The Ins & Outs of Inflammation

We've all heard of it, but exactly what is inflammation? What Causes Inflammation and are there natural remedies for inflammation that may help? Introducing your complete guide to inflammation!

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury and/or infection. The body becomes inflamed because it’s trying to protect itself against harm. When you have inflammation, you can have multiple symptoms that most people don’t realize are a part of the inflammation process, including:

• Swelling
• Redness
• Joint pain and/or stiffness
• Chills
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle stiffness

Inflammation aims to protect your body by creating white blood cells that enter your tissues or blood. Blood flow in the area increases, which is why the redness and warmth people experience occur.

Swelling occurs because of chemicals and fluids that leak out into your tissues.

While not occurring in all cases, inflammation can lead to pain or even joint stiffness if the person has arthritis.

There are two main types of inflammation: acute or chronic.

What Is Acute Inflammation?

Acute inflammation is the most common form of inflammation and one that you’ve likely experienced before. This form of inflammation occurs when your body is trying to protect itself against harm.

For example, let’s assume that you hit your head on a countertop or that you cut your finger while cooking dinner. When this trauma occurs, the body will start to produce an abundance of white blood cells that are responsible for surrounding and protecting the impacted area of the body.

Redness and swelling of the area will also occur.

But there are also times when you may have inflammation that isn’t related to an injury or some form of trauma. Typically, inflammation will also occur when there’s some type of infection in the body.

If you have the flu or pneumonia, inflammation will occur.

You might think that acute inflammation is a bad thing, but it’s an essential part of the healing and protecting process. White blood cells protect the area and stop injuries from worsening and will also stop infections from advancing and potentially becoming deadly.

What is Chronic Inflammation?

Chronic inflammation is a little more serious and one of the reasons for people seeking natural remedies for inflammation. If you have chronic inflammation, it’s because unwanted substances are in the body causing the body to inflame. Typically, if there is chronic inflammation, it’s a more serious issue and one that should be examined by a medical professional.

A major concern of chronic inflammation is that there is a risk that inflammation may occur inside of your arteries. If this does occur, cholesterol can begin to build up, and the body will try to block this substance from flowing into the bloodstream.

The cholesterol, which is a form of plaque, can eventually break off if the wall fails, leading to a higher risk of stroke or heart attack from a potential clot.

Can Inflammation Be Good?

Inflammation is meant to be good. When your body sustains some form of trauma or notices a foreign invader in the body, such as a virus, it will attempt to stop the progression with inflammation.

While chronic inflammation is a concern, acute inflammation is simply allowing your body to operate optimally.

Causes of Inflammation

The main causes of inflammation are:

• Infection
• Injury
• Autoimmune disorder
• Irritants
• Chronic stress
• Alcohol
• Obesity
• Smoking

Some chemical irritants may cause swelling. Exposure to polluted air or industrial chemicals can lead to possible swelling if you’re exposed to these irritants for a long period of time. Irritants won’t, unless there’s some form of an allergic reaction, cause inflammation.

Natural Remedies for Inflammation

If you have acute or chronic inflammation, there are a lot of natural remedies that can help alleviate inflammation and even some pain if you’re experiencing any. The top remedies that can help with inflammation are:

CBD for Inflammation

CBD has been the topic of numerous studies and continues to show promising benefits for both pain and inflammation. Studies suggest that CBD can help combat inflammation in numerous ways:

• Reduce inflammation by changing endocannabinoid receptor activity
• One study on rats found that CBD was able to reduce osteoarthritis-related inflammation
• CDB may be able to reduce acute inflammation

Topical CBD creams and gels are a very good option for reducing inflammation because you can target specific areas of the body that are inflamed.

DMSO for Inflammation

DMSO is an interesting option for inflammation because it can be added to other ingredients to improve their efficacy. For example, adding CBD and DMSO together would provide higher reductions in inflammation due to DMSO’s ability to increase the absorption rate of the CBD.

But on its own, DMSO has also shown great promise in reducing inflammation, which can be seen in the following studies:

• A 2016 study found that DMSO had the ability to repress cytokine production, which is responsible for the body’s inflammatory response.
• Anti-inflammatory properties were experienced in a 1977 study, which showed lower levels of DMSO were able to help with ocular inflammation.

DMSO has the potential to help ease both acute and chronic inflammation, especially when combined with other natural anti-inflammatory ingredients. It's commonly used topically, which makes it a great option for targeted pain and inflammation relief.

Parsley and Ginger for Inflammation

Parsley and ginger are two well-known anti-inflammatories and can be added to a juice to help reduce inflammation. The carnosol in parsley, which is the active main ingredient, has been shown to target inflammation, especially in people that have rheumatoid arthritis.

Ginger is a very well-known anti-inflammatory, and while you can add it to a juice with parsley, you can also add it into salads or drink it as a tea.

Ginger attacks inflammation on multiple fronts by preventing:

• Prostaglandin
• Leukotriene
• Cytokines

By preventing all three of these inflammatory molecules, ginger is able to relieve inflammation and also prevent it. You'll also benefit from ginger’s digestive aiding properties.

Diet for Inflammation

Inflammation, especially chronic inflammation, may be made better with a diet that is designed around anti-inflammatory foods. You’ll need to consume foods that are nutrient-dense, which include but are certainly not limited to:

• Leafy greens
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Avocados
• Olive and coconut oil
• Salmon
• Dark chocolate
• Turmeric
• Anchovies
• Cabbage
• Brussel sprouts
• Fenugreek
• Almonds

Adding in tea is also a good option. Green tea is a great option for reducing inflammation. One 2016 study concluded that the lives of people with an inflammatory disease could be made better by consuming green tea. Primarily, EGCG is a major reason why green tea has anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric for Inflammation

Turmeric was mentioned in the dietary section, but it’s such a potent anti-inflammatory that it deserves its own section. Curcumin, which is the main active ingredient in turmeric, has been the focus of numerous studies.

Studies show that turmeric can help:

• Reduce inflammation response
• Provide relief from inflamed joints

As an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, turmeric can help control cytokine production, which is responsible for inflammation, too. Turmeric has the potential to fight off free radicals and is a potent, natural remedy for combating chronic inflammation.

You can find turmeric in capsule form as a supplement, or you can opt to add it to your food as a natural spice.

Final Thoughts

Inflammation may be a natural response from your body, but you can use the natural remedies for inflammation above to help reduce the inflammation that you’re experiencing. If you continue to have complications with chronic inflammation, you may want to consult with a doctor to verify that you’re not suffering from an autoimmune disease or infection.

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