Many conditions have this in common

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Health tips: Is inflammation good or bad . . . or both?

Dear Reader,

What is inflammation and why is it so important to our health?

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense process designed to protect against things like infections, toxins and trauma, and to repair any damage that might occur. The inflammatory response activates a cascade of immune reactions that eliminates germs and repairs injured cells.

But scientists have also noticed that a low-grade form of inflammation can occur on a whole-body (systemic) level. This constant state of low-grade inflammation loses its initial purpose of inducing healing and leads instead to increased cellular and tissue damage. It becomes a source of chronic irritation to tissues in the body, and eventually it becomes a problem.

At the end of the day, it isn’t always clear why one person gets cancer or another has a heart attack or stroke or develops Alzheimer’s disease. But it does appear that similar inflammatory processes contribute to these seemingly very different diseases.

Causes of chronic inflammation

Increasing evidence suggests that chronic inflammation is tied to multiple factors surrounding our daily habits. These factors include:

Physical inactivity:Proteins released into the bloodstream by skeletal muscles during physical activity help reduce inflammation. Inactive muscles, on the other hand, lead to an increase in pro-inflammatory molecules.
Unhealthy diet:A diet that’s low in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and high in sodium, alcohol, trans fats and ultra-processed foods can lead to low-grade inflammation.
Obesity: Excessive abdominal fat (visceral adipose tissue) results in a proliferation of pro-inflammatory molecules and substances in our bodies.
Stress and sleep disturbance:Prolonged lack of quality sleep and extended periods of stress can lead to a chronic uptick in inflammation.
Environmental and industrial pollutants: In modern society, our exposure to air pollutants, hazardous waste products and industrial chemicals has increased exponentially. A number of common chemicals are linked to inflammatory processes in the body.

The good news

We can modify many of the factors that contribute to chronic inflammation — such as sleep, stress, physical activity and diet — to minimize its effects on our bodies. By doing so, we also reduce our risk of developing serious chronic illnesses, and we increase the length of time we live in good health without these diseases.

Healthy choices made daily play a huge role in keeping our internal systems healthy and in balance.

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