By Marcelle Pick
I
nflammation is the new buzz word in many
health and medical circles. But among all the talk,
there is some confusion around what chronic in-
flammation is and what you can do about it.
Like an unattended fire, chronic inflammation can
slowly spread and lead to serious metabolic break-
down, with vast implications for your long-term
health. You may have heard that disorders like
rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
and eczema stem from inflammation. But chronic
inflammation has now been connected to a host of
modern diseases, from obesity, diabetes, athero-
sclerosis, and high blood pressure, to Alzheimer’s,
osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, cancer, and even depres-
sion! In the functional medical world, we view all
chronic and degenerative illnesses — and even bi-
ological aging — as rooted in chronic inflammation.
The good news is that there are so many things
you can do in your life to cool your inflammation
— even if you’ve already been diagnosed with an
inflammatory-related condition. And doing some-
thing about it now is one way to ensure aging with
vitality and strength.As a functional medicine prac-
titioner, I’ve seen firsthand how simple things like
cutting back on red meat and soda, getting more
sleep, and regular exercise (without overdoing it)
make a difference.
The root of chronic inflammation:
An imbalanced immune system
The root of chronic inflammation is an imbal-
anced immune system.Your immunity is comprised
of two major systems: your innate immune system
and your acquired immune system.The innate im-
mune system is what we were all born with and
deals with many of the more nonspecific threats to
our bodies. The acquired immune system is what
we develop based on our behavior, environment,
and exposures. In other words, the more bugs or
allergens we’re exposed to and successfully fend off,
the more our acquired immune system grows in
complexity.
These two branches of the immune system are
constantly communicating with each other to main-
tain balance in the body.Their communication sys-
tem involves specialized sensors and signals that
unleash a cascade of biochemical reactions, pro-
ducing metabolites that activate genes to relay pro-
tein messages that communicate an inflammatory
call-to-action. Most critically, they are designed to
turn that action off when they aren’t needed any-
more. But patients with chronic inflammation may
show increased levels of certain pro-inflammatory
markers, even when there is no obvious reason for
inflammation. Some of these markers include C-Re-
active Protein (CRP), IFN-gamma, IL-1, IL-6, and
TNF-alpha.These are the same mediators that be-
come elevated in an acute reaction — but the dif-
ference is that the acute phase is turned off when
the job is done.
We need a healthy balance of inflammation to
stay healthy. But if your body is constantly on the
defensive, it makes sense that your overall health
would be compromised. First of all, inflammation
takes a lot of your body’s energy and resources.
Second of all, our inflammatory cells have evolved
to be powerful (this helps rid us of invaders before
they can do harm!) — and having a constant, low-
grade flow of powerful inflammatory markers in the
blood stream can cause damage with time.To make
matters worse, once the balance is disrupted, the
immune system’s hyperactivity can self-perpetuate
and quickly spiral into disease.
Recent research at Harvard Medical School sup-
ports the connection between an imbalanced im-
mune system and metabolic disorders, like type 2
diabetes. Scientists found an abundance of immune
cells called mast cells in diabetic and obese mice. In
healthy individuals, mast cells help to heal damaged
tissue, but they accumulate in the fat tissue of obese
and diabetic mice and can leak “molecular garbage”
into this tissue when unstable. The good news is,
the group of mice given a healthy diet and immune
system support, had nearly a 100% recovery!We’ll
have to wait and see if the same results play out in
humans.
Dozens of pharmaceutical drugs have been de-
veloped to override the inflammatory cascade, and
many more are in the pipeline. NSAID’s (nons-
teroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Motrin and
Aleve disrupt the production of prostaglandins,
which are needed to regulate inflammation, con-
strict or dilate vessels, and much more. Corticos-
teroids like prednisone, COX-2 inhibitors likeVioxx
and Celebrex, and antihistamines each shut down a
different inflammatory mechanism, leading to fur-
ther long-term risks in the body. Some doctors are
recommending that everyone take two baby aspirin
a day to combat inflammation.
Routinely taking aspirin or other NSAID’s runs
10
sahtak - June 2008
10
I n f l amma t i on :
The source of our sickness
The root of chronic inflammation is an imbalanced immune system.Your immunity is comprised
of two major systems: your innate immune system and your acquired immune system.
Recent research at
Harvard Medical
School supports the
connection between
an imbalanced im-
mune system and
metabolic disorders,
like type 2 diabetes.
