Inflammation – Good, Bad and What To Do About It

More than half of all deaths that occur globally can be blamed on inflammation, as it’s the underlying mechanism fueling most chronic diseases. But inflammation is a two-sided coin, as acute inflammation is actually beneficial, while chronic inflammation is what you want to avoid. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do in terms of incorporating anti-inflammatory foods as well as supplements into your diet so your body will be able to mitigate these harmful effects.

Inflammation is your body’s natural defensive reaction when you are exposed to viruses and bacteria, and is an essential part of the process in healing damaged tissues. When inflammation is caused by a sudden problem, such as getting a cut or catching a cold virus, it’s the acute inflammatory reaction that helps your body fight off bacteria that may have gotten into the wound, and it’s what produces mucus that helps sweep that virus from your respiratory tract when you cough.

But chronic inflammation is different, in that it can result from prolonged exposure to an irritant, or be caused from an autoimmune disorder in which your body’s own cells attack healthy tissue, or it can even come about because of a prolonged overactive immune response. This type of chronic inflammation can last for months, or even years, and can cause extensive bodily damage. There is a long, long list of ailments that are inflammation related: allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, osteoarthritis arthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cancer, risk of stroke and heart disease (inflammation of the arteries).

So it’s easy to understand why it’s critically important to consciously incorporate anti-inflammatory foods and supplements into your diet.  The good news is that there is also a long list of very delicious foods, spices and natural supplements that can help to prevent or reduce the effects of chronic inflammation.  When planning meals, work to include these foods into the things you regularly eat so you can create a dietary plan that is sustainable as well as delicious.

The foods shown in bold below have tremendously important anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and also have beneficial A, C, and K Vitamins, along with key minerals.  

• Serve leafy greens, celery and beets in salads
• Use *olive oil-based dressings with ginger and turmeric for flavor
• Top salads and foods with walnuts and almonds.
• Serve fatty fish such as salmon with a sauce made from garlic, onions, basil, chives and hot peppers.
• Make morning fruit smoothies with blueberry and acai fruit, blackberries and pomegranates and throw in a few tablespoons of flax seeds.
• Ensure that broccoli and bok choy become favorite side dishes and drizzle some olive oil infused with chives or chili peppers over top.

*Note: When purchasing olive oil, look for a good, high-grade extra virgin oil, preferably one that is organic.

A safe, natural supplement which creates a very noticeable reduction in inflammation is DeepMarine Collagen, a highly pure, hydrolyzed fish collagen peptide that has potent anti-inflammatory properties. 

DeepMarine is rich in glycine, which works to calm overactive immune responses and can dramatically reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines that are released by your immune cells.  This can be helpful to people who suffer from OA and RA-related joint pain and inflammation, eczema and other inflammatory diseases.  It’s also very helpful for those with inflammatory gut problems and for many with autoimmune related inflammation problems.

Best of all, DeepMarine is a 100% natural product made from the skin and scales of fish. It’s made from start to finish in Canada, and because it’s made entirely from fish, it’s very safe to use over extended periods and has no side effects like many commonly prescribed medications.