What Is Inflammations True Role In the Body?
Inflammation is a vital part of the body’s immune response. In an acute form, inflammation is the body’s attempt to heal itself after an injury; defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria; and repair damaged tissue.
Without short term inflammation (acute), wounds would fester and infections could become deadly.
The flip side of that coin is “long term” inflammation (also known as chronic inflammation).
This type of inflammation can be very problematic though, and it plays a big role in many chronic diseases.
Here is a quick look at some Inflammation facts and figures:
Acute vs. Chronic Inflammation:
Again there’re two types of inflammation: acute and chronic (sometimes called systemic) inflammation.
Acute inflammation arises after a cut or scrape in the skin, an infected ingrown nail, a sprained ankle, acute bronchitis, a sore throat, tonsillitis or appendicitis. It is short-term and the effects subside after a few days.
Chronic inflammation is long-term and occurs in “wear and tear” conditions, including osteoarthritis, and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease, Walker said.
Habitual or environmental factors, such as excess weight, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, smoking, pollution, poor oral health and excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to chronic inflammation.
Often, acute inflammation is perceived as “good,” because it’s the body’s attempt to heal itself after an injury, and chronic inflammation as “bad” but Walker said that is not a very useful distinction.
Whether acute or chronic, inflammation “is the body’s natural response to a problem, so it makes us aware of issues that we might not otherwise acknowledge,” he said.
What Is Chronic Inflammation:
Chronic inflammation, sometimes called persistent, low-grade inflammation, happens when the body sends an inflammatory response to a perceived internal threat that does not require an inflammatory response.
The white blood cells swarm, but have nothing to do and nowhere to go, and they sometimes eventually start attacking internal organs or other necessary tissues and cells.
Other times, the threat is real but we do not feel it or the inflammatory response, and the inflammation can persist forever. Persistent inflammation has been linked to a variety of ailments, including heart disease, arthritis, cancer. In fact, many researchers believe chronic inflammation is the root cause of most disease.
It is often associated with environmental or habitual factors, such as pollution or poor diet, which has made it of interest to nutritionists.
Poor Cellular Function:
While the acute inflammation response actually acts as a trigger to fight infection and repair cells, such as when you twist your ankle or tear a muscle, chronic inflammation can actually inhibit these healthy responses.
Chronic inflammation impacts many healthy cellular functions like rapidness of reproduction, adhesion of new cells and replacement of dead cells, which has been linked to many dangerous diseases.
This type of damage takes many years to accumulate, but the effects can be extremely damaging to the body.
Foods That Trigger Chronic Inflammation:
Research shows that a significant contributor to chronic inflammation comes from what we eat, and you’ll soon find that many of the following inflammatory foods have a place in your diet.
When you eat them daily, you’ll constantly be turning on your body’s alarm system. Because your immune system alarm is never disarmed, over time, this incessant inflammatory response can lead to weight gain, drowsiness, skin problems, digestive issues, and a host of diseases, from diabetes to obesity to cancer.
Sugar:
Common Culprits: Soda, snack bars, candy, baked sweets, coffee drinks.
Bet you could’ve guessed this one. According to a review in the Journal of Endocrinology, when we eat too much glucose-containing sugar, the excess glucose our body can’t process quickly enough can increase levels of pro-inflammatory messengers called cytokines.
But that’s not all. Sugar also suppresses the effectiveness of our white blood cells’ germ-killing ability, weakening our immune system and making us more susceptible to infectious diseases.
A simple swap is subbing out harmful high-glycemic foods (which spike and crash blood sugar) for low GI alternatives, like whole grains and foods with healthy fats, protein, and fibers. A study in the Journal of Nutrition discovered that on an equal calorie diet, overweight participants who ate a low-GI diet reduced levels of the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein whereas participants on a high GI diet did not. Sugar isn’t only added to obvious products like candy bars and sodas.
Inflammatory Cooking Oils:
Common Culprits: Mayonnaise, salad dressings, barbecue sauce, crackers, bread, potato chips.
