Top 7 Sources of Inflammation (#7 is Key to Avoid) - a podcast by Discussions with successful health experts such as Ben Greenfield, Terry Wa

Inflammation is simply our immune system’s natural response to illnesses and injury. This involves the release of inflammatory chemicals in the bloodstream to protect the body from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. In the case of an injury, a localized inflammatory response helps in the healing process. There are two types of inflammation: The acute and chronic form. Acute inflammation helps us heal, so you can think of it as the “good” kind of inflammation. But the chronic inflammation is associated with chronic conditions or diseases, so you can describe it as the “bad” kind of inflammation. What makes chronic inflammation harmful to health?

Unlike the acute form of inflammation that is typically caused by injuries or illnesses, chronic inflammation often happens without any injury or illness present.

And the bad part is that it lasts far longer than it should. In fact, this condition is a major contributing factor in many diseases associated with getting older.

Over time, chronic inflammation can cause major changes to the body’s cells, tissues, and organs. Over time, this progresses to DNA damage and tissue death.

Although scientists do not know why all chronic inflammation happens, this condition is one of the several contributing factors in diseases onset and progression.

So far, chronic inflammation has a strong link with heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Other conditions associated with this form of inflammation include

• High blood pressure
• Kidney disease
• High cholesterol
• Depression
• Various types of cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Autoimmune disorders
• Fatty liver disease
• Neurodegenerative disorders

Chronic inflammation is quite dangerous because it often progresses quietly with only a few independent symptoms. And despite the subtle nature of this condition, it represents a major threat to the health and longevity of a large population of people.

Now, you may be wondering, what are the sources of chronic inflammation? Let’s dive quickly into it.

What causes chronic inflammation?

Several kinds of scientific studied have identified different causes of chronic systemic inflammation, many of which are associated with our lifestyle and aging.

The causes of chronic inflammation include:

Diet

Foods that are high in refined sugar, trans fat, and saturated fat are largely linked with increased inflammation, especially in overweight people.

 

 

Physical inactivity

When your muscles are in constant motion, it supports an anti-inflammatory chemical process in your bloodstream. But unfortunately, many people do not meet the minimum activity recommendations for optimal health, and this cause an increased risk of age-related diseases.

Obesity

When you have too much visceral fat (a deep layer of fat) around your abdominal organs, it triggers the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals.

Low sex hormones

When you have lower levels of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen, especially in older age, it increases your risk of suffering inflammatory diseases.

Sleep disorders

Chronic inflammation can be triggered when you have irregular sleep schedules. On the other hand, a regular eight hours sleep helps to lower markers of inflammation.

Age

As you grow older, you stand more risk of suffering chronic inflammation.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes have been studied to lower the level of anti-inflammatory markers and increase the risk of chronic inflammation.

There you have it, the 7 most common sources of chronic inflammation. You can visit Dr. Jason Jones to learn more about more sources of chronic inflammation, including toxins, environmental factors, and others. We’ll also show you simple lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of suffering diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

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