What Causes Inflammation & How to Treat it

You may not always see or feel it but inflammation is related to just about everything in the body, and it could slowly be hurting you if you don’t always acknowledge it and it’s causes. The slightest aspects of lack of sleep or exercise, stress, and poor nutrition can all be culprits. These can actually really add up over time and lead many to different condition such skin conditions, allergies, headaches, painful menstrual periods, joint pain, low back pain, and the list never could go on. 

So what actually is inflammation? When medical pros speak about inflammation they are usually referring to a combination of heat, pain, redness, and swelling. This can happen outside of the body, like when you pop a zit and it’s extremely red, or inside your body such as when you eat a food you are sensitive to and your stomach begins to churn.

In the short run, inflammation is a good thing as it is the immune system’s natural response to an injury. However, long term it can be very bad. Upon activation of an inflammatory response, immune cells and fluid flood to the irritated area to solve the issue, in a healthy case they eventually subside. But long term, they do not and the excess amount of immune cells and fluid in a specific location can disrupt the natural functioning of the area it is present in. This is why long term or “chronic” inflammation is seen in many diseases and conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. 

Did you know the foods you eat can be a major contributor to inflammation throughout your entire body? Wheat, diary, and sugar tend to be the biggest culprits. This doesn’t necessarily mean that to fit the ideal culture of “health” you need to be gluten free, diary free, or any other trend. Ultimately, it is just best that we do not rely on these foods, rather that we consume them in moderation and not at every meal. 

Limiting foods is not all we can do. The liver is in charge of clearing toxins out, therefore, we should eat foods that support the liver. Foods such as leafy greens, lean proteins, and healthy fats are essential in eliminating inflammation. 

Many natural herbs can decrease inflammation very measurably as well. Such as turmeric which contains the compound curcumin. Others are ginger, cinnamon, and clove. There are all sorts of ways to add these various herbs into your diet, it could even be as simple as in a syrup form. 

Outside of food and herbs, ensure you manage stress, are receiving enough sleep, participating in physical activity, and staying hydrated. These are all nature’s contributions to an anti-inflammatory crusade all of which will help bring you to the best anti-inflammatory you!

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