Inflammation is our body’s way of responding to outside substances, such as toxins, excess fat cells, or environmental contaminants that build up over time. The build-up of these unwanted substances can lead to many diseases and other unwanted ailments. Our immune system responds to these outside pollutants and contaminants sort of like an army in defense that recognizes an attack and then goes into battle mode. Acute inflammation is the redness or swelling you might observe after an injury or infection and is part of this defensive response. Once the infection is over and the injury healed, the body turns off its inflammatory response. But sometimes the attack is persistent and the army in defense can get worn down.
In the case of chronic inflammation, the body’s response and low-grade inflammation just go on an on. As this inflammation goes on, it can damage the body’s tissues, which can result in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or even cancers. Triggers might include environmental exposure or pollution and might be caused by an unhealthy diet, smoking, inconsistent sleep and stress.
Other symptoms of chronic inflammation include fatigue, joint pains, sudden wight gain or loss, and mental health problems like depression or anxiety.
A number of dietary measures, such as eating more fermented foods or foods with probiotics, can help prevent chronic inflammation. Cutting down red meat can also help as red meat is proinflammatory. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold water fish like salmon and sablefish, play a role in regulating the body’s inflammatory response. Wild salmon and sablefish are some of the best dietary sources of omega-3s.
Serving some Alaska Gold salmon or sablefish at least twice a week is one of the best dietary countermeasures to the chronic inflammation that can cause some of the worst of modern diseases.
