Understanding Chronic Inflammation and 6 Ways to Reduce It

While inflammation is one of the body’s crucial defense mechanisms, excessive or chronic inflammation can have serious health consequences.

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Chronic inflammation is like a silent intruder within your body, quietly stoking the embers of disease. The condition is so widespread that millions have it without even knowing it.

While inflammation is our body’s vital defender against cuts, infections, and other invaders, it can cause us harm if it lingers for too long. If left untreated, it can potentially ignite health problems, from heart disease to cancer.

It is crucial to our well-being that we recognize  excessive inflammation and learn to reduce its negative effects.

Understanding Chronic and Systemic Inflammation

Our modern lifestyle drives much of the chronic and systemic inflammation that leads to disease. A January study published in Frontiers in Medicine found that 34.63 percent of U.S. adults have systemic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is a prolonged, low-level inflammatory response that can last for months or even years. This condition often stems from underlying issues such as untreated infections, autoimmune disorders, or extended exposure to toxins or irritants. Chronic inflammation can affect specific body parts or multiple areas, damaging our health.

Systemic inflammation is a serious condition characterized by widespread inflammation throughout the body. It is also thought to be the root cause of practically every known chronic health condition.

“When someone recovers from an acute injury, trauma, or infection, and the inflammatory signals, e.g., cytokines and growth factors, continue to proliferate, then very likely the inflammation will shift from the acute to the chronic type,” John E. Lewis, a former associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times.

“When that occurs, then this dysregulated chronic inflammation becomes such that the immune system is unable to recognize when and how to shut off the response mechanisms,” said Lewis, who has spent much of his career studying the effects of nutrition on the brain and immune system. “As this occurs, a whole set of new processes related to oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, glycemic disruption, fat storage, and other complications begin to arise.”

Chronic inflammation’s most common causes are:

• Poor diet
• Physical and emotional stress
• Sedentary behavior
• A lack of high-quality sleep
• Toxins in the environment
• Lifestyle habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation

Acute inflammation becomes apparent when we scrape our knees or get a sore throat. Redness, swelling, heat, and pain indicate that the immune system is working to help the body heal.

In contrast, the signs of chronic inflammation are often more subtle, with non-specific symptoms that can include lingering fatigue, body aches, digestive issues, weight gain, frequent infections, and mood disturbances (such as depression and anxiety).

These less obvious symptoms can easily be mistaken for other health issues, making it difficult to recognize chronic inflammation as the root cause. As a result, it can go unnoticed for months and even years.

Chronic inflammation can cause a wide range of symptoms, Dr. Amy Myers, a functional medicine physician and author of “The Autoimmune Solution,” told The Epoch Times via email. She said that symptoms can include:

• Joint pain, muscle pain or weakness, or a tremor
• Weight loss, insomnia, heat intolerance, or a rapid heartbeat
• Recurrent rashes or hives, sun sensitivity, or a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing
• Fatigue, weight gain, or cold intolerance
• Hair loss or white patches on the skin or inside the mouth
• Abdominal pain, blood or mucus in the stool, diarrhea, or mouth ulcers
• Dry eyes, mouth, or skin
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
• Multiple miscarriages or blood clots

6 Natural Solutions to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

If you suspect you have chronic inflammation or have already been diagnosed, there are multiple ways to combat its effects. Lifestyle choices are powerful tools for reducing chronic inflammation and restoring the immune system without medication.

“Conventional medicine seeks to diagnose and medicate symptoms,” Myers said. “The problem is that it fails to get to the root cause of the symptoms and disease.”

1. Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

One of the most effective ways to reduce chronic inflammation is to make good  food choices at every meal.

The Mediterranean diet is well-established as anti-inflammatory, primarily emphasizing plant-based foods. However, it also includes alcohol, which some studies classify as potentially inflammatory, Lewis said.

