CHRONIC INFLAMMATION? WHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR HEALTH. PART 2

Can Reducing Inflammation Protect You From Getting Sick?

Much is still unknown, but physicians and researchers do believe it’s preventable and reversible. 

“People who are less inflamed over a long period of time have far less incidence of illness,” says Dr. Dillard.

You can assess your own situation with a quick blood test that measures a liver chemical, C-reactive protein (CRP), which rises in response to inflammation.

This test, available for as little as $35, can help assess your risk of heart attack, especially if you’re younger than 60 and have a family history of heart disease.

Your doctor will explain your results, but CRP levels between 1 and 3 milligrams per liter of blood signal chronic, low-grade inflammation with an intermediate risk of heart disease. Levels above 3 milligrams indicate a high risk.

Related: What to Eat To Stay Ahead Of Inflammation

If your CRP level is above normal, your doctor might suggest that you start taking statins, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), says Dr. Libby. 

How to Fight Inflammation

Although some doctors recommend fighting inflammation with over-the-counter drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen, those drugs have not been proven effective for preventing first-time heart attacks, says Dr. Libby. 

Statins, however, reduce both inflammatory markers and the risk of heart attack or stroke.

If you’re overweight, you can lower your inflammation risk by dropping a few pounds. 

One study found that even a small dip in body weight reduced inflammation. Obese people who lost 3 percent of their weight showed a 10 percent reduction of MCP-1, a protein associated with inflammation. 

For a 250-pound man, 3 percent is a mere 8 pounds. “It’s best to exercise at intermediate intensity, but the good news is that you don’t have to do it for very long,” says Chilton. 

He recommends that you aim to hit 65 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate—you should be breathing hard and sweating—for a minimum of 20 minutes each day.

While you’re trimming bad fat from your belly, add more good fat to your diet. Fish and olive oil deliver omega-3 and omega-9 fats, which inhibit your body’s inflammatory signals. 

Related: 7 Best Foods To Fight Inflammation

The Mediterranean diet delivers both of these foods, plus complex carbohydrates from vegetables and whole grains. 

“There’s no anti-inflammatory eating plan that’s better tested in all of science,” says Chilton.

Cutting back on simple sugars and sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup is another critical step in the battle against inflammation. 

In one small study, men who drank 20 ounces of a sweetened beverage every day for three weeks saw their CRP levels jump by as much as 109 percent.

For your sweet-food fix, choose fruit, which contains antioxidants called polyphenols that can reduce inflammation and may make blood vessels more flexible. 

In a study review published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, berries (which are especially rich in polyphenols, as are cherries and plums) were shown to reduce biomarkers of inflammation.

Related: Polyphenols? What Are They And What Are The Best Foods To Eat

Coffee is also a good source of polyphenols. 

Researchers aren’t sure why, but studies have suggested that moderate coffee consumption (one to five cups a day) may help enhance insulin sensitivity, and drinking three or more cups a day is associated with lower levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage and inflammation.

Oh, and don’t forget to brush your teeth. There seems to be a link between gum disease and heart problems, arthritis, and erectile dysfunction.

If flossing makes your gums bleed, you probably have inflammation too. 

Reacquaint yourself with your dentist, and practice good oral hygiene to kill the bacteria that causes gum inflammation.

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