What happens when the body is chronically inflamed?
Chronic inflammation is rough on the body, and can lead to chronic diseases and conditions. Think about all your body processes that rely on optimal cell health and proper cell function. Inflammation affects and damages the cells in the body which can impact everything from healthy neurotransmitter production to adequate absorption and digestion of nutrients. Chronic inflammation causes chronic health problems which ultimately impact the entire body. Addressing inflammation is a necessary step in improving gut health and chronic health conditions.
Inflammation isn’t always a bad thing. It occurs in response to the immune system. When the body has an infection or an injury, the immune system jumps to the rescue and quickly works to resolve the problem. Inflammation also occurs in response to oxidative stress. When we breathe in oxygen, the body formulates reactive molecules known as free radicals. When these free radicals interact with cells, tissues, and molecules in the body, then oxidative damage results. Thus, oxidative stress occurs when the body can’t get rid of the free radicals. Oxidative stress can be brought on by poor diet, pollution, and emotional distress.
However, when the body is constantly inflamed, it’s not able to function optimally at a cellular level.
Symptoms of damage due to chronic inflammation:
- Weight gain/Bloating
- Impaired digestive system
- Cognitive problems: memory loss/confusion
- Decrease in healthy cells
- Increased risk for cardiovascular problems such as heart disease
- Skin aging: wrinkles, blemishes
- Joint pain
- Chronic fatigue
Ways to Reduce Inflammation
Fortunately, there are healthy strategies that you can implement to reduce chronic inflammation and start feeling healthier and happier. One of the first things to look at should be your diet. Start eating anti-inflammatory foods and eliminate grains and sugar from your diet. When eating fruits and vegetables make sure they are pesticide free and organic. Eliminate processed foods from your diet and focus on eating healthy fats. Consuming a healthier diet will also reduce your toxic load and regulates blood sugar.
Examples of anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Green leafy vegetables (Broccoli, bok choy)
- Bone broth
- Fresh salmon
Emotional stress contributes to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Emotional stress also impacts mood and behavior and can increase anxiety and mood swings. Your body is happiest stress free, which is why it’s very important to find ways to relax and reduce emotional stressors.
Be mindful and think about the stressors in your life and how to eliminate them. Practicing meditation, yoga, talking to someone you trust, taking a bubble bath, exercising, watching a favorite show are all helpful ways to reduce stress and calm the body. Find what works best for you. Think about the things you enjoy doing when you are completely alone, and increase them more often into your daily life.
Reduce environmental exposure to toxins.
This can be difficult because toxins are everywhere, but eliminating pesticides in your fruits and vegetables and drinking filtered water are two major ways to reduce exposure. Tap water contains trace amounts of heavy metals and for individuals with a reduced ability to detoxify, this can be a major problem.
Household chemicals and cleaners should be inspected for toxins as well. When these environmental toxins build up inside the body, the liver becomes burdened and starts to store them in the body rather than eliminating them. For individuals with MTHFR mutations, who can’t properly detoxify folic acid and other toxins, the storage of heavy metals can create chronic inflammation and issues in the body.
Staying hydrated and drinking filtered water is another helpful way to rid toxins from the body. Water cleanses the kidneys and liver and allows for toxin excretion through urine. Along with staying hydrated, it’s important to increase mobility and participate in healthy exercise every day. Exercise boosts circulation within the body therefore, increasing respiration and the excretion of toxins.
The above suggestions are things you can do naturally but sometimes the body needs extra nutritional support to reduce inflammation quickly:
- Vitamin D is one of the best supplements for reducing inflammation. Its job is to support and balance the immune system and has many other benefits such as: improves brain function, supports a healthy mood, and reduces risk of heart disease. Vitamin D3 is the most effective form of Vitamin D due to its increased potency and storage of vitamin D within the cells. BiomeIQ’s Pure Vitamin D3 is designed for maximum absorption in a liquid formula, just add the daily dosage into water or juice, and your Vitamin D levels and your health will increase. Click here for BiomeIQ’s Pure D3.
- Glutathione is the body’s major antioxidant and plays a huge role in ridding the body of free radicals and keeping oxidative stress under control. Glutathione can be obtained from dietary sources such as in vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli), and fruits (apples, cantaloupe, orange). If extra support is needed, Glutathione supplementations are available here.