Silent inflammation is at the root of many common disease. Did you know that you can control the level of silent inflammation in your body.
Conventional medical wisdom held about disease process is now being challenged.
The latest research is showing the devastating effects of silent inflammation on a number of different organ systems. It is quite fascinating the extent of damage silent inflammation can cause.
Here are some examples:
1. Heart Disease – A “plumbing problem” that results from the buildup of fatty deposits on major coronary arteries. These deposits thicken, cutting off blood supply to the heart. These plaques are rich in cholesterol. It was therefore concluded that having high levels of cholesterol in the blood would increase the likelihood of developing heart disease. Ironically, only 50% of all heart attacks occur in people with high cholesterol. Furthermore, the best drug that reduces the risk of heart attacks, aspirin, has no effect on cholesterol. Latest research shows that the plaques that are the most dangerous are not the largest but ones that are very prone to rupture, known as soft plaques. If it is not cholesterol then what is the other contributing factor? An increased level of silent inflammation is implicated as the root cause of all reasons heart attacks occur.
2. Diabetes – Extensive research accumulates highlighting the complex interplay among increased levels of inflammation, insulin and excess body fat. Fat cells can act like immune cells and release pro-inflammatory hormones called cytokines in greater and greater amounts as you gain weight. The more silent inflammation you generate, the excess body fat accumulates. Cytokines make cells more resistant to insulin causing the pancreas to pump out more insulin. The result is eventual onset of type 2 diabetes.
3. Cancer – Inflammation may work hand in hand with genetic mutations to turn normal cells into potentially deadly tumors. During an immunological invasion, the macrophages release free radicals to destroy invaders. However, these free radicals can also destroy healthy DNA causing mutations that cause the cell to rapidly proliferate. It is also known that pro-inflammatory hormones are not only associated with tumor formation but also facilitate the spread of cancer to surrounding tissue (metastasis). These same pro-inflammatory hormones can create a smoke screen against the rest of the body’s immune system hormones and its activity is increased during an inflammatory response. Research has shown that people now take regular aspirin, known to block COX-2 are less likely to develop cancerous growths.
4. Alzheimer’s Disease – New research is showing that anything that reduces the levels of silent inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory hormaones reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The catch is that these measures needed to reduce the silent inflammation needed to occur decades before the disease starts.
Discover where you are on the health continuum with a personal assessment today!
Dr. Vera Baziuk
Your Chiropractic Lifestyle Doctor