What causes inflammation?

Inflammation is a common concern today, due to its clear link to many chronic diseases.

"Inflammation" comes from the Latin word, "inflammatio" meaning "set on fire". It is essentially an elevated immune response –whether to a pathogen, damaged tissue, or chemical irritant-- which is identified by the "Four Cardinal Signs": redness, heat, swelling, and pain. Sometimes, "loss of function" is added to make five.

Acute inflammation is part of the body's natural immune response, but chronic inflammation can lead to more damage over time.

Inflammation is induced by chemical mediators called cytokines, which are produced by damaged cells. The most commonly discussed inflammatory cytokines are:
Tumor Necrosis Factors (TNF)
Interleukin-1beta (IL-1B)
Interleukin-6(IL-6)

The transcription factor NF-kB is also very important in controlling inflammation.

When there is inflammation, TNF, IL-1B, IL-6, and NF-kB increase.

In fact, many anti-inflammatory herbs and natural products inhibit TNF, IL-1B, IL-6, and NF-kB to one degree or another.

Now, foods and lifestyle factors can also increase inflammation. These include:

• Lectins in food
• Obesity (fat cells produce TNF)
• Sleep deprivation
• High blood glucose levels
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Not eating enough fruits and veggies
• Th1 or Th2 dominance (e.g. allergies, asthma, eczema, autoimmune diseases)
• Eating too much sugar and refined foods
• Excess alcohol
• Too much exercise
• Free radical damage
• UV irradiation
• Oxidized LDL (bad cholesterol particle)
• Bacterial or viral infection
• Cocaine
• Infections

Chronic inflammation could lead to (partial list):

• Aging
• Cancers of all kinds
• Autoimmune & Inflammatory disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes: Type I & Type II
• Obesity
• Chronic Pain
• Major Depression
• Brain fog
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Arthritis
• Migraines Headaches
• Allergies, Asthma, COPD
• Degenerative Brain Diseases: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS
• Osteoporosis
• Eczema & Psoriasis
• Kidney disease