If I were to ask you what is inflammation what would you say? I can honestly say that up until a few years ago the answer I would give would have been fairly broad and certainly would not include any information on internal inflammation.
But since then my opinions of internal inflammation and the importance of fighting have changed due to the mountain of research supporting this concept.
Inflammation and you Have you taking nasty fall lately? Do not get enough sleep? Do you eat spicy foods only to experience heartburn later? Even though you try to find the time to exercise are you still basically a fixture on the end of the couch? Do you regularly eat processed foods filled with nitrates because they are fast and cheap? Is your job, or perhaps a coworker, causing you to experience anxiety? What about your financial situation? When you get under pressure do you smoke to relieve the stress? Most American experience many of these inflammation producing actions daily without realizing the inflammatory damage which is occurring within their bodies.
We all know what happens externally when inflammation occurs.
The affected area becomes red and swollen perhaps requiring a topical suave or cream to speed the healing process and avoid infection.
From experience you probably know what happens to cuts if left untreated; they become red, inflamed, and possibly infected with the healing process seemingly taking forever.
But what if something along these lines was happening internally? You would likely be the first to admit that scenario doesn't sound very good.
The reality of the matter is it is terrible and can play a major role in the development of a myriad of different diseases including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's.
Fighting inflammation internally The simple answer would be to eliminate actions that cause internal inflammation.
While this optimistic way of thinking it is not a realistic one, simply because daily occurrences can't be anticipated.
For example falling unexpectedly, losing a job, the death of a family member, being involved in a minor fender bender.
So since it appears that unless you live in a bubble inflammation causing mishaps are going to occur.
So the question is what can be done to quash this silent juggernaut? Research tells us that people who use the anti-inflammatory medication ibuprofen tend to have less inflammation in the brain, and are less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer's.
On the flip side long term use of ibuprofen can produce a number of unwanted side effects such as damage to the lining of the stomach and acid reflux disease.
So while most medical professional are okay with the short term use of ibuprofen, this popular over the counter drug is generally not suggested for long term use.
What about natural options for fighting inflammation internally? Surprisingly, there seems to be a handful of natural ways of fighting internal inflammation both safely and effectively.
This list would include a diet consisting of high antioxidant foods, consuming beverages high in resveratrol, regular exercise, vitamin B supplementation, and consuming cold water fatty fish or adding a omega 3 fish oil supplement to your diet.
It seems that two compounds found in cold water fatty fish and fish oil supplements may prove to be the ultimate solution for fighting inflammation internally; these are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
By implementing a daily dosage of between 700 and 900 milligrams of DHA/EPA a person can dramatically reduce the amount of inflammation occurring internally.
Besides fighting inflammation these beneficial fatty acids also act as a natural blood thinner thus reducing the chances of dangerous rouge blood clots.
Omega 3 fish oil is generally considered to be very safe.
Nevertheless, it is a good idea to check with your doctor before considering any new medication or supplement.