© 2016 Tammi Sweet

1

Inflammation(inflame~tosetfire)

Anytimethereisdamagetoanycellsofthebody,inflammationwillhappen.Itisthebody’s

responsetoallinjury,andinitsacutestate,itishealthy.Itisaprocesswithapurpose,a

cascadeofreactionssetintomotiontobringinnutrientsandhelperandrepaircells.

Inflammationalsoallowsthebodytocordonofftoxinsthatmayhavecomeinwiththe

wound.Afinalcharacteristicofacuteinflammationisitsself-regulatingabilitytoshut

downafter1-7daysbychemicalmessengersreleasedtostoptheinflammatorycascade.

Theofficialdefinitionofinflammationis“atissuereactiontoirritation,infectionor

injury”.

Inflammationischaracterizedbythefollowingsignsandsymptoms:

1. pain

2. heat

3. redness

4. swelling

5. andsometimeslossoffunctionorreducedrangeofmotion

Whencellsaredamagedtheydumptheircontentsintotheenvironmentaroundthem.

Somechemicals,calledcytokines,are;histamine,bradykinin,prostaglandinsandothers

thatsignaltotherestofthebodysomethinghasgonewrong.Thesechemicalscanget

manyprocessesinmotionthatareimportanttowoundhealingandrepair.Specialized

whitebloodcells(NeutrophilsandMacrophages)alsohavetheabilitytomigratetoan

injuredareaandreleasethesamechemicals.

Someofthecytokinescausethebloodvesselsintheareatovasodilate.Vasodilationisan

increaseinbloodvesseldiameter.Vasodilationincreasestheamountofbloodflowinginto

thearea.Theincreasedbloodflowtotheareabringsinmorehelp.Thehelpfulcellsare

thrombocytes(platelets)tohelpclotanybreaksinbloodvessels,Neutrophilsand

monocytes(bothtypesofwhitebloodcells)tohelpphagocytize(eat)anyinvaders,dead

cells,ordebris.Monocytesareabletoleavethebloodandenterthetissuefluid

(extracellular).Whentheyleavetheblood,theyarecalledmacrophages.

Thechemicalsreleasedbydamagedcellsalsohavetheabilitytomakelocalbloodvessels

morepermeable.Thismeansmorefluidandcellsthanusualcanleakoutofthecapillaries,

bathingtheareainoxygen,nutrients,cellsmentionedabove.Thisfluiddilutestoxins,

washesawayharmfulchemicalsandmicrobialinvaders.

Vasodilationandincreasedpermeabilitycausetheheat,swellingandrednessassociated

withinflammation.

Paincanbecausedbyprostaglandinsstimulatingpainreceptorsinthearea,toxins

releasedbyinvadingbacteriairritatingnerveendingsand/orincreasedfluidinthearea

stimulatingthepainnerveendings.Painalertsusthatweneedtotakecareof

something…eitherbynotmoving,puttingaband-aidonit,orseekinghelp.

Inflammationiscategorizedaseitheracuteorchronic.

© 2016 Tammi Sweet

2

AcuteInflammation• Lasts1-7days

• Defendsandrepairs

• Localized

• Beneficial

• Adaptive

ChronicInflammation• Destroystissue

• Detrimental

• Self-perpetuating

• Disruptshomeostasis

• Maladaptive

• Involvedinallchronicdisease

© 2016 Tammi Sweet

3

© 2016 Tammi Sweet

4

WhathappenselsewhereduringAcuteInflammation?Damagedendothelialcells,macrophagesandplateletshaveallbeensecretingvarious

cytokines.Oneofthem,Interleukin-6,(IL-6),travelstotheLimbicbrain,causing“brain

fogg”andthedepressedfeelingwefeelwhensick.Alloftheinflammatorycytokinestravel

throughtheliverandsignalittobeginmakingmoreinflammatoryproteins.Upto45grams

perdayofproteinsignalsaremadebythelivereverydaywhenthisishappening.Some

signalingproteinsmadebytheliveranddumpedintothebloodare:

Initial:

C-reactiveproteinManosbindingprotein

AmyloidA

Later:

Fibrinogen

Prothrombin

Complement

Ferratin

*Afteroneweekallofthissignalingshouldbeturnedoffbyour“off-switches”,theanti-

inflammatorycytokines.

WhyDoWeHaveChronicInflammation?

1. Notenough“off-switches”.

2. Ongoingtriggers

a. Lackofmovement(formerlyknownasexercise)

b. TheGut

c. TheNose

© 2016 Tammi Sweet

5

HowToWorkWithChronicInflammation

1. Lookforpatternratherthandiagnosis

2. Helpthebodymakemoreoffswitches.

a. Oilchange

b. Supportthegutbacteria

3. Checkongoingtriggersofinflammation

• TheGut:gluten,lectins,dairy,glucose,transfats

• Toxicload:Heavymetals,phthalates

• Lackofmovement

• Oxidativestress

• Stress

• TheNose

• NSAIDS

4. ModifyMediators

• Nutrients

• Anti-oxidants

• PhytochemicalsinWHOLEPLANTS

• TGFbetaingut

5. ProgramtheImmunesystem

AttheCellularLevel

© 2016 Tammi Sweet

6