In the two previous articles, I explored the different faces of inflammation, the damage it produces internally without causing immediate pain, how excess body fat plays an instrumental role in making it happen and how it causes different kinds of diseases silently. In the next few lines, I shall summarize what I wrote the last two weeks.
Internal inflammation is silent; unlike external inflammation, it manifests no apparent redness, no swelling and no pain. The more fat is gained around the abdomen; the more inflammatory compounds get released and circulate in the bloodstream. Because enlarged fat cells resist the entry of insulin, insulin resistance develops. Cortisol, a powerful stress hormone, floods the system in response to excess insulin. With the two hormones in the body, engorged fat cells start generating pro-inflammatory proteins in huge quantities, creating more inflammation. The battle goes on for months and years before inflammation, disease and damage manifest themselves. That is why tests were devised to detect the extent of silent inflammation. Some of them are more reliable than others on their own, while others need to be combined with another type in order to give more accurate readings.
Last week, I started discussing the different types of blood tests that measure inflammation in the body like C-reactive protein (CRP), the high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs CRP), the silent inflammation profile (SIP) and the fasting insulin blood analysis. I shall continue with the other types.
Another biomarker of inflammation comes from a complete fasting blood lipid profile. The total cholesterol test is composed of different components, which are low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the “bad” fats; high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the “good” fats, which sweep out the “bad” fats; and triglycerides (TG), also “harmful” fats. The ratio of TG/HDL is a good indicator of inflammation. When it is high it predicts one or more metabolic syndrome, which can be diabetes Type 2, cardiovascular disease, or hypertension. When TG/HDL ratio is combined with the hs-CRP results, it gives more reliable results of internal inflammation.
Though not so reliable as an inflammation biomarker on its own, the body mass index (BMI) is another indicator. BMI is a system that calculates the content of fat in the body. High body fat percentage points to obesity, which is an underlying cause to many diseases as visceral fat (fat around the waist) releases pro-inflammatory compounds that lead to inflammation. For example, males should have body fat content less than 15 BMI, and females should stay below 22. Men need to be leaner than women who need more fat to support their reproductive system.
With BMI measured, the treating physician is given indications to what direction health is taking. When it is high it can have bad health implications, especially if the concentration of fat is around the abdomen. Men should have a waist measurement at the belly button less than 40 inches and women should kept it below 35 inches in order to minimize health complications. Remember, the more fat around the waist; the more insulin and inflammatory compounds are dumped into the system and that is how inflammation and disease are generated.
Again it is not the best indicator of inflammation. Athletes can look lean, muscular and physically fit, yet they can be unwell due to the exhaustive training they go through, which triggers the release of the stress hormone cortisol that promotes internal inflammation. Stress has many faces, yet its effect is the same inside the body.
To prevent your body from developing silent inflammation, you should keep your body fat and your insulin and stress levels as low as possible by consuming smaller portions of food free of refined sugar and carbohydrates (white foods) and saturated and trans fatty acids. Essential fatty acids of polyunsaturated fats from fatty fish, nuts and seeds and their oils (omega 3 and 6) and monounsaturated fats from olive and avocado oils should be the fats of choice.
Whole fresh fruits (dark berries and dates, apples, citrus family) and vegetables (dark leafy greens, cabbage family, gourds) of different dark pigments (deep red, green, orange, yellow) should be important in the diet. They contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants, which keep the body in balance and clean it.
Herbal infusions like chamomile, verbena, rooibos, lemon grass, mint, sage, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and others as well as green and white teas contain antioxidants and phytochemicals, which have the potency to detoxify the system from free radicals. The latter are oxidized cells that occur from normal body functions as well as stress.
Exercise and activity are needed to keep the body and brain operating optimally such as boosting the blood circulation, building muscle tissue, improving brain and heart health and others. Moderate aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, swimming, running, biking and jogging and muscle building workouts are health promoters and fat burners. They also enhance blood flow to the brain.
Stress resulting from physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and high insulin and cortisol pumped in the body are free radical and inflammation breeders. With continuous stress, the body builds silent inflammation and disease (diabetes Type 2, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, cancer). That is why stress reduction and management are required to prevent inflammation. This can be done through deep breathing, relaxation therapies, deep tissue massages, prayer, meditation, hypnosis and others.
Silent inflammation and obesity are leading health hazards since the introduction of “modern” diet, sedentary lifestyle and work and financial stressful demands. Silent inflammation is not an overnight happening. It comes with an array of deadly chronic diseases and disorders. You have a chance to stop this vicious circle of slow torturing death by losing body fat through a healthy diet and exercise.
Wellness is within reach if you care to apply a few adjustments to your way of life, which pave your road to health. I shall walk you through the path of safety by suggesting healthful lifestyle practices. Such ways will put you back on the track of health and wellness in order for you to enjoy life without the need for doctors or medical drugs. Good health is a gift of life to us all!
I shall catch up with more details on how to prevent silent inflammation with healthy lifestyles after the Holy Month of Ramadan in September, InshaAllah. As for Ramadan, I will come back with articles pertaining to fasting. Meanwhile, I wish you an enjoyable summer with good health!!!
N.B.: Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
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