According to a number of recent studies, chronic inflammation is killing us faster than any other cause. It is an underlying cause of all chronic diseases, such as heart disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Chronic diseases are also called non-communicable diseases (NCDs). According to the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases1 (GACD), 71% of all deaths globally are due to NCDs – about 41 million deaths annually! Every 2 seconds someone, somewhere, dies from a NCD! Tragically, NCDs are all lifestyle mediated – they are the result of poor lifestyle choices made over long periods. The good news is that, by accepting responsibility for our health and making changes relating to diet, exercise, attitude, etc., we can reduce our risk of premature death and improve our quality of life.
What exactly is chronic inflammation?
Inflammation is one of the body’s natural defence mechanisms. We bump ourselves, or sprain an ankle, or pull a muscle and we swell up. The swelling, and the associated pain, is designed to protect the injured part of the body from more injury. We stop walking on the ankle, or strap up the muscle, preventing movement and possible further damage. Once the injury is healed, the inflammation subsides and we continue as normal. However, if the inflammation persists, we run into problems. Chronic inflammation is defined as inflammation that persists for long periods, generally longer than three months. Most people aren’t even aware that they have it. A 2024 study2 in the USA of almost 13000 individuals (representing 315 million adults) showed that 34,63% had chronic inflammation. Even 15,1% of the healthy test subjects had chronic inflammation! Another study3 showed that elevated inflammation levels increase the risk of dying from heart disease, strokes and several cancers. Every threefold rise increased the risk of heart disease by 37% and ischemic stroke by 27%. One major study had this to say “Shifts in the inflammatory response from short- to long-lived can cause a breakdown of immune tolerance and lead to major alterations in all tissues and organs, as well as normal cellular physiology, which can increase the risk for various non-communicable diseases in both young and older individuals.”4 No wonder scientists are saying that chronic inflammation is killing us.
On the other hand, a Japanese study5, which include 684 centenarians, showed low chronic inflammation levels were a better indicator of longevity than telomeres. They also found that low levels were better than age as a predictor of quality of life (daily living capabilities and cognitive function) in older people! The researchers suggested that “suppression of chronic inflammation could be an essential step towards further improvements in human healthy lifespan.”
It’s obvious that we need to do whatever we can to eliminate chronic inflammation from our bodies.
So what causes chronic inflammation?
The number one cause is poor diet!
The vast majority of people in the developed world eat a diet consisting of mainly processed, packaged foods; high in refined carbs, sugars, additives, preservatives, emulsifiers and other chemicals. Diets like this affect the gut microbiome, leading to weight gain, diverticulitis, colitis, IBS, leaky gut, Crohn’s Disease and celiac disease. These in turn lead to disruption of the immune system, autoimmune diseases and general ill health. Over time they create conditions in the body that favour the development of chronic diseases and the resultant loss of quality of life. Numerous studies show the dangers of a poor diet6,7,8 and some scientists are saying that a poor diet is more dangerous that smoking! One of the reasons modern diets are so inflammatory is that they’re laden with Omega 6, which causes inflammation. All refined plant oils, like canola, all margarines and foods containing them are high in Omega 6. Ideally, the ratio of Omega 3 to 6 should be 1:4.9 In our modern Western diets that ratio is 1:17 to 1:40! The study9 mentioned above concluded that “Reducing the omega-6/3 ratio, particularly through reductions in the intake of refined omega-6 seed oil, and increasing the intake of marine omega-3s, either through dietary means or supplementation, may be an effective strategy for reducing inflammation.” In addition, high fructose corn syrup, found in most processed, packaged foods, is also highly inflammatory.
Today there is overwhelming evidence10,11,12,13,14 that a diet high in processed foods, such as fast foods, long life milk, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate and energy bars, instant noodles, dehydrated soups, fish and chicken nuggets, powdered or “fortified” meals, protein isolates and additives that modify colour and flavours, is a major cause of chronic inflammation and subsequently chronic disease.
The sad thing is that very few GPs will ever mention diet as a viable preventative and cure for chronic inflammation, if they even diagnose it as a problem. When it is diagnosed, the most common recommendation is anti-inflammatory drugs. Unfortunately these drugs all come with side effects, notably a disruption of the gut microbiome. This interferes with the absorption and production of certain nutrients, leading to deficiencies, which in turn can aggravate the inflammation. For example, many NSAIDs can cause a vitamin C deficiency. Corticosteroids can cause vitamin D, calcium and magnesium deficiencies. A disrupted microbiome also leads to the breakdown of normal digestive functioning, increasing the risk of leaky gut, IBS, weight gain, diverticulitis and colitis.
Eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and good fats, like the Mediterranean and Dash diets will change our inflammation profile. Supplementing with a high quality Omega3 supplement will also be beneficial.
Inactivity
Modern lifestyles often lead to a lack of physical activity. We sit at our desks, in front of computers, for hours. This inactivity fuels weight gain which, in turn, aggravates chronic inflammation. It’s a no win situation. Fat cells actually secrete inflammatory agents into the bloodstream. It’s estimated that 30% of interleukin-6, an inflammatory substance, in our bloodstream is secreted by fat cells.15 Furthermore, adults lose 3 – 8% of muscle mass per decade if they don’t exercise.16 Muscles produce chemicals, especially during exercise, which actively reduce inflammation.17 So getting off our behinds can help reduce inflammation. See my blog Four Things You Can Do To Improve Your Health for more on this.
Stress
We all experience stress in varying degrees and this also increases inflammation levels in our bodies. Stress decreases our energy levels, so the brain will divert energy from other organs, like the kidneys, to be able to cope. This decreases the kidney’s ability to filter harmful substances from the blood, triggering inflammation in the body. Stress also stimulates our fight-or-flight response, which again adds to the inflammation. Learning to deal with stress helps reduce the inflammatory load. Seeing stressful situations as opportunities to grow, learn new skills and handle situations better helps to reduce the stress, lowering inflammation. Exercise, meditation, yoga and personal interaction with positive, caring people are other effective ways of coping with stress.
To conclude, science is saying that chronic inflammation is killing us. However, science is also telling us that we can do something about it, that it is not a hopeless situation. Simple lifestyle changes, such as improving our diet, exercising more and reducing stress, can make a significant difference. These changes will reduce our risk of developing the life threatening diseases that result from long term chronic inflammation.
References.
1. https://www.gacd.org/about/what-we-do/what-are-ncds/key-facts-and-figures
2. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1327205/full
3. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61717-7/fulltext
4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0675-0
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4634197/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19399161/
7. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30041-8/fulltext
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9921002/
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8504498/
10. https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj-2023-075294
11. https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj-2023-078476
12. https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310
13. https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000200871
14. https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209432
15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5330416/
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/
17. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-018-0065-1