Inflammation and Your Body
The domino effect that you can stop. By Sarah Polyakov.
It seems like every day either we or loved ones are dealing with devastating health conditions such as chronic pain, obesity, ADHD, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, strokes, migraines, thyroid issues, diabetes, dental issues, and even cancer. Many of us are advised by our physicians to keep these issues in check with one prescription medication after another.
Unfortunately, even though so many people are suffering from at least one of these disorders, we have no idea about how to stop the domino effect of cascading health concerns. We are rarely asked to consider the root cause of such conditions, which is surprisingly within our control. These conditions all begin with chronic inflammation in our bodies.
Still, many physicians are prescribing pharmaceuticals in lieu of getting to the root cause of these conditions. But the fact of the matter is, allopathically trained medical doctors are not taught how to reduce chronic inflammation in the first place. Yet, they are not to blame since most of their training has traditionally been centered on treating disease, not preventing disease.
But the bottom line is, preventative care is where we must begin so that we can stop disease before it stops us. While getting chronic inflammation under control cannot stop all ailments, most of them can be prevented or symptoms greatly improved by combating inflammation.
They used to say “you are what you eat” and that adage is true when it comes to preventing inflammation. Combating inflammation, to a large extent, requires changing our diets. For example, one of the dietary changes we must make is to switch to organic and non-genetically modified food sources. In a large-scale study performed on pigs, researchers found that there was a significant inflammatory response when pigs were fed genetically modified food (GMO). If these responses were seen in the bodies of pigs, we can be sure they will affect us too.
The second part of dietary changes involves incorporating delicious and natural herbs and spices into your meals. For example, the curcumin in turmeric and the ursolic acid found in holy basil are powerful natural substances that reduce both chronic inflammation and help prevent cancer.
In addition to those, other inflammation fighters are: the resveratrol found in grape skins, proathocyanidins in grape seeds, and the catechins present in green tea. Supplements such as rosemary, borage oil, and evening primrose, are also available at local health food stores.
Then, there are substances in our daily vitamins, such as vitamin K, that are potent anti-inflammatories. A type of vitamin K, identified as MK-7 was found to be greatly beneficial. Dr. James Mercola, a naturopath, recently noted that, “A study from the Czech Republic evaluated the role of MK-7 in inflammation and found that it prevents inflammation by inhibiting pro-inflammatory markers produced by white blood cells called monocytes”.
The good news is it is never too late to make a change in your health and lifestyle. But, the better news is that combating chronic inflammation does not require any kind of newfangled expensive treatment or extremely pricey supplement. Please incorporate these dietary changes bit by bit, and I can guarantee that your body will thank you for it.