Once we became aware of the artery-clogging ill effects of trans fats, manufacturers switched to injecting their products with or frying their foods in vegetable oils such as soy, corn, sunflower, safflower, or palm oil—which wasn’t much better.
That’s because these vegetable oils have a high concentration of the inflammatory fat, omega-6, and are low in the anti-inflammatory fat, omega-3. In fact, Americans are eating so many vegetable-oil-laden products that the average person has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of around 20:1 when it should be 1:1.
Fried Foods:
Common Culprits: Fried foods like French fries, fried chicken, fish sticks, chicken tenders, onion rings.
Another issue with these vegetable-oil-fried and processed foods is that they contain high levels of inflammatory advanced glycation end products (AGEs), compounds that form when products are cooked at high temperatures, pasteurized, dried, smoked, fried, or grilled.
Researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that when people cut out processed and fried foods that have high levels of AGEs, markers of inflammation in their body diminished.
Refined Flour:
Common Culprits: Pizza, white bread, crackers, pasta, pretzels, flour tortillas, breakfast cereals, bagels.
Refined wheat flours have been stripped of their slow-digesting fiber and nutrients, which means your body can break down the foods made from this ingredient very quickly. The more quickly your body digests glucose-containing foods, like these carbs, the faster your blood sugar levels can spike, which also spikes your insulin levels—a compound associated with a pro-inflammatory response.
A Journal of Nutrition study found that a diet high in refined grains showed a greater concentration of the inflammatory marker, PAI-1, in the blood.
On the other hand, a diet rich in whole grains resulted in a lower concentration of the same marker as well as one of the most well-known inflammatory biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP).
Dairy:
Common Culprits: Milk, soft cheeses, yogurt, butter.
While a moderate intake of yogurt can actually help decrease inflammation with its gut-healing probiotics, dairy is also a source of inflammation-inducing saturated fats. On top of that, studies have connected full-fat dairy with disrupting our gut microbiome, actually decreasing levels of our good gut bacteria which are key players in reducing inflammation.
And lastly, dairy is a common allergen, with about 1 in 4 adults having a difficulty in digesting milk, whether it’s lactose intolerance or a sensitivity to casein proteins. Either way, any type of allergen can trigger inflammatory reactions through the release of histamines. If you feel particularly bloated after a few blocks of cheese, you might consider cutting dairy from your diet.
P.S. Don’t worry about not getting enough calcium if you cut out dairy: A 2014 study published in the British Medical Journal found no correlation between fewer bone fractures and dairy consumption. Instead, check out these 20 Calcium-Rich Foods That Aren’t Dairy.
Artificial Sweeteners:
Common Culprits: No-sugar-added products, no-calorie “Diet” soft drinks.
A 2014 study published in Nature found that artificial sweetener consumption in both mice and humans enhances the risk of glucose intolerance by altering our gut microbiome.
Researchers also found an increase in bad gut bacteria that have previously been associated with type 2 diabetes. When our bodies can’t metabolize glucose properly, it can lead to a greater release of inflammatory cytokines, as is the case with sugar and refined carbs. On top of that, artificial sweeteners disrupt the composition of our gut microbiota by decreasing levels of the good bacteria Bacteroides, which are known to help release anti-inflammatory compounds.
Artificial Additives:
Common Culprits: Breakfast cereals, processed foods containing fruit, candy, ice cream.
Artificial means not found naturally in nature. And that means your body usually doesn’t have a way to process it. Ingredients like artificial coloring—which are made from petroleum (oil)—have been implicated in a host of health issues, from disrupting hormone function, to causing hyperactivity in children, to tumor production in animal studies.
A meta-analysis in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that our immune system attempts to defend the body from these synthetic colorants, which reduces the inflammatory cascade.
Another study by researchers at Georgia State University found that additives like emulsifying agents used to thicken foods can disrupt the bacterial makeup of the gut, leading to inflammation and weight gain in animals.
