1. The Theory of Everything
Chronic inflammation is the result of an upset balance in the natural level of inflammation in the body. In healthy bodies, there's always a certain level of inflammation that's required to fuel cell regrowth. As people grow older or have unhealthy lifestyles and diets, the inflammation can run amok, leading to disease and injury. It's theorized that chronic inflammation is the cause of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's and other seemingly unrelated diseases.
2. Inflammation Wearing You Down
Diseases associated with aging have been linked most specifically with chronic inflammation. Researchers found that monitoring levels of inflammation in the blood is a reliable way to predict the likelihood of a heart attack. Furthermore, what we know as general frailty in older people has also been linked to chronic inflammation in ways that are teaching scientists about aging and the possibility of slowing the process.
3. Fighting the Good Fight
Studies didn't just show that older people are prone to chronic inflammation, since that's not the most interesting piece of news around. These studies on chronic inflammation revealed something far more important and relevant: elderly people who engaged in daily physical activity had significantly lower levels of chronic inflammation than their elderly counterparts who had little or no physical activity. This means that a moderate amount of exercise helps fight chronic inflammation.
4. How About a Cold Snack
Sure, taking a meatloaf or cake out of the oven offers its own pleasures, even if you don't mind slipping on your diet or healthy eating program once in a while. The problem in this case is not the calories or fat in the dish, but the temperature at which it's cooked. One of the unexpected findings from research on chronic inflammation is that eating foods cooked at high temperatures also contributes to elevated levels of inflammation. So, when it comes to chronic inflammation and diet, making a cold-cut sandwich or salad is even more beneficial to your health than you'd thought.
5. Some Extra Oil With That Fish
Today's diet of fast, pre-cooked and frozen food leaves you lacking a lot of nutrients. A daily course of multivitamins usually replaces most of what you miss-- except one thing. Omega-3 is an unsaturated fat, sometimes called a fatty acid, which has incredibly important positive effects on the body, one of which is keeping inflammation down. Since our daily diet leaves us with virtually no omega-3, taking a supplement, often called "fish oil," is an easy way to fight chronic inflammation.
