections, acne, dull skin, dark circles, low mood, depression and weight gain are all concrete signs that your body is overwhelmed by chronic aggression and a lifestyle change is much needed.”
Reducing chronic inflammation, naturally
So, how can we go about reducing the inflammation in our body in a holistic way? There are a number of tweaks we can make to our lifestyle to help limit inflammation and improve our health. According to our experts, one of the most important things we can do is reduce the amount of stress we’re subjecting our bodies to. Dr Jenna and Dr Laure also have the below tips:
Eat anti-inflammatory foods
Studies show that some foods are natural anti-inflammatories and these include the likes of plant-based foods, sweet potatoes, berries, fatty fish, and anti-inflammatory vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collards. “One of my favourite anti-inflammatory prescriptions in the winter involves mixing one tablespoon of ground ginger, and another of turmeric, with a sprinkle of black pepper in a cup of warm water,” Dr Laure says. “As a morning shot, it not only soothes the digestive tract, but also drastically reduces oxidative stress.”
Keep your gut healthy
Our gut is usually the first port of call for infections and bugs. Something nasty only has to hop onto our hands and it will likely get a one-way ticket to our insides. That’s why 70 percent of our immune system resides within the digestive system.
“When a person eats an inflammatory food or substance that creates inflammation, this sets off a process that will either increase or decrease according to the person’s eating and drinking behaviour and diet.” says herbalist Leyla El Moudden from The Really Healthy Company . “If gut inflammation continues to increase, the gut lining becomes ‘loose’ in a process that nutritional therapists refer to as ‘leaky gut’. Minute particles from the gut enter into the bloodstream, where the immune system recognises them as invaders and attacks them. This is how intolerances and allergies begin to form.”
In the small intestine and large intestine, the home of the human microbiome, billions of bacteria live and regulate many essential aspects of our overall health; one of which is inflammatory response. When the microbiome is out of balance, not only do we stop absorbing the nutrients that relieve inflammation, we also effectively kill off the parts of our body responsible for healing it.
“If this state continues,” adds Leyla, “then inflammation will increase and eventually develop into a condition. By taking care of our digestion, we can relieve, reduce and, in some instances, completely remedy inflammation.” We can do this by adding pro and prebiotics to our diet. Probiotics are often referred to as the ‘good’ bacteria that help keep our gut healthy and prebiotics are a form of fibre that probiotics feed on to keep them strong and healthy.
Make sure your diet contains plenty of foods that contain prebiotics, like the following: onions, bananas, oats, wheat bran, apples, asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke and chicory root. And eat foods with probiotics, such as: yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh and kimchi.
7 ways to reduce inflammation in the body
As our body’s natural response to infection, we all need a tiny dose of inflammation to remove damaged cells and irritants and speed up healing. This ‘acute’ inflammation appears as redness or swelling when you pull a muscle or cut a finger. But if the immune cells begin to overreact to a ‘threat’, they can sometimes turn against us. Chronic inflammation is when the immune system gets a faulty distress signal from the body and sends white blood cells to attack healthy tissue and organs. Scientists are still trying to understand its effects, but early studies show it could be at the root of arthritis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and autism. Inflammation might even be the cause of depression. But rather than reaching for different types of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen, or something stronger in your fight against inflammation, try these natural ways to reduce the triggers.
Lose weight
“Weight loss is one of the key improvements a person can make to prevent pain,” says Gorav Datta , orthopaedic surgeon. “The hips and knees are the major weight-bearing joints in the body, which is why they’re the joints that deteriorate in arthritis, and are the most commonly replaced joints. For example, if someone weighs 100kg and is overweight for their height, and they lose 20kg, they reduce the work of their hips and knees by 20 percent, which can have a massive effect on symptoms. Too many patients rely on a surgical solution instead of simpler, safe measures like weight loss.”
Take anti-inflammatory omegas
Cutting back on processed food and instead packing in the omega 3 fatty acids has long been shown to reduce chronic inflammation symptoms. In particular, they seem to have a positive effect on the brain. A study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience showed adults at risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s performed better than their peers on cognitive tests when they ate a diet high in omega 3s. Another showed omega 3s had protective effects against atherosclerosis, which can lead to stroke. So, improve your diet with fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, or if you’re vegetarian, add olive or flaxseed oil to meals. Remember to keep an eye on your omega 6s (found in red meats, dairy, margarine and baked goods). Although they’re a healthy diet essential, evidence shows that over-consumption could in fact trigger chronic inflammation.
Eat foods high in polyphenols
Leafy greens, purple berries, onions and turmeric can all help reduce inflammation thanks to their rich polyphenol content. Turmeric is also high in curcumin; a highly effective anti-inflammatory compound. Studies have shown that antioxidant-rich foods lower the marker for inflammation in the body.
Move your body
We all know that exercise is good for us, but making sure we get enough of the right kind of exercise could be another key puzzle piece to reducing chronic inflammation. When we exercise, the cells in our muscles release anti-inflammatory proteins. The longer the workout, the more of these are released. But many of us don’t want to run marathons or spend all day at the gym, so how much is enough to make a difference to chronic inflammation? According to research conducted by the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine , 20 minutes of aerobic exercise is enough to produce an anti-inflammatory cellular response.
