Chronic inflammation has a damaging effect on arteries, which can lead to high cholesterol, heart attacks and strokes. Microorganisms cause inflammation within blood vessels. The inside of the arteries come under attack. Immune cells are dispatched to fight the inflammation, and then cholesterol is laid down over the wound like a Band-Aid. However, the inflammation is still active under that Band-Aid. In time, the Band-Aid bulges. In time, maybe a small part of the blood vessel gives way. Whoops! Now the body has to put a finger in the dyke. It uses a blood clot to do that. But if the clot breaks loose and goes to the brain, you have a stroke. If it goes to the heart, you have a heart attack.
The Obesity Connection
The correlation between type 2 diabetes and obesity is so well established that some researchers refer to the two collectively as “diabesity.” When you gain weight, fat cells become more biochemically active, churning out inflammatory compounds. As obesity ratchets up inflammation, inflammation in turn promotes insulin resistance, a central feature of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome that precedes it.
Some of the excess weight comes from excess calories, and some comes from toxins stored in our fat cells.
Our bodies have become virtual dumping grounds for the tens of thousands of toxic compounds that invade our everyday world, setting the stage for a slow decline in health. The EPA estimates there are more than 20,000 chemicals that our bodies cannot metabolize. Unable to be excreted from the body, chemicals find their way into our liver, and then migrate to fat cells throughout the body where they are stored. Studies show that most of us have between 400 and 800 chemical residues stored in our cells.
Exercise and weight loss work to reduce inflammation in the fat cells and liver. But it gets complicated – no wonder so many people have trouble shedding pounds.
In a 2004 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, 15 obese people lost an average of 23 pounds on a 15-week diet. When researchers compared blood samples at the end of the diet with ones taken before the diet began, they found two differences: Concentrations of leptin – the hormone that usually keeps hunger in check – were 33% lower. And concentrations of industrial chemicals called organochlorines.
Research shows that diet and exercise can help lessen inflammation while promoting weight loss. A 2010 report from the journal Obesity, for instance, states that following a diet high in whole grains, fruit, vegetables, fish, virgin olive oil, and nuts, and low in meat and trans-fatty acids, may help protect against both obesity and inflammation.
The following natural solutions also show promise for prevention of both inflammation and weight gain:
- Fiber: Dietary fiber may help reduce C-reactive protein levels, according to a 2006 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. What’s more, many studies show that eating more fiber can help stop weight gain. In addition to eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, you can boost your fiber intake through natural remedies like flaxseed and psyllium.
- Chokeberry: In an animal-based study published in The FASEB Journal in 2010, researchers found that chokeberry may inhibit weight gain while taming inflammation. An antioxidant-rich fruit available in supplement form, chokeberry was also found to reduce inflammation in a 2010 study of 25 people with metabolic syndrome.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Preliminary evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help curb inflammation and reduce abdominal obesity (a condition marked by excess belly fat), according to a 2007 review published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
- Yoga: Practicing yoga might help decrease C-reactive protein levels, a 2009 study from Psychosomatic Medicine shows. A 2005 study of 15,550 adults aged 53 to 57, published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, found that yoga may also help prevent weight gain in middle age.