Non-disease causes of inflammation

Non-disease causes of inflammation

Non-disease causes of inflammation

By Prof. Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG), Huntington University of Health Sciences

The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of disease – as well as as a consequence of disease – is well established. When we think of chronic inflammation, we generally associate it with various disease states such as arthritis or IBD. While such an association is certainly true, it is important to remember that there are non-disease causes of inflammation that should be considered and addressed. These include diet and colder temperatures.

diet
A cross-sectional study1 was conducted with 732 women from the Nurses' Health Study I cohort who were 43-69 years old and free of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes mellitus at the time of blood sampling in 1990. Dietary intake was documented by using a validated food frequency questionnaire in 1986 and 1990. Dietary patterns were constructed using factor analysis. A prudent pattern was characterized by a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry, and whole grains, and a Western pattern was characterized by a higher intake of red and processed meats, sweets, desserts, French fries, and refined grains. Results showed that the prudent pattern was inversely associated with plasma concentrations of CRP (P = 0.02) and E-selectin (P = 0.001) after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. The Western pattern showed a positive relationship with CRP (P < 0.001), interleukin 6 (P = 0.006), E-selectin (P < 0.001), sICAM-1 (P < 0.001), and sVCAM-1 (P = 0.008) after adjustment for all confounders except BMI; with further adjustment for BMI, the coefficients for CRP (P = 0.02), E-selectin (P < 0.001), sICAM-1 (P = 0.002), and sVCAM-1 (P = 0.02) remained significant. In summary, higher intake of red and processed meats, sweets, desserts, French fries, and refined grains are associated with more inflammation.

Colder temperature
A study population consisting of a cohort of 673 men with a mean age of 74.6 years living in the greater Boston, MA area was examined every four years and blood samples were collected for inflammatory marker analyzes during 2000-2008 (1,254 total visits). . A mixed-effects model was used to examine the associations between ambient temperature and a variety of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukins -1beta, -6, and -8. The results showed that a 0 to 1 day delayed and up to four weeks cumulative response was observed for C-reactive protein in association with temperature. The researchers observed a 24.9 percent [95 percent confidence interval (CI): 7.36, 45.2] increase in C-reactive protein for a 5 degree C decrease in the four-week rolling average temperature. We watched Similar associations also appeared between temperature and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (4.52 percent, 95 percent CI: 1.05, 8.10, four-week rolling average) and between temperature and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (6.60 percent, 95 percent). Percent CI: 1.31, 12.2 over four-week moving average). In summary, cumulative exposure to reduced temperature is associated with increases in inflammatory marker levels in older men. In summary, colder temperatures are associated with more inflammation.

Conclusions
A diet with a lower intake of red and processed meats, sweets, desserts, French fries, and refined grains can help reduce the potential for inflammation. Of course, it is difficult to avoid colder temperatures if you live in a colder climate, but in any case, continued use of established natural anti-inflammatory agents such as curcumin, boswellia extract and omega-3 fatty acids can help balance these non-disease causes of inflammation.

References

Professor Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, provost for Huntington College of Health Sciences, is a nutritionist, herbalist, author and educator. For more than 37 years, he has educated and trained natural products retailers and healthcare professionals, researched and formulated natural products for dozens of dietary supplement companies, and authored articles on nutrition, herbal medicine, nutraceuticals, and integrative health topics for trade and consumer magazines and peer-reviewed publications. He can be reached at gbruno@hchs.edu.

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