Читать книгу Anti-Inflammatory Diet For Dummies - Artemis Morris - Страница 14

Inflammation is part of your body’s innate response to invaders. The inflammatory response takes over when harmful bacteria, viruses, toxins, or other elements make their way into your tissues and cause damage. Those damaged cells release chemicals called prostaglandins and histamines, which cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues and create swelling.

The resulting inflammation — characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and pain — serves as a physical barrier against the spread of infection (in the case of illness) or against further injury (which would delay the healing process). Chemical factors released during inflammation ward off or sensitize pain signals, creating a more suitable environment for healing.

Meanwhile, the immune system, sensing danger, sends backup. Various parts of the immune system respond by directing traffic, isolating and killing the invaders, and destroying and clearing out infected cells. The cells communicate with each other through a variety of chemical signals, including cytokines, C-reactive protein, acute-phase proteins, prostaglandins, and more. Understanding this response is helpful for doctors because inflammatory markers indicate where the problem is and how severe it may be. Researchers examine the process to determine what triggers inflammation and find ways to control it — such as through diet — when things go wrong.