How chronic inflammation is killing us and how to deal with it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Iya Zorina tells how to protect oneself from dangerous diseases and prolong youth.

How is chronic inflammation different from acute?

Inflammation is the body's defensive response to the entry of harmful microbes and tissue damage. White blood cells - cells of the immune system - help fight bacteria, viruses and parasites and destroy old and damaged cells in your body.

Inflammation is a necessary process to help us survive. But this applies only to the acute form.

This inflammation resolves in a few hours or days and helps the body to repair itself. Chronic can last for years.

The constantly increased activity of immune cells increases the number of reactive oxygen species that damage proteins, lipids and DNA of cells. Over time, this can lead to the growth of tumors and other diseases.

What diseases can chronic inflammation lead to?

Chronic inflammation has been associated with cancer, especially breast and bowel cancers. The inflammatory environment is present in all types of this disease - it damages tissues, changes their architecture and causes the expression of genes that promote tumor growth.

Also, chronic inflammation is associated with diseases of the nervous system: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. And also with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, asthma and bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

There is a theory that it is inflammation that leads to aging and age-related diseases.

Increased levels of inflammation are present in older adults even without infection or injury. And although its causes are still not clear, it is assumed that it leads to DNA damage, the development of metabolic disorders and the occurrence of age-related diseases.

How to protect against chronic inflammation

It is not necessary to use medications to reduce the level of inflammation in the body. Try changing your lifestyle and eating habits to protect your body from oxidative stress, lower levels of inflammatory markers, and improve overall well-being.

Quit smoking and reduce alcohol

Smoking causes chronic inflammation, which, together with carcinogens from tobacco smoke, creates the most favorable environment for the development of tumors. Therefore, there is no safe amount of cigarettes smoked.

And the best thing you can do for your body is to quit this habit once and for all.

As for alcohol, it all depends on the quantity. In one study, women who consumed one standard drink a day (0–15 g ethanol: about 150 ml of wine or 30 ml of spirits) had even slightly lower levels of inflammation in their bodies than non-drinkers.

But those who regularly drank more than two standard drinks (more than 30 g of ethanol), the level of inflammation was significantly higher than that of nondrinkers and those who drink in moderation.

One of the possible reasons for this effect of alcohol is the increased activity of the liver, which tries to neutralize toxins, including from the intestines.

Choose the right diet

Some types of foods increase inflammation in the body, while others, on the contrary, help fight it. Here is a list of unhealthy foods to avoid from your diet:

• Sweets … And table sugar (sucrose),,,, and fructose,,,,, increase inflammation in the body. Even honey increases the amount of C-reactive protein in people with impaired insulin sensitivity, although it is extremely beneficial and contains many antioxidants. Perhaps this is the only sweet product (besides fruit) that you can leave in your diet so as not to harm the body.
• Products with artificial trans fats -purchased pastries, fast food, margarine. These fats are listed on the packaging as partially hydrogenated oils. And, unlike other oils and fats, they are clearly recognized as harmful, as they increase,,,,,,,, inflammation and the risk of various diseases.
• Refined carbohydrates … - white bread, pasta, pastries, cookies and pies and any processed food with sugar and flour. Such foods increase the risk of obesity and inflammation-related diseases.
• Processed meat- sausages, ham, smoked meats, bacon. It contains many Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) - modified amino acid residues that can build up in the body and cause inflammation.

And these products, on the contrary, protect the body from inflammation:

• Berries … All types of berries contain large amounts of anthocyanin antioxidants, which help the body fight reactive oxygen species and reduce inflammation.
• Fatty fish - salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel contain more omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help to cope with inflammation in the body. If you do not eat fish, you can take omega-3 supplements, just make sure you have enough docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) fatty acids: they are the most beneficial for your health.
• Broccoli … This vegetable contains the antioxidant sulforaphane, which has a proven anti-inflammatory effect. It is also present in smaller quantities in other types of cabbage - Brussels sprouts, cauliflower.
• Ginger has anti-inflammatory effect, protects against oxidative stress and cancer, helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system and digestive disorders.
• Turmeric contains a powerful anti-inflammatory agent - curcumin. Just 1-2, 8 g of turmeric per day significantly reduce,,,,, inflammation in people with metabolic syndrome and overweight.
• Green tea … It contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a substance that fights oxidative stress, protects cells from DNA damage and reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
• Cocoa contains,,, flavonoids that reduce inflammation and support vascular health.

If you're looking for a ready-made diet to help reduce inflammation in your body, try the Mediterranean Diet, which has fewer markers of inflammation.

Exercise

When skeletal muscles contract, they release myokines, proteins that work like hormones to have an anti-inflammatory effect. In other words, any movement helps to reduce the level of inflammation in the body.

While heavy exercise can dramatically increase reactive oxygen species and can damage cells, exercising regularly with a gradual increase in exercise has a positive effect on the body's ability to cope with oxidative stress and inflammation.

High-intensity exercise and a combination of aerobic and strength training are best at reducing inflammation.

Deal with psychological stress

During stress, including psychological stress, the body produces the hormone cortisol, which is involved in inflammation in the body.

When stress is chronic, cortisol levels are constantly elevated and tissues, including immune cells, gradually lose sensitivity to this hormone. As a result, the inflammatory response of the body goes out of control and provokes the development of diseases.

This relationship also works in the opposite direction: inflammation in the body increases attention to negative events, bad moods and a tendency to depression.

You will not be able to avoid acute psychological stress - such is life, there is no escape from them. But you are quite capable of mastering relaxation techniques so that acute stress does not develop into chronic stress. Use breathing techniques, meditation, yoga - all these have proven positive effects on psychological comfort and well-being.