It is without doubt one of the scourges of life within the trendy world: continual irritation. This unhelpful response by the physique’s immune system is linked to accelerated ageing and situations reminiscent of stroke and coronary heart illness.
What if we may dampen it down by consuming sure meals, reminiscent of spinach, walnuts and salmon? That’s the promise of anti-inflammatory diets, usually advocated in imprecise phrases by the media and vitamin trade. That may immediate eye-rolling from the scientifically minded. However current analysis reveals that this strategy isn’t as faddish because it sounds and paints a nuanced image of the hyperlinks between meals, irritation and our long-term well being.
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Irritation is a vital a part of our response to damage and illness. However when the physique continues to deploy it even when there isn’t a trauma, this leads to continual irritation. Precisely why this happens is unclear, however genetics, atmosphere and way of life play roles. It may be detected by measuring sure chemical markers within the blood, and has been more and more linked with poor well being.
“Chronic inflammation is a driver of many common diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis and dementia,” says John Mathers at Newcastle College within the UK. It has additionally been implicated in some psychological well being situations.
However how…
