When you’re ill or injured, your body naturally reacts with tools designed to heal or repair the damage. Inflammation occurs as this healing process is taking place. Redness, swelling, fevers, and other signs of physical distress are part of the natural process of inflammation, and when they occur in order to heal or repair specific damage in the body, they are working properly to do an important job.
It has other causes, however, and this type of inflammation is more problematic. A poor diet or chronic exposure to allergens or toxins can cause inflammation, as can autoimmune disease, in which the body attacks its own healthy tissue. This kind of inflammation tends to be low level and chronic, and it’s a problem because, over time, chronic inflammation is thought to contribute to a host of illnesses. One of the most insidious causes of chronic inflammation is stress.
How does stress cause inflammation?
While it may not be clear how being under stress causes inflammation in the body, researchers believe that it has something to do with the mind-body connection. When we’re under stress, whether it’s due to worry, strained relationships or demanding bosses or clients, our brains perceive a threat. Physiologically, we respond to that threat as if it is physical. In other words, our bodies think that we’re being physically attacked, so the immune system goes to work, attempting to repair the damage the same way it would if we were sick or injured. This is why people who experience chronic low grade stress from multiple sources often have chronic whole-body inflammation, and eventually, the chronic diseases that inflammation is known to cause.
Why is chronic inflammation a problem?
As mentioned earlier, chronic inflammation contributes to the development of disease, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Here’s what happens. The immune system sends out an army of white blood cells to fight the real or imagined invader. As these white blood cells work, they release substances known as oxidative products whose job it is to kill toxins. In the short term, this is a good thing. But when tissues in the body remain inflamed, they continue to release oxidative products as well as other chemicals that contribute to the development of disease.
Stress, Weight Gain, and Metabolic Syndrome
Many people find that they gain weight when they are under stress, often because of poor eating habits and lack of motivation or time for exercise. But stress can also cause weight gain because of the release of stress hormones, particularly cortisol, which cause imbalances in metabolism. Cortisol prepares the body to deal with stress by increasing blood pressure and heart rate and storing fat. When lipids (fats) in the body increase, inflammation occurs. As the condition progresses, metabolic syndrome often develops along with lowered levels of good cholesterol (HDL), a rise in triglycerides, and a rise in blood pressure. Together, this group of symptoms is called metabolic syndrome; the result is a decrease in metabolism, which makes it more difficult to lose weight.
The key to good health
As you’ve learned, inflammation contributes to a host of health problems. The good news, though, is that there are ways to reduce inflammation and improve health. In fact, learning how to reduce it may be the single most important thing you can do for your health. You can accomplish this in a number of ways, including eating an anti-inflammatory diet, learning to manage stress, and exercising regularly.
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