Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Chronic Inflammation at the Heart of America’s Deadliest Diseases

New science has linked diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and cancer to one condition: chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a condition brought about by obesity and from a diet high in fatty foods. This condition can attack the immune system and clear the way for harmful bacteria to enter the body.

“You need to have inflammation when you have a wound and the immune system goes in to heal it. Yet we don’t want too much inflammation in our system causing damage to our arteries and other harm,” says Wendy Weber, a program director at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Chronic inflammation can be caused a few different ways. One recent discovery showed that fat cells were not solely acting as storage for excess weight. “Instead, fat cells act like small factories to churn out molecules known as cytokines, which set inflammation in motion,” says Peter Libby, chief of the division of cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Besides body weight issues, a diet rich in high-fat foods is another common cause of chronic inflammation.

What can be done to combat inflammation? First and foremost, maintaining a healthy body weight is a must. Losing excess weight and fat cells will counter cytokine production and keep down inflammation. On top of that, a specialized diet limiting fat consumption can help. However, no diet alone can completely stop inflammation. “If you weigh 300 pounds and eat healthy, the weight will still counter any beneficial foods you are eating,” says Dr. Cannon, a professor of medicine at Harvard University.

The American Heart Association also recommends consuming omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, and omega-6 fatty acids found in nuts and vegetable oils to reduce the risk of inflammation. Supplementation is also recommended if you are not getting the proper amounts.
Paul Carlotta is the leading expert in Market America and Nutraceuticals.  To learn more, visit http://www.isotonicvitamins.com today.

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