The Inflammation Pathways
An Inflammatory Response
Inflammation is a popular term that often gets a bad reputation. Make no mistake, inflammation can lead to chronic discomfort and people are typically either given a prescription from their medical doctor or try herbs and supplements to reduce the inflammation. However, inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself from infection and illness. It is when we have too much inflammation within our body that discomfort and dis-ease of the body begins to take hold.
All types of arthritis, joint pain, and neurodegenerative dis-eases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons are due to inflammation within the body. Inflammation can also lead to depression, brain-fog, and lack of focus. While inflammation can cause all of these issues, it is possible that the reverse situation occurs where an autoimmune dis-ease leads to inflammation. This is due to toxins, gut dysbiosis, stress, and poor diet.
An important aspect to consider about inflammation is that it simply does not have one catch-all cause. There are 3 different pathways that lead to inflammation and there are also 3 different ways to reduce inflammation within the body. Simply put, you cannot just address the inflammation; you absolutely must address the root cause of inflammation.
3 Pathways to Inflammation
The first pathway is comprised of an imbalance of T-regulatory cells. These T-cells are specialized immune cells that help to regulate the immune system. The immune system has what is called a TH1 and TH2 system. TH1 consists of “killer” cells and TH2 produces antibodies, and the T-regulatory cells control both systems. When the T-regulatory cells are no longer able to keep a balance between TH1 and TH2, dis-eases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Chron’s, Hashimoto’s, Celiac and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Cancer, Lupus, Ulcerative Colitis, etc., are expressed.
Essentially the immune system is on a continuous attack against itself due to the T-regulatory cells having lost their function. When these cells lose their function, the cellular messengers of the immune system called Cytokines, lose control. This leads to a constant state of inflammation. The inflammation is supposed to be short term, but when it becomes chronically inflamed, it leads to inflammatory diseases.
The second pathway is what is called an “NFKb self-amplifying loop,” which causes a ruthless inflammatory cycle. NFKb is a protein messenger comprised of activated B-cells (a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in protecting the body from infections), that signal your DNA to trigger inflammatory responses. NFKB plays a vital role in the development and function of the immune system, as well as primary and secondary functions of lymphoid tissues.
As previously mentioned, inflammation is not supposed to be a “bad guy”, it is a healing response. When a cell is injured, chemicals are released that trigger inflammation to clear cellular debris and tell neighboring cells that there is damage and a possible intruder. When this process occurs for too long, then you incur excessive cellular damage and oxidative stress. This leads to the brain fog, depression, lethargy, anxiety, and other neurological symptoms that I mentioned before. These are not easily rectified by herbs alone, nor when masked by prescription drugs-which often leads to other issues within the body.
The third inflammation pathway pertain to prostaglandins. So, what are Prostaglandins? They are hormone-like substances made in the tissues that help the body regulate inflammation, blood pressure and systems of reproduction (like erection, ovulation, labor induction).
The Prostaglandin pathway is influenced by your omega-3 to omega-6 ratios. While Omega 6’s are beneficial, the Standard American Diet leads to an overabundance of Omega 6’s and not enough Omega 3’s.
Too much Omega 6 v. Omega 3 becomes pro-inflammatory within the body, which can result in a much longer state of inflammation after an injury or infection. Some research shows this skew as high as 20:1. Ideally, your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio should be 1:1 or 1:2. Thus, it is essential to optimize your omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.
Now that you know the 3 pathways, it is important to note that your body can become inflamed through all 3 pathways, and addressing just one is likely not enough. For example: by taking fish oil, it may not fix the total inflammation your body is battling.
Conclusions:
When the body continuously battles inflammation, you may develop problems such as those noted above, in addition to “leaky gut” (read more about leaky gut here: https://theresearchingmama.substack.com/p/leaky-gut)- which can also lead to “leaky brain.”
No drug or conventional medical treatment for these non-medical and non-pathological conditions will likely address the root cause(s). Unfortunately, our conventional medicine system, while great for acute based issues like emergency surgeries and bone breaks, is not well equipped to rebalance the body back to a healthy state of being.
It is important to be targeted in your protocol and ensure that it is right for your body! Just because you throw a ton of supplements into your body, or use what worked for Suzie or Tim, doesn’t mean you are going to be doing your body a favor. Consulting with an Integrated Health Practitioner or functional medicine doctor who integrates different modalities and uses protocols based on your body, can short cut the process and get faster results because he or she can help identify the root causes.
Schedule your 20-minute free consultation call today to learn how I can help you identify the root cause(s) and help your body rebalance. Click here to schedule: 20 Minute Meeting - Calendly, or visit my website to learn more about the services I offer, and to find ways to optimize your health: Balanced Vitality
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