January
5
Inflammation. It seems like you hear about it every day on the news. Scientists are now linking inflammation with a wide variety of conditions including:
• All types of pain
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Gum disease
Although inflammation hasn’t been pinpointed as the cause of all these conditions, it has been well-documented as playing a part in them – often intensifying the symptoms and effects.
So what exactly is inflammation, how can it affect you and how can you help reduce it?
First things first: What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your immune system’s response to damage. This damage can arise from trauma, bacterial, viral or parasitic infection, stress, genetic abnormalities, metabolic disorders and a host of other sources. Certain lifestyle choices can also contribute to inflammation: poor diet, stress, overweight, a sedentary lifestyle and smoking. Inflammation can cause redness, swelling, heat, pain and loss of function.
When you’re injured, the inflammatory response immediately moves into action. White blood cells rush to the scene of the damage and begin to destroy the damaged cells, while sending out chemical signals that call for more help. That’s when unstable molecules called free radicals are released. Free radicals, now considered key players in many diseases, start to attack the damaged area, destroying some healthy cells in the process.
This new damage leads to yet another round of inflammation. And so the cycle of inflammation continues: what’s called chronic inflammation.
How inflammation affects your body
Though you may not see or even feel inflammation, it may be silently burning within your body right now. Over time, this
collective damage can spell trouble for the immediate area of inflammation as well as your overall health.
• Heart
Inflammation is believed to contribute to the formation of plaque in blood vessels, as well as the formation of blood clots. When these blood clots break free into the blood, they can block blood flow to the brain or heart, resulting in a heart attack or stroke.
• Brain
Inflammation plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease, yet scientists are still uncertain what that role is. However, one theory is that
inflammation kicks into gear because of the plaques and tangles in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. In trying to solve the problem, inflammation just makes matters worse.
• Joints
Long-term inflammation of the joints can result in destroyed ligaments and tendons, damage to joint cartilage and bone and even bone erosion. This leads to pain, deformity and an inability to perform daily tasks – drastically
affecting quality of life.
• Mouth and gums
Although dental researchers once thought bacterial infections caused gum disease, it is now thought that some of the more severe symptoms of gum disease are attributable to inflammation. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, reports that inflammation can
even break down bone and connective tissue that keep the teeth in place.
• Emotional health
Inflammation may even play a role in your emotions! Scientists at the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign discovered that an enzyme secreted by the immune system caused inflammation-related, depressionlike symptoms in mice. Because inflammation is linked with conditions often accompanied by depression – such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease – researchers expect that this study will provide insight into chronic inflammation’s role in depression.
• Cancer cell growth
Although researchers haven’t discovered the exact mechanism of inflammation’s role in cancer, they believe it encourages cancer growth. According to the American Cancer Society, inflammation creates just the right conditions for cancer cells to grow and multiply.
Do you have pain and inflammation?
View Kare’s video. let her know I told you about — then she will send you a free bottle to relieve your pain:
http://www.thekarepackage.com/
For the latest in research and stories about Nopal cactus juice go to:
http://thejuicynews.com/