Inflammation and Your Health

Bottom Line:

Researchers have identified inflammation as one of the most beneficial and harmful processes in your body. How is that possible? Well, acute inflammation is your body’s natural repair and healing response to an accident or injury. However, chronic inflammation is a different matter. Many major diseases, including coronary artery disease, diabetes, and cancer, have a common cause: chronic inflammation.

Why it Matters:

All the systems in your body are balanced and regulated by your hormones and nervous system. This balance, or intelligent design, can activate your immune system to fight a cold or heal after a fall. However, if your lymphocytes keep producing antibodies, then this process can become very destructive. The key to good health and to reducing chronic inflammation is to make daily lifestyle choices that don’t result in a constant state of stress, which is known to be a trigger for chronic inflammation.

• Acute inflammation is your body’s natural healing process, while chronic inflammation is a destructive process linked to many chronic diseases.
• Lymphocytes are white blood cells responsible for your immune system.
• Making healthy decisions each day around your stress level can help your nervous system maintain a balance that reduces chronic inflammation.

Next Steps:

The decisions you make now will determine your health later. Your body is designed to manage stress effectively; chronic inflammation only begins as the last resort. We want you to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and a high quality of life for decades to come. If you have questions about how you can reduce the stress in your life, ask! We are here to be your partners in health!

Science Source(s):

Inflammation: A unifying theory of disease. Harvard Health. 2006.