According to Lewis, “Studies have shown that whole-food, plant-based diets are anti-inflammatory as well.” He said that plant-based diets provide a broad foundation of nutrients and phytonutrients, with plant proteins that don’t have the same potential for carcinogenesis and atherogenesis as animal proteins. Certain key nutrients in dietary supplements, such as aloe and rice bran polysaccharides and properly formulated curcumin, have shown anti-inflammatory effects while improving overall immune system function.

2. Avoid Inflammatory Foods

In addition to eating an anti-inflammatory diet, we should avoid inflammatory foods.

Avoid diets high in animal fat and protein, added sugar, and processed foods, Lena Bakovic, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching, told The Epoch Times.

“Processed food products with long ingredient lists on their respective nutrition labels are also likely to be high in sugar content, unhealthy fats, and preservatives, amongst other chemical ingredients,” Bakovic said. “Moreover, deep-fried foods, and meat that is charred when grilled, may also contribute to increased inflammation.”

Bakovic said that eating plant foods, which are often high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, can also help prevent and decrease inflammation in the body.

According to Bakovic, important dietary sources of antioxidants include:

• Brightly colored fruits and vegetables
• Whole-grain products
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes, such as black beans
• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, flaxseeds, and chia seeds

3. Move Your Body

Lewis also highlighted the role of exercise in rebalancing the immune system and controlling chronic inflammation.

“Almost any form of exercise training that is practiced with the correct or optimal amounts of consistency and intensity would also be considered anti-inflammatory,” he said. “Proper nutrition and physical activity would be the two most important behaviors related to counteracting the effects of chronic inflammation and bringing the immune system back to balance.”

4. Get Quality Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep is vital for reducing chronic inflammation. Research has shown that chronic lack of sleep exacerbates inflammation in the body.

A 2022 study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine found that persistent sleep deprivation or interrupted sleep negatively affected the immune system and increased inflammation. The study emphasized how important it is for adults to get seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly to prevent inflammation and disease—especially if they have medical conditions. The study found that consistently losing just 1 1/2 hours of sleep per night could increase the risk of inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular disease.

5. Red Light Therapy

Research suggests that red light therapy benefits chronic inflammation.

“Red light therapy is a therapeutic technique that exposes you to low levels of infrared light,” Myers said. She recommends infrared sauna use to support a healthy inflammatory response. “Instead of traditional saunas that rely on humidity to heat up the room around you, infrared saunas emit wavelengths that you immediately absorb in your skin,” she said.

This localized heat results in tolerable temperatures, quicker and deeper sweating, and numerous health benefits, including detoxification, relaxation, pain relief, weight loss, improved circulation, and skin purification.

6. Cold Plunges

Cold exposure has also been shown to reduce chronic inflammation.

Cold plunges trigger vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of the blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the extremities and redirecting it to the essential organs, Myers said. This process lowers inflammation by reducing blood flow to the inflamed area, decreasing pain and swelling.

“Cold water immersion also has been shown to reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body,” Myers said. She noted that cytokines are proteins involved in the immune system response, acting as the front-line defense that signals the immune system to fight bacteria or viruses.

“The vasoconstriction response and reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of cold water immersion,” she said.

4 More Ways to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

• Avoid environmental toxins
• Address underlying infections
• Cultivate a healthy microbiome
• Reduce stress

“Stress is more than a feeling—it’s an inflammatory state,” Myers said. “When you are chronically stressed, your body never gets the signal to ‘cool off.’ As a result, inflammation in the body runs rampant. This suppresses your overworked immune system, leaving you susceptible to infection, autoimmune disease, and other chronic illnesses.”

According to Myers, having a healthy microbiome is also of prime importance, since up to 80 percent of our immune cells live in our gut.

While chronic inflammation’s causes are complex, understanding its triggers and symptoms can help pinpoint major health issues that we otherwise might miss. The good news is that there are many natural alternatives to medication—solutions that address the root causes rather than just mask the symptoms. By implementing these strategies, you can restore balance to the immune system and extinguish the fires of chronic inflammation.