Have you eaten something and, after a while, have you noticed how your stomach swelled? Suddenly, have you woken up with inflamed eyes? Who more who less has suffered an inflammation in some part of their body. Inflammation occurs as our body’s immune response to effectively deal with damaged tissue. “To a greater or lesser degree we are all inflamed,” says Gabriela PocovÃ, a medical doctor and nutritionist who is an expert in immunonutrition in an interview in La Vanguardia. Suffering inflammation is frequently negative since it is the cause of problems of various kinds: from digestive to cardiovascular, including autoimmune diseases.
The body can become inflamed for various reasons. Eating an unbalanced diet with excess ultra-processed foods, tobacco or alcohol consumption may be among its triggers. Our environment is also a determining factor for inflammation. Living in areas with high pollution negatively affects it by causing inflammation. Other common problems such as “migraines, gastritis, irritable bowel, autoimmune diseases, being overweight, eczema or acne†also cause inflammation, as Pocovà states.
If the way of life is decisive to cause swelling, mental health too. Chronic stress causes an anti-inflammatory response in the body, leading to a weakening of the immune system. This is clear from a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and collected by the Neurology Magazine. In this study it was observed that those who “had higher levels of continuous psychological stress were less able to reduce the body’s inflammatory response.” In other words, acute stress affects inflammation in the body.
As mentioned, diet and lifestyle are determining factors for inflammation.
It is advisable that if you suffer from inflammation constantly you go to a professional to review your case and help you improve your quality of life.
