Inflammation can occur in any place within the body and has many negative consequences, including lowered immunity, pain, poor digestion or exhaustion. It is contrary to one’s overall well-being, lowers the quality of life and, when left untreated, can cause serious trouble. It is best to deal with inflammation using natural cures instead of pharmacy drugs.
What Is Inflammation Exactly?
Inflammation is a biological process without which we would not survive actually. It is the body’s response to infection, to damaged tissues and it is its healing procedure as well. When a bacterium enters your system, the body tried to annihilate it. When you damage a ligament, the body starts fixing it. These two situations show the inflammatory system at work.
Meanwhile, you will experience pain, redness, swelling, warmth and even loss of function of the affected bodily part. However, there is one specific, most widespread and dangerous type of inflammation. This is the systemic inflammation, silent and often deadly. People can live it for years without knowing it and when it starts doing real damage it takes the form of other disease (heart conditions, diabetes, Parkinson etc.).
A Diet that Fights Inflammation
The easy alternative to taking supplements is making wise changes in your diet. You can subtract foods that make the troubles thrive, like sugar, while adding more of the healthy stuff: oils, fish oil especially, raw garlic, ground flax and pumpkin seeds. Sardines, tuna and salmon should be consumed about three times a week. However, even with a balanced diet, the important Omega 3 fatty acids usually need to be supplemented. Get more Vitamin C as well by including in your diet more green leafy vegetables, fresh instead of cooked, more citrus fruits and berries. Ginger is yet another powerful ally and can be used to spice a great range of dishes.
Supplementing with Bioflavonoids
Bioflavonoids are compounds found in plants, known to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. They have notable anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and antibacterial properties. Bioflavonoids are still active once they get inside the human body. You can add the following in your diet, for the numerous health benefits:
- apples, onions and garlic contain quercetin,
- grape seed extract and French maritime pine contain procianidins,
- wine is rich in resveratrol,
- Yarrow and hawthorn also provide bioflavonoids.
A significant range of herbs can be found in health stores as supplements. These have a series of positive effects on a body dealing with inflammatory processes – they numb the pain, support healthy cells while killing cancerous ones, protect the joints, muscles and mucous tissue. Our top recommendations are:
- Licorice
- Boswellia
- Black willow
- Milk thistle (excellent liver protector)
Curcumin and Its Incredible Effects
Curcumin is commonly found in turmeric, a yellow spice used abundantly in India, especially in curry mixtures. Its healing effects on eye inflammation have been observed and validated. Curcumin has been used by the Ayurvedic medical tradition for millennia. It fights arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis and even cancer. Currently, its effects on Alzheimer patients are being observed – Alzheimer being an inflammatory condition that affects the brain. If you like Indian food, you can get curcumin by cooking with Turmeric roots.
However, to most people it’s much easier to get it in form of supplement. The Turmeric Curcumin supplements have been growing popular as they were shown to be as efficient as phenylbutazone and hydrocortisone drugs, but without the side effects.
Author Bio
Amanda Meyer is an alternative medicine specialist with an interest in therapies and cures that were proven to be effective on a significant number of people. Her articles focus on thoroughly researched natural remedies.
