Why should you care about inflammation?

Inflammation is big news right now. It’s been touted as the cause of everything from bloating and stomach cramps, to major health problems like cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders. Whether you’ve come across an article on anti-inflammatory diets, or have heard the hype surrounding probiotics, chances are you’re wondering why inflammation is popping up everywhere. We’ve put together a series of articles to help you break it down. Let’s start with looking at exactly why inflammation is such a big deal.

It impacts your overall health

It turns out, inflammation is related to more health issues than you might realise. We all know that wellness is a big deal, whether you focus on your diet, exercise routine, or mindfulness. Well, inflammation is tied into all this. Stomach problems, skin worries, and even joint pain are related to the inflammation that goes on in your body, and more of us are starting to realise it. For instance, your digestion or your skin condition might get worse when your inflammatory response is set off (whether it be by food, your environment, or otherwise). So, it’s a priority to focus on how inflammation is impacting your health if you want to look after yourself. We’ll dig deeper into the causes of inflammation later on. For now, let’s see why else you should be paying attention to it.

It’s connected to stress

We’re all aware that stress is a big deal. It impacts you emotionally and physically, with inflammation being no exception. Like most modern-day health problems, stress plays a factor in inflammation. It can trigger your body’s response to a perceived threat (your fight-or-flight response), which is where the problem can start. It can also easily turn into a vicious circle that’s hard to get out of, which is why some relaxation and down-time is key for your health. Although it’s inevitable that you’ll experience stress at some point, knowing how to manage it means you can take care of your health, and reduce the impact it has on your life. We go more into how stress can cause inflammation here.

It’s influenced by your diet

It’s no secret that that refined sugars, fried foods, and too much alcohol is detrimental to your health. If you’re into wellness at all, you’ll know that your diet is the first place to start when it comes to looking after your health. But as well as adding inches to your waistline, too much processed food and drink can also cause an inflammatory response in your body. They aren’t the only foods to be wary of, either. Allergies and intolerances are another hot topic in wellness, and for good reason. If you have an intolerance to something in your diet, this can trigger a histamine reaction and further inflammatory issues. Some of the biggest offenders are wheat and dairy, so it’s key to look out for any digestive funkiness and be sure to cut out anything that’s causing you upset.

What to remember

There’s plenty of reasons inflammation is getting airtime right now when it comes to wellness. However, there’s also lot to consider and take in when it comes to the topic. Although it’s hard to pin down, we’ve tried to lay out the basics of what inflammation actually is here. There are also plenty of ways to fight inflammation in order to keep your body healthy, inside and out.

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