What is the big deal with inflammation anyways?

We all know that inflammation is a natural part of life.  When you cut your finger the natural process of healing is for a scar to form due to inflammatory changes.  Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process and brings important immune factors to the site of injury.  But when inflammation persists or becomes chronic, it can be the root of many diseases.  Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, and exposure to toxins (like secondhand tobacco smoke) can all contribute to such chronic inflammation, but dietary choices play a big role as well.  The link between arthritis and inflammation is well known. But newer research is confirming a definite connection between chronic inflammation and both physical and neurological diseases including: Diabetes, digestive disorders, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, psoriasis, heart disease, thyroid disease and many others.  Chronic inflammation generates a constant supply of free radicals that overwhelm our anti-oxidant defenses and damage DNA, aging us and causing disease of every description.  There is ongoing research of the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet in prevention or treating cancer as cancer increases as DNA is damaged.  DNA can be damaged through chronic inflammation so can an anti-inflammatory diet really protect DNA?  AGEs (advanced glycation end products)  are produced when a protein reacts with sugar, resulting in damaged, cross-linked proteins. As the body tries to protect you by breaking these AGEs apart, immune cells secrete large amounts of inflammatory chemicals. Many of the diseases that we think of as part of aging are actually caused by this process. Depending on where the AGEs occur, the result can be arthritis, cancer, heart disease, cataracts, memory loss, wrinkled skin or diabetes complications, to name a few.


Working in healthcare and seeing so many patients suffering from chronic fatigue, diseases and cancer, I have always been a huge proponent of diet and exercise.  I have been researching more on the anti-inflammatory lifestyle and this is my journey to learn more.