Inflammation. It’s not just for health headlines; It’s a fact.

Scientists are measuring levels of inflammation in our bodies and finding that it can be devastating for our health. This is especially true when it becomes chronic, but even low levels of inflammation on a chronic basis can create problems and lead to disease.

Inflammation is often thought of as the root cause of all disease. This makes sense when you consider that it has been closely linked to obesity, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes - just to name a few.

As I’ve discussed often, inflammation is a vital part of our immune system's response to injury or infection. It’s our body's way of triggering the immune system to spring to action to repair damaged cells or tissues and defend our body against foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.

Without inflammation, wounds may become septic and infections deadly. But if the inflammatory process continues for too long, or if inflammation occurs in places where it’s not needed, it can become a problem anywhere in our body or brain.

Luckily, a healthy diet and lifestyle can help keep inflammation under control.