Mar 28, 2024

8 Tips to help Reduce Inflammation

By Aditi Tibarewala

Nutritionist, Diabetes Educator

What is inflammation?
Causes of Inflammation
Diagnosis and Treatment
Healthy ways to overcome Inflammation
Conclusion
References

Inflammation can cause weakness, lethargy, pain, and weight loss or gain. Read about some practical ways to control inflammation.

We all have heard or experienced issues like pain, swelling, sensitivity, indigestion, etc. in our bodies. This may have a direct explanation sometimes, but not always. At times, we experience these symptoms due to inflammation in some parts of the body. Let us learn how inflammation can cause some of these issues and what can be done in the long run to avoid it.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is an ongoing process in the body, signifying infection, injury, or toxicity in the body's tissues. When a foreign organism enters the body or if there is any injury sustained externally, our body initiates a defence response to protect it from further damage and contain its source. Primary symptoms experienced by an individual include pain, swelling, tenderness, loss of movements, weakness, nausea, and general lethargy.
Now, this inflammatory response and its manifestations may be for a temporary period (acute inflammation) till the issue is resolved or may linger on for an extended time, known as chronic inflammation. What causes the body to stay in a state of inflammation for longer? Let's find out.

Causes of Inflammation

Sometimes, even when the initial source of injury or infection is overcome, the brain may still be in a hyper-responsive state. Certain conditions keep the body in a continuous state of tension in the form of inflammation. Some of the causes may be as follows:

Diagnosis and Treatment

When there is no obvious sign or symptom of inflammation, a doctor will advise you to check the level of biochemical inflammatory markers in the body through a simple blood test. A higher level of these markers in your blood signifies an ongoing inflammation within the body and the need to address the situation on priority.

In cases of acute inflammation, our body is well equipped to fight it off by itself, but this does not hold for chronic inflammation.

Our doctor will usually appropriate medications as per the cause and advise us to undertake simple yet effective lifestyle modifications along with healthy diet and supplements.

Healthy ways to overcome Inflammation:

1) Avoid sugar and fast foods: Sugar stimulates the production of free fatty acids in the liver. When the body digests these free fatty acids, the resulting compounds can trigger inflammatory processes. So, decrease consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates, fried foods, red and processed meat and processed foods (like chips, crackers, and frozen meals).

2) Maintain a Healthy Weight: Managing your weight is crucial for controlling inflammation. Incorporate exercises into your routine and focus on healthy diet and nutrition that support metabolism and sugar control.

3) Control your blood sugar: When discussing diabetes and pre-diabetes, the focus is often solely on elevated blood sugar levels. However, inflammation plays a significant role by inducing insulin resistance in our cells, resulting in persistently high blood sugar levels. Often termed a "silent" condition, inflammation quietly contributes to these metabolic disruptions.

4) Incorporate Anti-inflammatory Foods: Include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants in your diet to combat inflammation. These foods include leafy greens (such as spinach, kale, and arugula), cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts), fatty fish (such as mackerel, tuna, and salmon), nuts and seeds (like chia seeds, flaxseed, and almonds), fruits, olive oil, curcumin (found in turmeric), green tea, and black tea. Incorporating an astaxanthin supplement can also help in reducing inflammation.

5) Limit Alcohol Intake and Smoking: Regular smoking and alcoholic beverages have inflammatory properties, so reducing or avoiding them can help fight inflammation.

6) Practice good sleep hygiene: During sleep, blood pressure drops and blood vessels relax. When sleep is restricted, blood pressure doesn’t decline as it should , which could trigger cells in blood vessel walls that activate inflammation. A lack of sleep might also alter the body’s stress response system. Therefore, maintaining a good sleep hygiene is important. To read more about sleep hygiene click here.

7) Enhance your diet benefits of tea and spices. Incorporate black, white, and green teas, rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, to combat inflammation. Explore herbal teas for additional anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, include herbs and spices like rosemary, garlic, oregano, ginger, turmeric, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne, known for their inflammation-fighting compounds. Studies suggest that turmeric, rosemary, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger can slow down inflammatory processes in the body.

8) Exercise Regularly: A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the buildup of visceral fat, triggering a cascade of inflammatory processes. Aim to engage in 45-60 minutes of brisk walking or jogging daily. Regular exercise not only decreases fat mass and inflammation in adipose tissue but also aids in stress reduction, weight maintenance, digestion improvement, and the enhancement of bone and muscle health.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, remember that the overall quality of your diet matters more than individual meals. Consistency over time is key to maintaining a healthy eating pattern that can effectively manage chronic inflammation and associated health issues. By incorporating anti-inflammatory ingredients into your meals, you can help control inflammation and promote overall health.