What is Inflammation?
Diabetes, cancer, hypertension, renal disease - all are chronic inflammatory conditions but what does this mean? Have you heard the terms “inflammatory” and “anti-inflammatory” being used to describe foods but you do not have a good understanding what it means beyond bad and good?
I felt this way. Before I started studying to become a dietitian I would see these terms, and others, and I didn’t really know what it meant or how it applied to processes going on inside of my body. I thought this would be a good place to start because many of the recommendations made for a healthy diet are based on decreasing inflammation levels inside of the body.
I always describe inflammation to my patients as how they would see it outside of the body. A cut on the arm, for example, it’s red, maybe hot to the touch, from what we can see outside. On the inside the body is working to try to heal the cut on its own. White blood cells are rushing to the area to kill bacteria and other harmful foreign substances. Blood is clotting so we don’t lose an excessive amount due to the cut. It may be painful at first, then move into more of a soreness, before it develops a scab and fully heals. My example is simplified but it does the trick; we all know this process. Chronic inflammation is just like this, except it never fully heals and it happens on the inside of our body where we can’t see it.
Inflammation is needed for the body to repair itself from harm and injury. It is a natural process necessary for health. Ideally, it would be a short term process and it would end once the body was healed from the cut, flu, or infection. But when it goes on for a long period of time, such as months or years, this is when it becomes a problem.
There can be many causes to chronic inflammation and there are medications you can take to decrease inflammation. These medications often have a long list of possible side effects and their long-term use can cause other problems as well. But there is a powerful tool that can combat chronic inflammation with no ill side effects: food. That’s right, food has the ability to either promote or reduce inflammation from within the body.
If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to decrease inflammation and prevent chronic diseases associated with it- schedule a session to get started on your wellness journey!
Disclaimer:
While I am a Registered Dietitian, the information contained in this post is not intended as a substitute for individualized medical advice from a medical provider. Information is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
