What Is Inflammation?

We are all too familiar with inflammation when it comes to an acute injury such as a sprain. Those suffering from chronic conditions such as arthritis and other joint and connective tissue problems know the very real pain and discomfort from ongoing inflammation. What most of us may not know however, is that inflammation can occur as a result of many diseases and disorders in the body. Many of these conditions produce what is called silent inflammation. In this discussion we will look at inflammation, silent inflammation and the natural inflammation remedies and natural inflammation supplements available to assist the body in better managing inflammatory situations at any level.

Why The Pro-Inflammatory Epidemic?

It seems that the inflammatory related illnesses are on the steady rise. This is likely due to the fact that more people are aging than ever before, but certainly one of the major causes of these pro-inflammatory problems comes from the distinct shift in dietary habits, resulting in a diet much higher in pro-inflammatory agents than in the past. With the fear of saturated fats firmly instilled in everyone, people have switched to vegetable oils in the last decades. Vegetable oils, in general, are very high in Omega 6 fatty acids, which lead to prostaglandins, a very highly pro-inflammatory substance. In fact, the Standard Industrialized Diet now provides 20 times more omega 6 fatty acids and hence 20 times more prostaglandins than our diets of 60 years ago. The result of this assault on the chemistry of the body has produced increased inflammation at many levels within the body. We are seeing more arthritis & related conditions as well as dozens of other health conditions that are related to what is often called silent inflammation. This form of inflammatory response is so called because it is most often occurring below the pain sensory levels and is therefore not felt. Silent inflammation is at work as either a co-factor or direct result of such health concerns as acid reflux, acne, allergies, asthma, atherosclerosis, bronchitis, celiac disease, chronic pain, Crohn's disease, cirrhosis, colitis, dementia, dermatitis, diabetes, dry eye syndrome, edema, eczema, fibromyalgia, gingivitis, heart disease, hepatitis, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, arthritis, obesity, osteoporosis, periodontal disease, psoriasis, scleroderma, sinusitis, spastic colon, systemic candida, tendonitis, and vaginitis.

Natural Anti-Inflammation Supplements

Since some of the major illnesses affecting our society are pro-inflammatory, such as diabetes and inflammation and heart disease and inflammation, it is good to know which natural inflammation supplements work the best. Certainly one of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory herbs has to be tumeric. Tumeric or the active agent it contains called curcumin, has shown to be as powerful as the over-the-counter painkillers so many are addicted to. Unlike these drugs, called NSAID's (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), curcumin and many other natural agents, have no risk of side effects such as stomach upset, stomach bleeding or other gastric disturbances. Curcumin, the extract of tumeric, when combined with other natural anti-inflammatory herbs such as ginger, stinging nettle, boswellia, quercetin, and Devil's claw can help to control the inflammatory process at many levels. Other natural anti-inflammatory supplements include dl Phenylalanine, glucosamine, and the Omega 3 fatty acid. Our research here at The Institute of Nutritional Science has shown that a combination of curcumin, dl Phenylalanine and boswellia extract is particularly powerful in helping the body to control inflammation naturally. Due to the great potential to help control inflammation naturally, we regularly use curcumin, the active ingredient in tumeric along with ginger, stinging nettle, boswellia, quercetin and Devil's claw extracts in many of our various formulations.

Other Factors That Cause Inflammation

In addition to our diet and to the many illnesses described above that can add to the inflammatory load of the body, there are a couple of other factors that bear mentioning. Firstly, sleep deprivation can be a very pro-inflammatory situation. Sleep and inflammation have long been linked and in our faced paced society many people are sleep deprived on a somewhat regular basis. Less than 8 ours of sleep per night will raise the risk of sleep and inflammation. Many people feel that they can get along on less than 8 hour of sleep, but are the really functioning at their best? Since the relationship between sleep and inflammation is of the silent inflammation nature, the sufferer would not even know the damage he or she is causing by a lack of adequate sleep. Another major cause of potential inflammation, especially silent inflammation, is a toxic internal chemistry. As toxins build up in the organs and cells of the body, this elevated toxic overload can produce an inflammatory response. Detoxification and inflammation are closely related and when the body goes through a regular detox, the inflammatory response is reduced. Exercise, a natural diet, and regular detoxification can eliminate one more major cause of inflammation, namely the relationship between detox and inflammation. Conclusion Since the major illnesses such as diabetes and inflammation and heart disease and inflammation, not to mention dozens of other health concerns related to inflammation are so common, taking a natural anti-inflammatory supplement, providing the right combination of natural inflammation support nutrients such as amino acids and natural anti-inflammatory herbs, is good health insurance. In addition to taking a natural anti-inflammatory support supplement, be sure to get adequate rest, drink plenty of water to keep toxins flushed out of your system and lastly, but perhaps most important, take a Full Spectrum multi-vitamin/mineral supplement that provides the 100+ nutrients your body needs every day.