Originally published August 1 2013
Try these four incredible natural treatments for chronic inflammation
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) The more progressive side of modern medicine is quickly learning that the root cause of many contemporary illnesses is none other than chronic inflammation, a lingering immune response caused by poor diet and other factors that, if left unchecked, can damage a number of important systems throughout the body. Your endocrine (hormone), central, immune, digestive, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, to name the most common, are all threatened by chronic inflammation, which ultimately has the potential to manifest itself as literally hundreds of different diseases.
"Researchers are linking inflammation to an ever-wider array of chronic illnesses," wrote Newsweek reporter Anne Underwood in a 2005 piece on the growing inflammation-disease link. "Suddenly medical puzzles seem to be fitting together, such as why hypertension puts patients at increased risk of Alzheimer's, or why rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have higher rates of sudden cardiac death. They're all connected on some fundamental level."
So what can you do to help fight the pandemic tide of chronic inflammation, which is said to be responsible for causing up to 80 percent of all doctor visits in America? Here are four amazing natural treatments that science continues to show possess unique anti-inflammatory properties, without causing any harmful side effects:
1) Curcumin (turmeric). There are easily hundreds of published studies that demonstrate turmeric's amazing anti-inflammatory benefits. Curcumin, which is widely believed to be the primary active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to help treat and prevent conditions like indigestion, prostatitis, osteoarthritis, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and a number of others. In fact, by directly modulating inflammatory cytokine levels inside the body, turmeric helps protect against a vast array of debilitating illnesses, including heart disease and cancer (http://science.naturalnews.com).
"What distinguishes curcumin is its ability to reduce inflammation through at least ninety-seven different biological mechanisms," writes Jack Challem in his book The Inflammation Syndrome: Your Nutrition Plan for Great Health, Weight Loss, and Pain-Free Living. "To date, no other substance has been discovered or developed with such far-reaching anti-inflammatory benefits" (http://www.naturalpedia.com).
2) Boswellia (frankincense). Similarly, the boswellia plant, from which the aromatic resin frankincense is derived, contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds known as boswellic acids. These substances inhibit the activity of leukotrienes, which are inflammation-causing chemicals in the body. Studies have shown that taking boswellia can help treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and asthma, among other conditions (http://science.naturalnews.com).
3) Spirulina. This increasingly popular blue-green microalgae variety is poised to become the next big thing as far as "superfoods" are concerned, and for good reason. The anti-inflammatory properties of spirulina are already well-established, and continue to be affirmed by major studies, including a 2012 study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. This particular study found that spirulina helps modulate a number of transcription factors linked to causing inflammation, effectively exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity when consumed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
4) Vitamin D. Is there anything a little natural sunlight exposure every day cannot cure? One of the easiest and most powerful ways to prevent inflammation-related disease, vitamin D, which is naturally produced in the body as a result of exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, is crucial for quelling chronic inflammation. Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies show that a lack of vitamin D, which can also be obtained through high-quality vitamin D3 supplements, is associated with hundreds of illnesses ranging from autism to cancer (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org).
"Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, arthritis and prostate cancer, who are vitamin D deficient, may benefit from vitamin D supplementation to get their serum vitamin D levels above 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml)," says Elena Goleva, author of a 2012 study that found vitamin D supplementation can help cure chronic inflammation (http://www.sciencedaily.com).
Sources for this article include:
http://www.vitasearch.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
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