Quench Chronic Inflammation for Better Health From Head to Toe

Acute inflammation is an essential response of your immune system to protect you from harm. For example, a sprained ankle becomes red and swollen because your body releases chemicals and increases blood flow to the injury site to promote healing and prevent infection. As the injury heals, the inflammation decreases and eventually
disappears.

However, chronic inflammation—a low-grade reaction that may continue for months or even years—can have damaging, rather than healing, effects. One example is the joint pain, swelling, and deterioration caused by rheumatoid arthritis, which is an inflammatory disease. However, not everyone who has chronic inflammation is aware of its presence; it’s a condition that can be doing harm without your knowledge.

Cardiovascular Health and Inflammation

The most common cause of problems in your heart and blood vessels is the buildup of plaque on the inner walls of your blood vessels, a condition called atherosclerosis. Plaque, which is a combination of cholesterol, fat, and other substances, can reduce or block blood flow, or it can rupture, leading to the formation of a blood clot that may cause a heart attack or stroke.

“Plaque buildup is an inflammatory process; there is an interplay between cholesterol and inflammatory markers, such as interleukin-6, that can cause plaque to accumulate. Increased inflammation can cause plaques to become unstable, which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke,” explains Nivee Amin, MD, MHS, a cardiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

To reduce chronic inflammation:

  • Get most of your dietary fat from nuts, seeds, avocados, vegetable oils, and fatty fish.
  • Limit foods high in saturated fat, including fatty cuts of beef and pork, poultry with the skin on,
    and butter.
  • Avoid highly processed foods, including pre-packaged baked goods, snack foods, processed meats, frozen meals, soft drinks, and sweets.

Risk Factors and Causes

Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease, are inflammatory in nature, so chronic inflammation is part of the disease process. Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stress can also increase inflammation.

“Ongoing stress both causes inflammation and changes the way that your body responds to inflammation. Stress causes your body to release cortisol, a hormone with pro-inflammatory properties,” says Dr. Amin.

Cortisol stimulates increased glucose release, inhibits insulin production, and narrows arteries, which raises blood pressure. In cases of continued stress, cortisol production remains high, and elevated cortisol levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as weight gain, a weakened immune system, and digestive problems.

Identifying Chronic Inflammation

Since damage from chronic inflammation occurs gradually, there are often no warning signs that can alert you to its presence. A substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of chronic inflammation that may be considered when determining a person’s cardiovascular risks. A test called high-sensitivity CRP, which detects low levels of CRP, is usually ordered for people who do not have an inflammatory disease; a regular CRP test measures higher levels of CRP.

Easing Inflammation

According to Dr. Amin, one of the easiest ways to prevent cardiovascular disease is to reduce inflammation by focusing on a healthy diet and staying active.

“Follow a diet that is rich in antioxidants and contains healthy, unsaturated fats. Also, consume alcohol in moderation, limit your intake of saturated fat, and reduce consumption of processed foods.” (See What You Can Do for more details on diet.)

Dr. Amin also advises talking with your doctor to find out if you may benefit from taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol; she says there is some evidence that statins also reduce inflammation. However, she does not advise regular use of some common anti-inflammatory medications.

“I do not recommend taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as naproxen and ibuprofen) due to the potentially serious side effects that may occur with frequent use of these drugs,” says Dr. Amin. She adds that researchers are trying to find medications that can reduce inflammation without causing problematic side effects.

More Details on Diet

“Studies have shown that diets high in refined starches, sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats and low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids appear to turn on the inflammatory response. Chronic inflammation leads to oxidative stress, which occurs when reactive molecules called “free radicals” damage cells, including their DNA. Over time, this cumulative damage can lead to cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and other chronic diseases,” explains Jackie Topol, MS, RD, a dietitian at Integrative Health and Wellbeing at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine.

You can help reduce chronic inflammation by including fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants in your diet every day.

“Research has shown that people who have the highest fruit and vegetable intake have significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. By eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, you’ll give your body many different antioxidants; blueberries, for example, provide completely different antioxidants than broccoli. I tell my patients to think about ‘eating the rainbow’ every day,” says Topol.

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