Natural Ways To Combat Inflammation

Susan Davis Nutritionist
Apr 27
4 min read

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a process that happens in the body when our body is repairing an injury, fighting off a virus or bacteria. Inflammation is a protective response initiated by the body to start the healing process. It may start if you injured part of your body or you are fighting an infection such as a cold from a virus or bacteria. Your body gets on alert sending chemicals and messengers to the site of entry to ensure your body is able to get the right nutrients to the site to repair itself or to fight of invaders with its soldiers. Most importantly we need to remember this is a natural process and can be life saving.

Ground turmeric is great for fighting inflammation — Anti-inflammatory spice ground & fresh root turmeric

When Things Go Wrong, Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is a natural process that occurs in the body. It involves pain and heat and can be uncomfortable. With some health conditions it is widely recognised that there is on going low grade inflammation. Low grade inflammation increases with age. In clinic I see ongoing inflammation with some clients if they have an ongoing health condition such as arthritis. One marker to keep an eye on in a standard blood test is CRP (C-reactive protein) that is a marker for inflammation in the body. This test can be obtained by the GP. A more sensitive test is high sensitivity C-reactive protein test that give as it's name suggest a more sensitive or accurate reading. Women should aim for a reading less than 1.0mg/L and men less than 0.55mg/L.

Chronic Inflammation usually lasts several months to years. In some cases the person has had an injury that starts the inflammation process but the injury does not completely heal and there is constant pain but it is not specific and not only at the site of injury. It is like a roller coaster of symptoms that occur and the person is always feeling not well.

Apart from medical diseases that can cause long term inflammation in the body there are other factors that can contribute to ongoing inflammation in the body. Some of these are:

Having an inflammatory diet
An unhealthy lifestyle- high alcohol intake, smoking, not exercising, poor sleep habits, high stress
Having a food intolerance can cause wide spread inflammation around the body
Having histamine issues
Gut inflammation, having an unhealthy gut microbiome leading to more inflammation via the Kynurenine pathway
Nutrient deficiencies, Vitamin D, B12, Folate deficiency
Long term stress

Here Are Some Documented Chronic Inflammation Signs & Symptoms:

Fatigue and low energy, persistent low energy and tiredness
Body pain; muscle, joint
Depression, anxiety
Gut problems
Weight changes
Frequent infections
Skin problems
Sleep problems
Brain fog, head aches

Remedies For Inflammation

Especially if there is pain the recommended remedy usually is an NSAID type drug such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. These drugs are very effective at reducing pain however the long term use of these medicines can have adverse effects such as gut issues and stomach bleeding. More powerful drugs can have other side effects that can reduce your digestive functions and also lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Natural ways to fight inflammation is a great way to support your body when it is going through a tough time when it needs a break to repair itself. I also strongly believe it is important to get to the root cause of the inflammation to stop the inflammation cascade.

Here are some suggestions that have great potential to make a difference:

Follow a low-glycemic diet that does not upset blood sugar levels and keeps insulin in a healthy range
Include foods known for their anti-inflammatory properties:
- Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, rocket, watercress
- Eat antioxidant rich berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
- Eat fatty fish for omega 3 oils rich in anti-inflammatory properties, sardines, herrings, mackerel, wild salmon
- Include sources of other healthy fats, olive oil, nuts & seeds, avocado, coconut oil
- Eat whole grains, rolled oats, whole wheat, quinoa, barley, brown rice
- Fermented foods if tolerated, kimchi, sauerkraut, kvass
- Anti-inflammatory spices & herbs, turmeric, ginger, chilli, garlic, parsley, green tea, dark chocolate!

There are many more foods and drinks that could be added to this list. A great way forward is to follow a Mediterranean style diet approach with the addition of anti-inflammatory spices. The Mediterranean diet is high in fruit and vegetables and incorporates legumes and pulses along with anti-inflammatory extra virgin olive oil.

What to Avoid If You Have Inflammation?

Avoid foods that are refined and ultra processed that are high in glycaemic index
Avoid sugar and foods and drinks that contain it
Avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils, fried foods
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, stop smoking

Group of women running outdoors