Inflammation is basically the body’s reaction to telling you that it is not happy with something. The standard signs of inflammation are swelling, redness, pain and heat. The body produces an inflammatory response and this can range from a bit of discomfort to being debilitating. The important part is that uncontrolled inflammation can lead to a depressed immune response because basically the immune system is worn out. This roller-coaster of activity in inflammation can cause disruption of the normal inflammatory response and complications take hold like autoimmune conditions or even the uncontrolled growth that avoids detection of the immune system.
The point is to keep inflammation under control. If you have a pain, address it. If you know that your lifestyle is causing you to be inflamed then change it. Reducing inflammation is 2 fold. Firstly look out of the aspects of your environment and diet that are causing discomfort and change them. Secondly improve your diet and possible supplementation to reduce the inflammation. Great foods to reduce inflammation are omega-3 (found in fish and flaxseed), garlic, ginger and onions.
Your GUT is the first line of defence and keeping that inflammation under control is the first port of call.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net