Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world — but there may be an underlying cause we often overlook: inflammation.
More than three in five people globally die every year from inflammatory diseases resulting in heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and obesity. That’s 60% of the world’s parents, children, and loved ones — and most of them don’t even know they’re at risk.
Fighting the odds of inflammatory disease starts with understanding what you’re up against. That means knowing what it is, what it does, and how you can control it before it gets worse.
What inflammation in the body really means
Inflammation is a physical response to damage in the body. This could be a traumatic injury like twisting an ankle, or an internal injury from illness like viruses and bacteria.
There are a few steps:
- Damaged cells release a mixture of chemicals (histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins) that tell the body you’re injured.
- This causes blood vessels to flood the area with fluid, which isolates it from the rest of your body via swelling.
- Your immune system dispatches white blood cells and phagocytes to clean up dead or damaged cells.
- Finally, the rest of your body sets to work healing the wound.
This process is known as acute inflammation, or the rapid response to immediate damage.
Think of it like healthcare professionals in a contagious disease ward. Their goal is to assess, isolate, and heal patients without spreading anything to themselves or others.
But the story will look different in situations where damages can’t be healed.
If your body isn’t able to repair the damage (usually due to continuous injury), the inflammation response won’t resolve — it will continue for weeks, months, or even years.
There are several factors known to trigger a chronic inflammation response:
- Viruses, bacteria, or fungus that live in the body for extended periods
- The absorption of toxic compounds or chemicals
- Exposure to large amounts of radiation
- Ingesting certain foods
The more your body is exposed to an inflammatory agent, the longer it will remain inflamed. Your immune system might start to attack healthy cells and destroy undamaged DNA. After enough time has passed, this could lead to organ damage and scar tissue, which may result in chronic disease.
This is what’s known as chronic inflammation. In most cases, you won’t be able to see it at all.
What chronic inflammation means in the body
Inflammation isn’t always a visible diagnosis. You may have some external symptoms like pain, weight gain, and gastrointestinal complications. But it’s more likely your symptoms are bubbling just under the surface.
I hear this from hundreds of patients. They look perfectly healthy on the outside, but they know something is off. They don’t have the usual markers of inflammation like heat or soreness, but inside, their bodies are desperately sounding the alarm.
Chronic inflammation is a marker of damage, and a sign you’re continuously exposed to harmful substances. This could be bacteria, a bad break, or chemical substances, but more likely than not, it’s the standard American diet.
This isn’t your fault — the SAD has been shilled to you through bad science and dated food pyramids since you were a child.
Food has been linked to inflammation for decades. Science shows a direct link between processed foods and chronic swelling, especially ingredients with added sugars, low fiber, and bad fats. And since cheap foods are designed to make you hungry after you eat, ultra-processed foods compound over time and continually spur on inflammation.
What happens if processed food becomes a staple of your diet? Your risks for illness and disease go through the roof:
- Autoimmune disorders like arthritis
- Low birth weight or birth defects
- Asthma and lung disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Metabolic syndrome
- Mental illnesses
- Diabetes
Chronic inflammation is a precursor to chronic disease. It’s your body’s way of begging for help, and an issue that requires immediate action.
How to reduce inflammation in the body
Your body will do whatever it can to keep you alive — even if it means causing you pain. That said, chronic inflammation isn’t a death sentence. In many cases, it can be combated and even completely resolved.
You just need to work on reducing inflammatory factors and protecting your body as it heals:
- Switch your diet to whole, real foods. Just cutting out sugars, processed carbs, and frozen dinners can make an immediate impact on your body. But keep in mind that diet transformations don’t have to be instantaneous. Cold turkey is rarely the way to go, and I suggest slowly swapping foods and ingredients as you adjust to a new lifestyle.
- Add physical activity to your daily routine. Working your muscles will help to synthesize cytokines, which are a key factor in inflammation resolution. Resistance training is one of the best ways to protect your heart from inflammation, although taking the stairs or jogging in place can be a good way to start.
- Stay away from bad habits that contribute to inflammation. Smoking, for example, leads to insulin resistance and restricts oxygen flow to the cells. Alcohol is essentially a refined sugar that can wreak havoc on your blood glucose. Poor sleep is intrinsically linked to inflammation, since the body won’t have time to perform the healing process.
Inflammation is an extremely complex topic with many intricate details to cover. If you’re ready to listen to your body but not sure where to start, you can sign up for a Bronze Metabolic Health Coaching plan and join me for monthly Q&As, and have instant access to all my metabolic health courses so you can dive into learning straight away.