Читать книгу Anti-Inflammatory Diet For Dummies - Artemis Morris - Страница 41

IN THIS CHAPTER

Connecting the dots between inflammation and chronic illness

Linking inflammation to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes

Looking at links to cancer, asthma, and bowel diseases

Seeing inflammation in autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and depression

The body is equipped to take care of itself in many situations, sending signals to create healthy inflammation levels where needed. Catch a cold, and the immune system instantly sends a message to the body to start fighting it off. Twist your ankle while hiking, and the area around it instantly starts to swell, creating a cushioned protection while the injury starts to heal.

Sometimes, however, the body’s defense mechanism works against itself, creating problems instead of solving them. Whether the signals get crossed or the process kicks into high gear, the body may fight itself when there’s no real reason to engage. The result of this overreaction is chronic illness in the heart, the nerves, the lungs, the joints — just about anywhere.

In this chapter, we examine a variety of chronic illnesses, from heart disease, asthma, and diabetes to obesity and problems with the digestive and immune systems. In addition to helping you gain a better understanding of these illnesses, we identify the role inflammation plays in each of them as well as what you can do to prevent or delay symptoms.