Inflammation is an important part of the body’s healthy response to injury and infection; however, research has suggested that it may also be at the root of many health conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis.[1]
When is inflammation good?
Inflammation is part of the body’s response to infection and tissue damage, and it is crucial to the healing process. It is also a protective reaction involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators, intended to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out necrotic cells and tissues damaged from the original insult and the inflammatory process, and initiate tissue repair.[2] There are two classes of inflammation: acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the “good” inflammation that fends off foreign invaders and heals injuries. If an inflammatory response flares up and then dies down, there’s nothing to worry about.
When is inflammation bad?
When inflammation is prolonged, this is considered chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can be a symptom that causes problems of its own. It has been implicated in the muscle loss that occurs with aging[3,4] as well as in obesity.[5,6]
Chronic inflammation may result when:
- The body is unable to eliminate an agent causing acute inflammation, such as a food sensitivity;
- Exposure to low levels of a particular irritant or irritants cannot be eliminated, such as toxic elements or environmental pollutants;
- An autoimmune disorder is present;
- Chronic stress is present.
Identifying the cause of your chronic inflammation is the first step in determining the path to a healthier you.
If you suspect you’re suffering from chronic inflammation, talk to your healthcare provider about testing options available:
- Food Sensitivity Testing (RMA FST™)
- Fatty Acid Profile
- Inflammation Patient Assessment Panel (ON and SK)
- Albumin
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- CRP-hs
- Ferritin
- Fibrinogen
- Estimated Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
- Element Analysis
References:
1. Harvard Health Letter. “Inflammation: A unifying theory of disease.” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, Apr 2006.www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Inflammation_A_unifying_theory… Accessed 4 Mar. 2019.
2. Talaro, Kathleen Park. Foundations in Microbiology. Seventh ed., CTI Reviews, 2017.
3. Toth, M. J.; Matthews, DE; Tracy, RP; Previs, MJ (29 December 2004). “Age-related differences in skeletal muscle protein synthesis: relation to markers of immune activation”. AJP: Endocrinology and Metabolism. 288 (5): E883–E891. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00353.2004
4.Visser, M; Pahor, M; Taaffe, DR; Goodpaster, BH; Simonsick, EM; Newman, AB; Nevitt, M; Harris, TB (May 2002). “Relationship of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha with muscle mass and muscle strength in elderly men and women: the Health ABC Study”. The Journals of Gerontology.Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 57 (5): M326–32. doi:10.1093/gerona/57.5.M326
5. Parimisetty A, Dorsemans AC, Awada R, Ravanan P, Diotel N, Lefebvre d’Hellencourt C (Mar 24, 2016). “Secret talk between adipose tissue and central nervous system via secreted factors-an emerging frontier in the neurodegenerative research”. J Neuroinflammation (Review). 13 (1): 67. doi:10.1186/s12974-016-0530-x
6. Kershaw, E. E.; Flier, J. S. (2004). “Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ”. J ClinEndocrinolMetab. 89 (6): 2548–56. doi:10.1210/jc.2004-0395.
