Inflammation and Lifestyle Changes

For the inflammatory system to be working optimally, there are simple maintenance requirements that should be adopted as lifestyle habits. A healthy inflammatory system relies on pure water, fresh air, regular exercise and a nutrient rich diet.

Improving one’s diet is the most important lifestyle change one can make to benefit their inflammatory system. Nearly all foods have some sort of an effect on the inflammatory system – they either speed it up or slow it down. Foods can be classified, then, as either inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Fats are the key to controlling inflammation. The goal should be to eat a good balance of anti-inflammatory fats, while severing limiting the ingestion of inflammatory fats. Avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners, sugar, saturated fats and known or suspected allergens.

Exercise is the second key element to maintaining a healthy inflammatory system. Exercise should be of a light to moderate variety and carried out for at least 30 minutes per day. Strenuous exercise is not recommended as it can actually suppress the immune system, acting as a trigger for auto-immune disease. Light exercise, however, reduces stress, stimulates the appetite and reduces inflammation.

Getting adequate sleep is another important lifestyle habit that may have to be adopted. Set a goal for 8-9 hours of restful sleep each night. When we sleep the immune system is given time to calm down and cytokine secretion slows down. If we don’t allow our bodies the time for this to occur, the secretion of chemicals involved in the inflammation process will continue building up without respite.

The health of your immune system – and, therefore, your inflammatory system – is also dependant upon adequate exposure to natural light. Several major studies show that a deficiency of vitamin D associated with decreased exposure to sunlight is linked to the development of several different autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis and autoimmune thyroid disorders.

Avoiding chemical toxins is another important consideration. Avoiding chemical cleaning agents, recreational drugs, cigarette smoke, industrial toxins, air pollution, and unnecessary vaccines and antibiotics allows our immune systems to heal.

Losing weight is another important consideration when it comes to maintaining a healthy inflammatory system. It is now recognized that adipose tissue is involved in a large number of physiological and metabolic functions. One of the processes that adipose tissue is involved in is the release of proteins that signal other bodily systems into operation. These proteins are called adipokines. Over 50 adipokines have been identified, including those that signal the immune system response. It is believed that fat cells secrete inflammatory factors such as cytokines and histamines, which bring on the inflammatory response. The result of this is that obesity is characterized by a state of chronic, low grade inflammation in which markers of inflammation are increased in the body’s circulation.

(The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 282, No. 22, 2131–2135).