Saturated Fats:
Common Culprits: Burgers, pizza, chips.
We may have just absolved saturated fats of their connection to heart disease, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods just yet. That’s because multiple studies have connected saturated fats with triggering white adipose tissue (fat tissue) inflammation.
This white tissue is the type of fat that stores energy, rather than burns energy like brown fat cells do. And as your fat cells get bigger with greater intakes of saturated fats, they actually release pro-inflammatory agents that promote systemic inflammation, according to a review in the journal Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy.
Conventional Grain-Fed Meats:
Common Culprits: Beef, chicken, pork.
Because cattle, chicken, and pigs didn’t evolve on a grain-fed diet, many producers have to load up their animals with antibiotics. These drugs not only keep the animals from getting diseases in cramped feedlots or getting sick from their unnatural diet, but they also help them (and us) gain weight faster.
Altogether, this means we’re eating meats that are higher in inflammatory saturated fats, have greater levels of inflammatory omega-6s from the corn and soy diet, and our body thinks it’s in a constant state of attack due to ingesting leftover levels of antibiotics and hormones.
Even worse, when we grill meat at high temperatures, it creates inflammatory carcinogens. Besides limiting red meat to under three days a week, make sure you pick up lean cuts of grass-fed beef for your protein.
This healthy source provides more healthy saturated and trans fats as well as inflammation-fighting omega-3s. And you can also add a bit of lemon juice to your meats—the acid acts as an antioxidant, protecting you from the harmful carcinogens producing during grilling.
Processed Meats:
Common Culprits: Bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausage, jerky.
Processed meats are the worst of both worlds. They’re typically made from red meats high in saturated fats, and they contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inflammatory compounds that are created when these processed meats are dried, smoked, pasteurized, and cooked at high temperatures.
Not to mention the fact that these sometimes “mystery meats” are injected with a slurry of preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings that also register as foreign attackers to our immune system.
Gluten From Store-Bought Bread:
Common Culprits: Store-bought bread made from refined, white flour.
Many of the breads on the market can go from flour and yeast to baked bread in just a few hours. But this shortening of the period of fermentation causes a decrease in the amount of starch and gluten the yeast typically can pre-digest for us.
Without the assistance in digestion, it can be harder for our bodies to digest the bread’s gluten, causing inflammation in the lining of your intestines. Experts believe this could be one reason for the rise in gluten sensitivity among Americans. Another theory is that modern strains of wheat contain a super starch known as amylopectin A, which has been shown to have inflammatory effects.
Either way, store-bought breads should be a pass if you’ve been struggling to lose weight. We are, however, giving bakery-made sourdough the green light; sourdough bread is one of the surprising fermented foods that provides healthy probiotics to help heal your gut—key in helping to reduce inflammation!
Alcohol:
Common Culprits: Beer, sugary alcoholic drinks and most liquors.
While some research has shown a drink a day can actually lower levels of the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP), too much alcohol actually has the opposite effect.
That’s because the process of breaking down alcohol generates toxic by-products which can damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken the body’s immune system.
On the other hand, the flavonoids and antioxidants found in wine—as well as the probiotics in beer—might actually contribute an anti-inflammatory effect, according to a study published in the journal Toxicology.
We can’t say it enough, “Everything in moderation!”
Trans Fat Foods:
Common Culprits: Margarine/shortening; baked goods like doughnuts, cookies, and muffins; non-dairy coffee creamers; frozen pizza; frosting.
Because manmade partially hydrogenated oils, also known as trans fats, do not occur naturally in foods, our body doesn’t possess an adequate mechanism to break them down.
When our body senses an unknown, foreign object, it can stimulate an inflammatory response. According to the Mayo Clinic, these trans fats can cause inflammation by damaging the cells in the lining of blood vessels.
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who ate foods high in trans fat also had higher levels of markers of systemic inflammation, like interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Because the FDA’s guidelines allow products with less than 0.5 grams of trans fats to claim 0 trans fats, be sure to read labels and look out for products with partially hydrogenated oils—like almost all of Dairy Queen’s blizzards.
