Inflammation: What Is It and Why Should You Care About It?

Inflammation in the body is how our immune system responds to injuries or diseases. It is our bodies' way of fighting back against any foreign bacteria or viruses that we come into contact with. Inflammation is a completely normal and very effective part of the healing process but sometimes it can persist longer than necessary – the latter being something we should keep an eye on especially as we get older.

Let’s explore the nature of inflammation in our bodies, and how we can avoid developing chronic inflammation as we age.

The two types of inflammation

Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response to foreign bacteria and harmful stimuli – a process that is necessary so that the body can begin healing. This type of inflammation is called acute inflammation – it happens when we get sick, injured or wounded, where white blood cells swarm to a specific area where they are trying to protect and heal our bodies from something that is causing us harm. We can often physically see acute inflammation in the form of swelling or redness.

The other form of inflammation - chronic inflammation - is more worrying. Chronic inflammation is a prolonged inflammatory response. When we suffer from chronic inflammation, our bodies are in a constant state of alert. Where normally our immune system protects and heals, chronic inflammation, when left unchecked, can cause tissue damage or cause even more serious health issues that can lead to death.

Chronic inflammation can be caused by a number of factors, including untreated infections or injuries, autoimmune disorders, and long-term exposure to irritants such as air pollution. Furthermore, our diets and lifestyles - particularly smoking, alcohol, chronic stress, obesity and unhealthy eating habits – can be contributors.

How chronic inflammation impacts our health

Chronic inflammation is linked to a variety of health issues, including heart disease caused by inflamed blood vessels, lung problems (e.g. asthma, infections, bronchitis, etc.), diabetes, allergies, and a higher risk of cancer.

Inflammation can impact our bodies inside and out. It makes it really hard to lose weight because it slows our metabolism right down and influences hunger signals. It also makes our skin age faster due to faster cell ageing, interferes with our bone growth, and causes gum inflammation disease, commonly known as periodontitis.

How can nature help protect against inflammation?

We can naturally avoid uncontrolled inflammation by living a healthy, active lifestyle, and by eating a vitamin-filled, nutritious diet. Food with good fats such as fish, walnuts or almonds, and avocados - eaten in moderation along with rich green vegetables, tomatoes, legumes and grains - are all excellent components of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Studies show that foods rich in antioxidants, such as polyphenols (naturally occurring substances found largely in fruits and vegetables) help prevent chronic inflammation. 

These studies suggest that (poly)phenols derived from onions, turmeric, red grapes, green tea and açai berries may help reduce the release of pro-inflammatory mediators in people at risk of chronic inflammation.

It is surmised that older people are more susceptible to chronic inflammation and as such, they may benefit from supplementing their diets with resveratrol, curcumin or with food sources that include these powerful healing superfoods.

Therefore, diets rich in fruits and vegetable which contain antioxidants such as polyphenols, help protect us against age-related inflammation and chronic diseases. Blueberries, and cherries can be extremely helpful in protecting against inflammation as well. The occasional glass of red wine has also been proven to have excellent anti-inflammatory effects, but remember moderation is key, it's a fine line between therapeutic dose and harm.

On the flip side, too much sugar, refined grains or saturated fats can have an inflammatory effect, so eating a diet rich in whole foods, natural proteins and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, is best to avoid the onset of chronic inflammation.

As well as maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise also plays a huge role in preventing inflammation from flaring up. It is well documented that as little as 20 minutes per day of moderate exercise, such as walking, can have anti-inflammatory effects. To address the inflammation process as we age regular exercise, keeping moving, stable and steady is a key strategy to assist longevity.

Inflammation: It’s everyone’s concern

Inflammation is a natural process, but it is also something we need to be mindful of in a broader context in our everyday lives. However, as long as we adopt a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet rich in antioxidants, get regular exercise, reduce stress, find joy and peace in our lives and take health supplements if needed, we can remove its triggers and reduce its harmful effects. And live long, happy and healthy lives.