Show 1460: Calming Chronic Inflammation Without Medication

Описание: Inflammation is a double-edged sword. When you have a sudden injury or infection, your body responds by calling immune cells to the site of the problem. It may become red, swollen and painful, but all that is supposed to be part of the healing process. What happens with chronic inflammation is more insidious. Many serious diseases, such as diabetes, depression or heart disease, feed off chronic inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs can control the problem temporarily, but they have drawbacks if they must be used continuously. How can we go about calming chronic inflammation without medication?



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How Inflammation Works:



One of the hallmarks of modern life is the impact of stress on the digestive tract. Excess weight, unrelenting stress and environmental toxins can all contribute to an immune system that goes into overdrive. Sometimes the consequence will be an imbalance in the microbiota, with the result that the tight junctions of the gut are disrupted. That can lead to “leaky gut,” more respectably termed “intestinal permeability.” When pathogens or toxins that should be confined to the gastrointestinal tract start circulating elsewhere, the immune system reacts. If the process continues, the consequence is chronic inflammation. Are there natural approaches to calming chronic inflammation?

Calming Chronic Inflammation:



When we want to help our immune system so that it doesn’t have to be hypervigilant all the time, we should start with our diet. If dysbiosis contributes to leaky gut and inflammation, the best approach might be to feed our gut microbes what they need. In most cases, that means increasing our fiber. Gut microbes thrive on fiber, and most Americans don’t get close to eating enough. Another important aspect, of course, is to avoid foods that might cause trouble. According to Dr. Low Dog, fructose degrades tight junctions in the intestines and could contribute to intestinal permeability and inflammation. To reduce fructose, we just need to cut back on sweets

Finding Fiber in our Food:



Where can we find fiber in our diet? Starting with breakfast, a lot of folks enjoy cold cereal, pancakes or pastries. There’s not much fiber in any of those, unless you’ve chosen bran cereal. But even a choice as simple as eating an apple with the skin on can provide a good amount of fiber. Do you like salmon for breakfast? That’s a very anti-inflammatory choice.



One worrisome development is the spread of microplastics throughout our diet. As a result, most of us have microplastics in our bodies. Some of the compounds in these little particles of plastic are endocrine disruptors that contribute to inflammation.

Maintaining Healthy Barriers:



The colon is not the only part of the digestive tract that provides an important barrier. The mouth is also susceptible. Brushing, flossing, dental care and a low-sugar diet are important steps to protecting our bodies against chronic inflammation. Periodontal disease contributes in a major way.



To maintain good tight junctions, we need to eat about 20 grams of insoluble fiber and 8 grams of soluble fiber daily. Beans and vegetables are great sources of both. Nuts and seeds like sunflower seeds or walnuts are also good sources. So are whole grains. And if we have any trouble reaching our fiber goals with diet, there is nothing wrong with adding a daily dose of psyllium, which is mostly soluble fiber. It lowers cholesterol and can reduce the risk of diabetes as well as promote regularity.

Herbs to Ease Inflammation:



In addition to paying attention to a high-fiber anti-inflammatory diet, we can benefit by using certain herbs or spices to calm chronic inflammation. Green tea, garlic, onions, hot peppers and other flavorings all have anti-inflammatory power. Turmeric, the yellow spice in curry, is a potent anti-inflammatory. To get the best benefit from adding turmeric to food, it should be used to spice a meal with some fat in it. Black pepper as p...