SANTIVIA BLOG

Acute inflammation is the result of the body's response to injuries, such as a sprained ankle. We are aware of inflammation when we hurt ourselves with a sprain or a cut. The area becomes visibly swollen and hot, caused by acute inflammation. 

Acute inflammation also occurs when you have an infection. When you become infected, inflammation occurs summoning immune cells to the site to deal with the invading infecting germs. So, acute inflammation is a beneficial immune response that is part of the body's healing process. 

When does inflammation become harmful?

It is an entirely different story for ongoing low-grade inflammation and chronic inflammation. You may not even be aware that you have low-grade inflammation. Chronic inflammation accompanying auto-immune diseases is much more apparent.

Ongoing low-grade inflammation and chronic inflammation can be very damaging to health and can lead to many serious diseases such as heart disease. Common chronic conditions—including Alzheimer's, cancer, arthritis, asthma, gout, psoriasis, anaemia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and depression among them—are triggered by low-grade, long-term inflammation.

Auto-immune diseases, where the immune system attacks its own body cells, are on the rise. Chronic inflammation is both pervasive and insidious. A startling fact is that in most diseases, inflammation is present. 

Keeping the gut ecosystem healthy

Researchers believe that inflammation in the digestive tract may be the origin of a variety of inflammatory diseases. The gut microbiome consists of billions of bacteria that help us process food. A healthy gut is one with a wide diversity of bacteria and where the good bacteria outnumber the bad bacteria.

Have you ever had a craving for sugar or salty foods? It is due to the bacteria in your gut wanting to feed on these foods.

Inflammation in the gut can cause "leaky" gut. Undigested food and pathogens escape from the gut into the bloodstream, triggering an immune response. If untreated, chronic inflammation can set in, and an auto-immune disease may develop.

Antibiotics are the enemy to a healthy gut. They kill bad bacteria as well as good bacteria, hence upsetting the gut flora. Yeast overgrowth can occur, possibly leading to mouth thrush & vaginal candidiasis. Therefore antibiotics should be taken when only when necessary and we should overusing antibiotics. 

What are the unhealthy foods?

1. Sugar such as in candy, sweets and desserts, soft drinks

2. Highly processed vegetable oils such as canola, peanut, safflower, corn oil.

3. Processed meats such as luncheon meat, hot dogs, sausage, bacon

4. Refined carbohydrates, mainly from white flour such as biscuits, bread

and rolls, crackers 

5. Trans fats found in cookies, pastries and biscuits

Heal your gut with anti-inflammatory foods 

Here is a list of foods that are not only great for your gut health but incidentally also top choices for a healthy brain, according to Dr Perlmutter, a renowned neurologist.

• Berries, particularly blueberries (a key ingredient in Santivia Immune!) 
• fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel ( contains omega 3 fatty acids)
• cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and leafy green vegetables) 
• avocados 
• allium vegetables -onions, garlic, chives, shallots 

Other foods that fight inflammation are:

• Green tea
• turmeric
• olive oil
• tomatoes
• nuts

A Mediterranean diet which consists of vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, olive oil and fish, is known to be an ideal anti-inflammatory eating plan.

A Japanese diet is also an excellent eating plan because they drink green tea, eat a lot of fish and vegetables including sea vegetables.

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