Inflammation!
Seems like everyone is talking about inflammation, right? What does it all mean, though? Is inflammation good or bad?
The short answer? It depends.
Acute inflammation is very beneficial. It is actually what keeps us alive. It is the body’s response to injury, cuts, pathogens, infections, cell damage, or irritants. The immune system responds to these events by first sending in white blood cells to surround and protect the area. This results in inflammation, visible as swelling and redness.
Without that inflammation, injuries would fester and grow rather than healing. A simple cut could result in a deadly infection.
Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, can be harmful. In fact, chronic inflammation is known to be the cause of many chronic diseases including: arthritis, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, pulmonary diseases, and type 2 diabetes.
What causes Chronic Inflammation?
Stress is one important factor in creating chronic inflammation. The fight-or-flight (aka fight-flight-freeze) response is meant to be short-term. It’s the body’s way of giving us what we need to get out of a dangerous situation. That was the original intent. It was meant to last only a few minutes. Ideally, the body needs about 72 hours to recover from that stress response.
In our crazy world, though, we can spend much of our day in that stress response. The stress response releases chemicals into the bloodstream: cortisone, adrenaline, and glucose, among others. All of those chemicals act to give us the energy we need to be able to move quickly. But, over time, they create chronic inflammation.
Another important contributor to chronic inflammation is eating foods that are pro-inflammatory. Consuming a diet high in foods such as potatoes, white rice, sugars, and breads results in the body producing prostaglandins, which are pro-inflammatory chemicals. This can also result in increased levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP).
This is definitely NOT beneficial inflammation. CRP is linked to cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, cancer and other diseases.
How Do We Tame Chronic Inflammation
The primary method for quelling chronic inflammation is through supporting the gut.
Eliminating the sugars and the processed foods seems obvious. Cut them out to stop the inflammation.
And then, feed the gut what it needs. Give it the foods that support a healthy gut. It’s said often and is true that a healthy body begins with a healthy gut.
Let’s look at what the gut needs:
Fresh fruits and vegetables.
Prebiotics - inulin-rich foods
Probiotics
Olive Oil
Omega-3s from fatty fish and pastured animal foods
Whoa Nelly! What does all that mean? And why? I now what antibiotics are. And I know what probiotics are. But hearing about prebiotics is fairly new to me. At least the term is new. And, as it turns out, traditionally, most cultures naturally included foods from each of the above categories.
Let’s go deeper with each one:
Fresh fruits and veggies:
We all know what that means. They’re important because of the vitamins and minerals they contain. Especially if they are grown organically and are therefore free of pesticides.
Prebiotics - inulin-rich foods:
Prebiotics are a type of nutrient that is degraded by the bacteria in your gut. They’re not digested by our small intestine and so are passed through to the large intestine. Technically they’re food for the bacteria in the large intestine. And in turn, the bacteria create short-chain fatty acids that are released into the bloodstream and are used by the gut and other organs. Inulin, a water-soluble storage polysaccharide, is a common prebiotic. Inulin is found in onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, bananas, burdock root, chicory root, dandelion, rye, barley, and wheat.
Probiotics:
Probiotics are cultured or fermented foods which naturally contain beneficial bacteria and or yeast that are beneficial to your body. They support the gut for a healthy inflammatory response. Examples of probiotic foods include: sauerkraut, salt brine pickles, pickled veggies and fruits.
Olive Oil:
Olive oil is a key bioactive food. Recent studies have shown that it has protective effects in controlling inflammatory responses.
However: If olive oil is heated above 375 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes inflammatory and will create oxidative stress and increase inflammation.
Be sure to read the label on you olive oil to ensure what you’re getting is pure olive oil, and not a blend. It’s best to know your source when buying olive oil!
Omega-3s from fatty fish and pastured animal foods:
Omega-3s also reduce inflammation.
Ideally, in all cases, your getting all of these components from real, whole foods. Yes, you can go to the vitamin store and get inulin/prebiotic supplements, probiotic capsules, and Omega-3s. But you likely won’t get the right quantities or good quality. (And that assumes you can trust that you’re getting what the label says.) Too much of a good thing can also be a problem, which is easy to do when buying supplements. In the case of inulin, too much can result in gas, bloating and gut pain!
There once was a time when our meals included all of the above, naturally. Now we seem to have to work at it. That’s why home cooking is my favorite. I can control what’s in each meal.
It’s a beautiful thing Mother Nature did to make the Allium family so tasty. That family includes onions, garlic, leeks, scallions, chives, and shallots; all of them inulin-rich. And all of them tasty as well as going so well with so many foods. Many of my favorite recipes starts with either garlic or onion or both!
One more interesting note on the “-biotics.” Probiotics are good bacteria. Prebiotics are food for good bacteria. And antibiotics are used to kill harmful bacteria. However, antibiotics don’t recognize bacteria as good or bad so they kill all the bacteria they come in contact with. This is why one needs to be sure to bring in probiotics when taking antibiotics, even though it seems a bit oxymoronic 👀. Since your good bacteria keep everything else in check, this is also why you can develop yeast infections when you’re on antibiotics.
Additional Healing Herbs and Spices
The following herbs and spices also have strong anti-inflammatory properties: ginger, garlic, turmeric, cilantro, parsley, oregano, sage and rosemary. You can use these generously in your recipes.
There are also many ancient healing herbs that are anti-inflammatory; including ashwagandha, astragalus, berberine, cat’s claw, chamomile, fenugreek and others.
Does that seem like a lot?
It is, if you try to incorporate all of that into your diet at one time. If you would like support or coaching in this area, I’m available. You can visit my website to learn more.
Where will you start? What steps will you take to curb inflammation?