When we get hurt, are bitten by an insect, or face any allergy, the first change which is visible is the immediate redness and burning sensation around the wound. This is called inflammation. It is the simple way our body reacts to the foreign bodies like bacteria, virus etc.
Process of Inflammation
Inflammation simply indicates that the body is on its way to recovery. That the process of healing has begun. The point of damage needs an immediate supply of blood, antibodies, and white cells in order to fight the harmful foreign bodies. For this reason, all the arteries reaching toward that wound dilate, so that the blood supply to the bruise can be maximized. Apart from that, the antibodies and white blood cells are rushed to the wound, as they help in engulfing all the bacteria and virus that may grow and cause more harm. Even the clotting of blood is a part of the inflammation process.
Symptoms of Inflammation
When the emergency situation like inflammation, is created, it is pretty much easy to see some obvious symptoms that occur during the process. For example, the wound or scrape would immediately begin to show redness and swelling around itself. The burning sensation can also be felt. If the bruise is deeper and more severe, then it is also normal to have some pain and fever along with other symptoms. This is just our body’s way of responding to the damage and outside dangers. The accumulation of white blood cells also happens as they are responsible for shooting up our immunity, which at times may result in the formation of pus.
Why Inflammation is a Necessary Evil
Although all these symptoms look messy and overwhelming, like our body is going through a panic attack, inflammation is a good sign as it represents the heightened state of our immune system. Honestly, we really would not survive after any small or severe wound, if our body did not induce this painful inflammatory process. For the same reason, it makes sense to call it a necessary evil.
When Inflammation Turns into a Bad Sign
There is a term for “good” inflammation and there is a term for “bad” inflammation. Yes, in spite of these inflammatory activities trying to protect our body from infections, they may be bad at times. When the inflammation is for a short time and subsides as the wound heals, it is a normal and “good” sign, also known as the Acute inflammation.
The “bad” one is Chronic in nature. In this case, there is no real outside threat in the body, but the immune system perceives its own internal system as an enemy and begins to attack its own cells. The process involves, white blood cells engulfing the normal and healthy body cells and causing damage at a very serious level. This is also known as the autoimmune disorder.
Causes and Results of Chronic Inflammation
The causes of chronic inflammation may be direct or indirect. It may be due to some long-term serious ailments such as heart problems. The other factors which may contribute to the inflammatory responses in the body are a poor lifestyle, polluted environment, food allergies, and bad diet.
This chronic inflammation may have many consequences. Some may be visible and some may not be that prominent. Various illnesses may develop as a result of chronic inflammation, like respiratory problems, diseases related to heart and bones, weight gain, depression, diabetes etc.
6 Foods to Fight Inflammation and Weight Gain
Apart from medical treatments, a right choice of diet can really improve our health and soothe the chronic inflammation developing in the body. There are many natural foods that when consumed regularly would enable us to reduce weight and fight the inflammatory responses in our system.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Dark green leafy vegetables are full of antioxidants and drastically reduce inflammation. As they carry essential minerals and almost no fat, they are also good sources of food to plunge on when trying to reduce the weight. Some of these vegetables that can be eaten without worrying about the calories are spinach, chards, spring onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, Brussels, and artichokes etc.
Citrus Fruits and Berries
Fruits that are juicy, tangy, and citrus in nature are known to be abundant in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a great immunity booster. Consuming lemon, lime, orange juice in water or squeezed to make a great salad dressing is a splendid idea for fighting both inflammation and weight gain. Fruits and berries such as pineapple, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry are filled with anthocyanin, which is an antioxidant and also reduces inflammation.
Turmeric
The strongest anti-inflammatory found easily in almost every kitchen, turmeric makes for an extraordinary natural healer. The element curcumin is found in this spice which protects our body in case of chronic inflammation. Apart from turmeric, spices, and condiments like ginger, nutmeg, and cloves etc also do the same job.
Omega Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids are the healthiest forms of fats. When dealing with chronic inflammation and trying to cut down the calories for weight loss, try including more and more of foods rich in omega fatty acids. Some example of such foods are nuts, especially walnuts, hemp, flax seeds, fishes like salmon and tuna, and fatty fruits like avocado. Unsaturated fats like olive oil are also helpful.
Tomatoes
Lycopene present in tomatoes is a highly rich source of antioxidants and drastically reduces inflammatory activities in the body. Tomatoes can be consumed in salad or gravy form. But the best method to enhance its medicinal properties is to boil them and eat them as soups on a regular basis.
Watermelon
Watermelon quenches the thirst and heat of the body. It has an alkaline nature. Our body is alkaline in nature and inflammation develops when for some reason the internal system of the body turns into acidic. Watermelon helps in deacidification and thus reducing the chronic inflammation. It also helps in weight loss as the fruit mainly contains water.
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