Traditional and Holistic Approaches to Reducing Inflammation
If you haven’t read part one of this two part blog series, click here. Systemic chronic inflammation can lead to several diseases, that collectively represent the leading causes of mortality worldwide, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and autoimmune disorders. Knowing your options in managing inflammation can be helpful to reduce the risk of developing other chronic conditions and improving your overall health.
Conventional Approaches to Lowering Inflammation
Starting off with some of the more common medications, therapies, and treatments for inflammation…
NSAIDs: Things like naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin are very common recommendations you may get from your healthcare provider as a way of managing your pain, fever, swelling and inflammation. NSAIDs are great to use occasionally, but when used consistently for long periods of time, they can end up damaged the liver, causing hepatotoxicity. Most NSAIDs are used so often because of their low cost and easy accessibility.
Corticosteroids: These are another type of anti-inflammatory drug used to treat things like RA, IBD, lupus, and vasculitis. The most common ones are prednisone, cortisone, and methylprednisolone. Side effects of these drugs include edema, weight gain, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis after prolonged use.
Statins: These medications are HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, used to lower LDL cholesterol in those with hypercholesterolemia. Typically rosuvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin are used to lower a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, especially if they have a family history of these events occurring.
Metformin: Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are the most common conditions for a person to have to be prescribed Metformin. It’s an anti-diabetic drug that manages high blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a
Holistic Approaches to Lowering Inflammation
DIET
The anti-inflammatory diet has been heavily studied as being one that is low in processed foods, high in whole food ingredients, and lowers inflammatory markers, in addition to other lifestyle changes
An anti-inflammatory diet consists of avoiding/limiting refined carbohydrates, fried foods, sugar, excessive red meat, processed meats, and alcohol and consuming a balanced diet of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats and plenty of fruits and vegetables for fiber and antioxidants!
There is a lot of misinformation on the internet when it comes to dairy and gluten. Although they are though of as more ‘inflammatory’ foods, I don’t necessarily tell everyone to avoid them. Of course, if you’re celiac or lactose intolerant, that’s a different story. But for the general population I tell my patients to be more aware of how dairy and gluten make them feel. Some do notice that dairy makes them feel more congested or develop diarrhea, while other notice fatigue and abdominal discomfort when consuming gluten. That’s because it is possible to be intolerant but not allergic to these foods. If you experience any symptoms when consuming these, it’s beneficial to do an elimination diet for 4-6 weeks and see if you notice improvement in symptoms when you don’t eat dairy and gluten!
LIFESTYLE
Exercise: Moving your body is key when trying to lower inflammation. We need to sweat and stay active by engaging our bodies in different activities. I tell all my patient to aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise and to always incorporate cardio AND weight bearing exercises to help support muscle growth and bone health.
Sleep: 7-9 hours of GOOD QUALITY sleep is crucial for our bodies to function properly and support healthy metabolism. During these periods of rest, our mind and body should be in a parasympathetic state, allowing us to properly ‘rest and digest.’ Check out my FREE sleep guide here, for tips and tricks to get you sleeping better!
Stress Management: Most of us know the stress hormone, cortisol, by now. It’s been taking the internet by storm, and yes, some people do have high morning cortisol, which adds to the whole inflammation picture. Basically, our adrenal glands produce cortisol in response to stressful events/situations. Cortisol is also what gives us energy to go about our day every morning, so we NEED cortisol to function properly. The thing is, when people are in chronic ‘fight or flight’ situations, i.e. chronically feeling stressed, our bodies don’t know how to interpret that, so they increase cortisol, which creates an inflammatory response in our bodies, and leads to weight gain, feeling fatigued, and less motivated. Stress management techniques that are good to incorporate are yoga, meditation, walking, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices.
SUPPLEMENTS
There are SO many supplements that aid our body in lowering inflammation, however, I always tell people that supplements are NOT the answer. They’re a great tool in addition to all the lifestyle and diet changes discussed above. Common anti-inflammatory supplements I recommend include, bromelain, curcumin, boswelia, quercetin, and Omega 3. In addition, I like recommending antioxidants like EGCG, glutathione, and resveratrol, depending on what the patient’s concerns are. Vitamin D is also a very important vitamin/prohormone that has anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s important to get your levels checked and supplement if needed!
OTHER
Other beneficial approaches to lowering inflammation include sauna therapy, acupuncture, and constitutional hydrotherapy.
Sauna or infrared therapy can improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. Studies show that frequent sauna use can lower CRP levels, which is a general inflammation marker.
Acupuncture is a relaxing and pain free way of lowering cortisol, balancing hormones, and promoting an anti-inflammatory response. The treatment can help reduce swelling, decrease pain, and improve circulation, as well.
And finally, constitutional hydrotherapy is a safe therapy that lowers inflammation, reduces pain, and promotes blood and lymph flow. Shower hydrotherapy is also a great alternative that you can do at home yourself, and still achieve similar results.
Please remember that this is all intended for educational purposes only and if you are trying to lower inflammation (or inflammatory markers) naturally, do so with the help of a licensed provider, and don’t start new medications or supplements without their approval first.