Fast Food:
Common Culprits: You know…
Even if you don’t know how to pronounce it, you should know what phthalates (thāl-ates) are. That’s because many of us are unknowingly eating this class of endocrine-disrupting chemical toxins. Similar to BPA, phthalates are used in plastic food and beverage packaging—and they’re not staying there.
Just this year, a study made headlines for its finding that people who often ate fast food had dose-dependent higher levels of phthalate metabolites than infrequent eaters. Bad news for all-day-breakfast lovers since a separate study published in Environmental Science & Technology found phthalates to be associated with the CRP marker of inflammation.
Another study in Environmental Health connected higher exposure to phthalates with metabolic syndrome, a disease also commonly associated with increased levels of inflammation.
Anti-Inflammation Foods Can Help
Choosing anti-inflammation foods first involves replacing sugary, refined foods with whole, nutrient-rich foods.
Many of these foods contains increased amounts of antioxidants, which are reactive molecules in food that reduce the number of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules in the body that may damage cells and increase the risk of certain diseases.
Many popular diets already follow anti-inflammatory principles. For example, the Mediterranean diet contains fish, whole grains, and fats that are good for the heart. Research has shown that this diet can reduce the effects of inflammation for people in pain or with cardio vascular disease, or diabetes.
This is a very basic list of the types of foods that do not tend to promote inflammatory responses in the body.
Easy Ways To Manage Chronic Inflammation:
A simple way to reduce chronic inflammation is of course by using the common sense methods of good sleep, good food and movement.
But a lot of people need more help, and for those wanting effective, natural, complementary options, learn more about Organic Sulfur.
Organic Sulfur is a vital mineral supplement which has shown to be key in chronic inflammation support that helps the body manage and reduce chronic inflammation at a cellular level.
What Is Organic Sulfur?
Organic Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral in the body. It’s vital to many functions within the body including cell and DNA repair.
Sulfur is an “essential” mineral, meaning you can only get it from food or supplementation, but as many studies have shown, that due to our industrial farming practices, the amount of available Sulfur in our food may be much lower in then in the past.
This results in a deficiency of Sulfur within the body, so for many the key is using Organic Sulfur as daily supplement.
Organic Sulfur is key to healthy DNA and cell regeneration, and when Sulfur is deficient in the body, can be linked to many diseases and issues.
Organic Sulfur, is also known as MSM.
Pure MSM (Methyl/Sulfonyl/Methane) is 34% pure bioactive, Organic Sulfur by weight, making it the most ideal Sulfur source of Organic Sulfur.
You may have heard of MSM, but Organic Sulfur is a much more potent and 100% additive-free, highly absorbable version of MSM.
Organic Sulfur is powerful, potent and provides a vast range of benefits.
Why? Because Organic Sulfur helps to empower the body to resolve many root issues that can lead to increased pain, inflammatory issues, aching joints, fatigue, high body toxicity, poor immune function.
How Can Organic Sulfur Help Promote Inflammation Reduction?
Organic Sulfur is a core-pillar, dietary mineral that the body depends on for:
1. Healthy Cellular Function:
One of the biggest drivers of low-grade, chronic inflammation in the body is cellular swelling, created by poor cellular membrane function.
People do not realize how vital cellular membrane function is.
The cell membrane is basically the “smart wall” of all your cells, and helps remove the inflammatory, health-stealing toxins from your cells – throughout the entire body. It also is responsible for allowing healing oxygen and nutrients to enter the cell. With our properly functioning cell membranes health take a dive. It’s pretty simple.
But when you have too many toxins and not enough Sulfur, those critical membranes get harder and less functional, leading to poor cellular health and increased, chronic inflammation.
That’s why bioactive Sulfur is such a potent, natural anti-inflammatory and is key to overall cell function/health.
Organic sulfur promotes soft, open cell membranes so cells can release inflammatory agents, wastes and fluids.