The study shows a workout session does not actually have to be intense to have anti-inflammatory effects: 20 minutes to half an hour of moderate exercise, including fast walking, appears to be sufficient. Feeling like a workout needs to be at a peak exertion level for a long duration can intimidate those who suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases and could greatly benefit from physical activity.
Look for ways to work one of the following forms of exercise into your day: walking, yoga, Pilates, dance, or anything that keeps you moving and helps you feel energised.
Drink more water
Water or anti-inflammatory tea such as green or black tea helps to flush out the toxins that can trigger inflammation, and as our bodies are 70 percent water, it needs constantly replenishing. Dehydration can lead to a foggy head, hunger pangs and fatigue, and can trigger inflammation as the body struggles to rid itself of irritants.
Take probiotics
With 70 percent of our immune cells found in our gastrointestinal tract, it makes sense that a healthy digestive system equals less inflammation. A study that analysed 20 clinical trials of probiotics found that they could significantly lower the inflammatory marker CRP, support friendly bacteria that populate the intestinal lining, and soothe inflammation.
Get some rest
Research has shown that chronic stress can trigger changes to our immune systems, which can promote inflammation – so taking time out to relax, whether through yoga or a long bubble bath, is crucial. Research has suggested that mindfulness meditation in particular can reduce inflammation. They recruited 30 stressed-out adults and sent half on a three-day mindfulness course and half on a three-day relaxation retreat. Brain scans before and after the programme showed that those who did the meditation increased functional connectivity between two brain areas that normally work in opposition, and had lower levels of the inflammation marker ‘interleukin-6’ compared with those who just relaxed.
Anti inflammatory diet for arthritis
Like any inflammatory condition, arthritis can be incredibly responsive to the food that we eat. Some foods can make inflammation worse, while others can reduce it quite dramatically. We’ve got the low-down on the foods you can eat to improve arthritis, with expert advice from nutritionist, Dale Pinnock :
Pineapple
“This contains a powerful enzyme called bromelain. This enzyme is a powerful anti inflammatory. It helps to soften swollen tissue, and increase mobility of that tissue. It also helps to reduce the severity of the inflammatory response. When you eat pineapple, make sure it is fresh, and also make sure that you eat the slightly tougher central part. This contains the highest concentration of bromelain.”
Celery
“Although seemingly rather humble and innocuous, celery is in fact a medicinal powerhouse. It contains a strong chemical called 3-n-butylpthalide which can act as an effective pain killer. Celery also contains a group of chemicals called coumarins. These are the compounds that give celery its distinctive aromatic smell.
“These compounds can help to remove metabolic waste from the joint capsule. This is the chemical gunk left behind in the joints, after there has been an attack of inflammation. This can lead to further problems down the line, so its removal is favourable. Celery should always be used raw either whole or in juices.”
Ginger
“The essential oils that give ginger its distinct spicy taste and pungent aroma are actually powerful anti-inflammatories. They work in the same way as a group of drugs known as ‘COX-2 Inhibitors’. They interrupt the series of chemical events that lead to the onset of inflammation.”
How to take turmeric for inflammation
“Turmeric is related to ginger and has been prescribed as a food and herbal medicine for thousands of years,” says Emilia Herting , traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner. “This orange root is packed with pungent flavours of earth, pepper and bitterness, and supports the function of your stomach and spleen. In TCM, turmeric enters the heart, lungs, liver and gallbladder meridians and is used to invigorate blood, remove stagnation from the body and reduce inflammation. It’s used for menstrual pain relief, traumatic injuries, and can be used topically for a variety of skin conditions including skin inflammation, bruising, insect bites and ringworm. Turmeric extract is also a great source of fibre, vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium.”
Always mix turmeric with fat. This spice is fat-soluble, which means that it can only be absorbed properly by the body when in combination with fats. This is why you will often find turmeric mixed with ghee (clarified butter), a delicious and healthy substitution for butter. Use a pestle and mortar to mash fresh turmeric root into a paste, mix with ghee and you can then use it in a multitude of savoury dishes.
Ways to reduce joint inflammation
Take anti-inflammatory supplements
“There are many supplements on the market that state they provide joint pain relief,” says Gorav . “The only one proven to help in knee arthritis is glucosamine – I recommend taking glucosamine with chondroitin. If there is no improvement after three months, then you can discontinue use.” Try Healthspan Glucosamine & Chondroitin.
Foods for reducing inflammation
You know the drill: get your omega 3! This essential fatty acid helps with inflammation in the body, and one study found it helped lessen joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Cold-water oily fish like salmon, mackerel and trout are best, but if you hate the idea of a weekly fish supper, try a supplement.
Cherries are coming into season, and you’d be wise to snack on a few, because studies indicate that Montmorency tart cherries can help reduce inflammation related to arthritis and gout (which is itself a form of arthritis). And don’t forget brilliant broccoli: high in vitamins K and C, this cruciferous vegetable contains a compound called sulforaphane, which researchers have found could help slow osteoarthritis progression. It’s also got a decent amount of calcium for strong bones. Between meals, drink green tea, because it’s packed with polyphenols; antioxidants believed to reduce inflammation and slow cartilage destruction.
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Patsy Kensit
Discover how a few simple lifestyle changes can make all the difference
