Reducing Inflammation and Associated Disease Risk

Inflammation is the body's response to injury and disease, a function of the immune system. But like so many issues, too much of a good thing can be damaging to our health. Inflammation has been causally linked to such diseases as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and even aging.

Doctors normally function by treating symptoms, performing surgery, and prescribing medicine. They generally are not as interested in affecting changes in lifestyle and diet. Of course, imagine how you might feel if you went to your doctor because heart disease runs in your family and he told you to sleep more, eat more vegetables and exercise 45 minutes a day, then sent you home with nary a prescription or test ordered.

Thankfully, we don't have to live in an either/or world. We can medically treat and monitor our disease and also make changes in our lifestyle and diet to reduce our risks of disease. In earlier articles, I covered the links between inflammation and disease and the causes of inflammation. Here I will explore the clinically tested ways to reduce inflammation which will, in turn, reduce risks of heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

First, and I won't spend much time on this one, quit smoking through whatever means necessary. Smoking is a direct cause of inflammation and disease.

In terms of diet, we should avoid 'bad' foods and consume more 'good' foods.

So, what should we avoid? Eliminate partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, an ingredient in many packaged foods and a direct cause of inflammation.

Some edibles have an anti-inflammatory effect. Olive oil has been shown to not only decrease inflammation, but also is an effective mild pain killer. In kindness to your wallet, there is no difference in the anti-inflammatory effect of extra-virgin compared with 'lower' grades of olive oil, though the freshness of the olive oil is important. (Nature 2005)

Tumeric, an ingredient found in curry, also has a natural anti-inflammatory effect. (University of Arizona 2006) Ginger, a relative of tumeric, also contains anti-inflammatory chemicals.(Journal of Medicinal Food Sept 2005)