Inflammation

Inflammation (derived from the Greek word for fire) is a complex biological response of the body's immune system to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It involves the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals, including cytokines and interleukins, which initiate the inflammatory process. In nutrition, health, and wellness, inflammation is considered a significant risk factor for long-term health, wellbeing, and longevity. The higher the inflammation levels in the body, the greater the risk of health problems related to inflammation.

Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis 7 days after contact

Inflammation can be classified as acute or chronic. Acute inflammation refers to the sudden increase in inflammation resulting from an injury or infection, while chronic inflammation is often a consequence of excess belly fat, as indicated by a high waist circumference.

Conditions related to chronic inflammation include atherosclerosis, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease.

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Importance of inflammation

Inflammation is crucial for human survival, as it is the body's immediate response to infection or injury. Inflammation results in redness, swelling, heat, and pain, which are essential for the healing process.

Acute inflammatory exudate

Acute inflammation occurs due to increased blood flow to the affected area, allowing white blood cells and large molecules to move from the bloodstream into the tissue requiring healing. These inflammatory cells and chemicals kill pathogens and remove damaged tissue by inducing the formation of a reactive pattern of oxygen. The cellular and molecular response also signals for biochemical changes that cause damaged tissue to regenerate and dead tissue to be removed.

Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis

However, chronic inflammation resulting from excess belly fat can be harmful, as it leads to oxidative stress and tissue damage, increasing the risk of chronic inflammatory conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.

Dangers of chronic inflammation

Inflammation and reactive oxygen are most effective under certain conditions, such as a well-nourished individual with a mild to moderate injury or infection over a short period. The inflammatory response becomes detrimental when it is triggered in the body without the need to combat an acute injury or infection. This results in prolonged inflammation that does not resolve normally, leading to low-grade or chronic inflammation.

Oxygen free radical injury and chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation can induce excessive formation of reactive oxygen that attacks tissue, a process called oxidative stress. Chronic inflammation is primarily triggered by improper nutrition, especially inadequate intakes of nutrients regulating the inflammatory response and excessive calorie intake leading to obesity. Excessive reactive oxygen damages tissue, and chronic inflammation can also be triggered by dietary practices that cause oxidative stress, such as high intakes of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose and low intakes of antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C and zinc.

Both animal and human studies have shown that obesity is associated with chronic inflammation due to the inflammation produced by unhealthy belly fat. The reason the body redistributes weight to the visceral areas and upper part of the body is due to a process called insulin resistance.

Adiposopathy

The visceral fat, considered unhealthy or pathological fat, is often termed adiposopathy. This unhealthy visceral fat is known to produce many pro-inflammatory chemicals, including cytokines. Since the unhealthy belly fat tissue behaves differently, it is called white adipose tissue, as opposed to the healthy brown adipose tissue.

Compared to fat tissue from lean individuals, fat from obese individuals contains more cells that produce activators of the inflammatory response. Additionally, the blood of obese individuals typically contains higher levels of the various substances involved in the inflammatory response than blood in lean individuals. As a result, chronic inflammation is considered a factor in obesity, which affects over 35% of the population, being a significant risk factor for chronic inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

All chronic inflammatory conditions seemingly have two components: chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. They occur simultaneously because one induces the other. However, taking a specific anti-inflammatory supplement may not prevent all the changes induced by oxidative stress that lead to increased risk for chronic disease.

Losing weight helps reduce inflammation

The most effective way to prevent chronic inflammation and oxidative stress that increases the risk for heart inflammation is to maintain a healthy body weight and consume a diet that provides essential nutrients in adequate amounts and is rich in foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. Losing weight, reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, and decreasing insulin resistance are key to reducing chronic inflammation and improving overall wellbeing.

See also

• Metabolic syndrome
• Insulin resistance
• Losing weight

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