This also allows cells to uptake oxygen and nutrients faster and more optimally, in turn supporting cellular health and healthy cell regeneration.
Finally this helps to quickly boost cell health and reduce cellular swelling, which in turn reduces chronic inflammation throughout the body.
Source: Butawan, M., Benjamin, R. L., & Bloomer, R. J. (2017). Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement. Nutrients, 9(3), 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9030290
2. Supports Optimal Pain Management & Protects Connective Tissue:
Organic Sulfur also boosts joint and connective tissue strength which helps limit joint damage and reduce pain, ultimately down the inflammation-creating, immune over-response.
The importance of connective tissue for the overall health and inflammation and pain management goes well beyond simply keeping cells together.
The first biophysical regulatory model to explore the importance of connective tissue was developed by Prof. Pischinger, and by Dr. Popp, a biophysicist.
Their research demonstrated that soft connective tissue and the extracellular matrix (cell membrane) that surrounds cells, serves a much higher purpose than simply structural and connective purposes.
Connective tissues form a biocommunication network that is vital in the transport of nutrients, electrolytes, signal compounds and atomic and subatomic particles including oxygen.
As many people notice later in life, their flexible tissues lose their elastic properties. A shortage of Organic Sulfur is most likely the cause of this problem.
The consequences are stiffening of muscles and joints, wrinkling of the skin, and decreased elasticity of lung tissues and arterial blood vessels.
Without a doubt, the transfer of bio-information through soft connective tissue decreases as well, and the occurrences of diseases may also be linked to a decrease in communication between cells and body tissues.
Source: Butawan, M., Benjamin, R. L., & Bloomer, R. J. (2017). Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement. Nutrients, 9(3), 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9030290
3. Organic Sulfur Also Helps Modulate Immune Responses:
Sulfur also helps your body produce more Glutathione, the bodies master antioxidant, which is important for combating free floating molecules that damage your body. Together Sulfur and Glutathione help modulate and limit over-response from the body’s immune cells (Macrophages, Neutrophls, and T/B cells)
Source: van der Merwe, Marie & Bloomer, Richard. (2016). The Influence of Methylsulfonylmethane on Inflammation-Associated Cytokine Release before and following Strenuous Exercise. Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016. 1-9. 10.1155/2016/7498359.
Vitamin D3 Can Also Help Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Another supplement that can help in the management of chronic inflammation is Vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3 is actually a hormone/vitamin that provides a wealth of health benefits for the body, from bone health to heart health.
It also plays a key role in managing and modulating inflammation throughout the body.
Vitamin D3 Also Helps Modulate The Immune Response:
Vitamin D3 is not just an proven immune-booster, it’s even more valuable because of it’s ability to help modulate the immune system, helping reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines (specialized immuno-proteins) released by white cells, which can help modulate acute and chronic forms of inflammation.
Together, Organic Sulfur, and vitamin D3 can provide many benefits to help reduce chronic inflammation and the damage it causes on the body.
Source: Aranow C. (2011). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research, 59(6), 881–886. https://doi.org/10.2310/JIM.0b013e31821b8755
The Bottom Line:
Research has clearly shown that most deadly disease is rooted in chronic inflammation.
- Chronic inflammation stems from various forms of cellular damage which sets off a viscous cycle of over-active immune responses and increased, low-grade chronic inflammation in the body.
- Cellular damage can happen anywhere in the body, from the digestive system, to the arteries and blood vessels, to joints and connective tissue throughout the body.
- Reducing chronic inflammation should be a core health and wellness goal for everyone, especially those over 30.
- Eating well, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and reducing toxic load is vital for inflammation management.
- Adding Organic Sulfur and Vitamin D3 daily, can help provide solid anti-inflammatory impacts through helping optimize cellular health, cellular function and immune modulation.
The Best Organic Sulfur & Vitamin D3 On The Market Today
Happy Body provides the most potent forms of Organic Sulfur (pure, 100% additive-free MSM) and liquid vitamin D3 on the market today.
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