How Inflammation Affects the Mind and Body - PLUS What You Can Do About It
We’re constantly bombarded with so much information on nutrition and the should’s and should-not’s. But there are two sides to every story. And it’s important to understand both sides, plus the reasons why we want to pay attention to certain topics of health & nutrition. Inflammation has been the topic-du-jour.
Let’s dive in.
What is inflammation & why do we experience it?
Let’s begin with a definition of what inflammation is: Tissues affected by injury or infection will naturally swell, redden, be painful, warm up, and feel tender to the touch - all as a result of inflammation.
“When we bump an elbow, cut a finger, or encounter a virus, our body sends proteins (cytokines) that go to our defence and attach themselves to the infection and repair any damaged tissues. ”
Essentially, we’re familiar with what inflammation looks and feels like on the surface or when we meet up with some germs. We need inflammation as a means to repair and protect our bodies.
However, chronic inflammation causes harm to our bodies. We may experience an erosion of muscle tissues to fight off a disease or infection. And we may start to show signs of chronic inflammation from the stress that our bodies and minds experience on a daily basis.
What causes inflammation?
While we’ve discussed a few ways, such as an injury or germs, we can also experience inflammation in our bodes as a result of a few other things, some that we may even do unknowingly:
Poor nutrition: Eating an Omega-6 heavy diet (fried foods, packaged snack foods, soybean, sunflower, safflower, peanut oils); heavy in processed meats, red meat, dairy; rich in refined and processed foods (oils, sugars, flours, baked goods, snacks)
Overuse or over-exposure to chemicals: e.g. smoking or second-hand smoke
Certain drugs, including alcohol, artificial sweeteners
Obesity
Injury and infection (including viruses, mold, bacteria)
Stress, trauma and burnout
Lack of sleep or disrupted sleeping patterns
Gut dysbiosis
What are the long-term effects of inflammation?
Over time, chronic inflammation can lead, or increase the risk of developing, chronic diseases, such as:
arthritis, rheumatoid arthrities
asthma, allergies
cancer
cardiovascular disease
decline in immune response
neurodegenerative decline (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s)
diabetes
mental well-being (depression)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
auto-immune diseases (e.g. IBD, celiac disease, MS, Grave’s disease, psoriasis, lupus)
How to recognize inflammation
If you’re currently experiencing obvious swelling, arthritis, joint pain, or skin that’s red and warm - you know you have inflammation on your hands. But what is going on below the surface that we can’t always see or feel?
I’m going to guess that if you look at your most recent bloodwork, you’re not seeing that inflammation marker anywhere. Most doctors won’t be specifically looking for this detail, unless they have a valid reason to search for it. So, how on earth would you know what your levels are?
Thorough blood work will include inflammatory biomarkers in the blood. Not everyone will get this looked at unless there are concerns with cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation in the form of arthritis, IBD, or cancer.
One of the better ways to recognize if you’re suffering from inflammation is to look at the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and your white blood cell count. CRP looks at one specific protein versus the ESR test discussed next.
Another way to look for inflammation in blood samples, is the ESR test or sedimentation rate of erythrocytes (red blood cells). As the red blood cells fall to the bottom of the test tube and separate from the plasma, this rate is measured. If the cells are sticky or are covered with certain proteins, the rate may be rapid: meaning that you have some inflammation in the body. Remember that this can be your body’s way of fighting an injury or infection. So, sometimes these results are skewed if you’ve recently had an injury or encountered a virus.
How can you lower inflammation?
Signs of inflammation can creep up slowly over time, but with careful preventative measures, focusing on nutrition and lifestyle to lower inflammation, it is possible to reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Key ways to reduce the risks associated with chronic inflammation:
Reduce or eliminate inflammatory foods (those with high Omega-6:Omega-3 ratios such as the ingredients mentioned above)
Increase your intake of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory foods
Nourish with fibre, which will help build a well-balanced microbiome, manage blood sugar and keep you regular.
Follow a plant-based whole food diet, or as close to this as possible. The Mediterranean diet has also been effective in reducing inflammation.
Sweat, detox - hot yoga, exercise, saunas
Breathe
Stress management
Sleep. Rest. Yoga. Relaxation.
Remember, lowering inflammation will not happen overnight. It takes a shift in lifestyle patterns and thought process.
What about omega-3 fatty acids? What are they responsible for in the body?
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential, and so are omega-6 fatty acids. In the past century, our food has become rich in omega-6’s. This is now the norm, manufactured and processed foods that are emulsified, processed with ingredients to spread out the quantity, preserve and keep us coming back for more with satiating fat and shelf-life.
As a result of this overload, our omega-3 intake is drastically shy in comparison. In fact, most of us have a 10-year store of omega-6’s saved up. We need the omega-3 fatty acids to help lower our blood fat (triglycerides), lower pain in our joints, manage or cope with depression, develop our brains and visual factions in infancy, improve lung function, protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s.
How can you get plant-based nutritional sources of Omega-3?
Here’s some great sources of omega-3 fatty acids:
Flaxseed
Chia seed
Leafy greens
Tofu and soybeans
Unheated flax, hemp and chia oil
Walnuts
And be sure to focus on including healthy sources of Omega-6s, you still need them:
Avocados
Nuts
Olives
Sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds
Wheat germ
Maybe I talk a lot about plants because I studied Botany at University, or maybe because I’m a vegan (did I tell you that yet? 🤣). I help burnt out people nourish their mental wellbeing in kind, loving way with healthy whole-food plant-based (WFPB) nutritional approach. When we can’t get what we need from food, or our food is deficient in the nutrients we need, we top up with supplements. Think of them as their name states, supplementary to your holistic health plan. Before beginning any supplement protocol, consult with a qualified health professional that is both registered and insured. Hey, that’s me!
If you are struggling to figure out your nutritional needs and want to know how I can help, click the button below and book your FREE discovery call.
AND if you sign up for my newsletter below, you’ll receive freebies today!
Sources:
Wani, A. L., Bhat, S. A., & Ara, A. (2015). Omega-3 fatty acids and the treatment of depression: a review of scientific evidence. Integrative medicine research, 4(3), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2015.07.003
Balch, P. A. (2011). Prescription for nutritional healing: A practical A-to-Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements. Penguin.
Murdoch A. (2020). Plant-Based Omega-3: What is ALA and How to Make Sure You’re Getting Enough. https://fullscript.com/blog/ala
Furman D, et al. (2019). Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span.
nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0675-0
Kunnumakkara AB, et al. (2018). Chronic diseases, inflammation, and spices: How are they linked?
translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-018-1381-2
