There are 3 main avenues we want to support to reduce global inflammation. It’s not always 100% clear what is driving these inflammatory processes, but there are clear and direct ways to help the body as a whole. We know for sure that the health of the microbiome, quality of sleep, and immune support are major players.
Firstly, we want to reduce inflammation in the body the best we can. The best way I’ve found is through spices. Turmeric, Cumin, Ginger, and Cinnamon are powerful agents. This a great tea: https://www.republicoftea.com/organic-turmeric-ginger-green-tea-bags/p/v02140/. What I would also recommend is to heat up 2 cinnamon sticks in a pot and use that as the water for the tea. You could make a large batch of cinnamon water and heat it up as needed.
Next, when it comes to gut health, it’s important to know objectively what’s going on. I’d recommend taking a stool sample test to see what may be in or out of balance. In general, we want to increase live cultures through food..examples being sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and flaxseed.
Supporting the immune system would be the next focus. High dose Omega-3 (3-4 grams / day) either through anchovies or fatty fish or through supplementation. I use a brand called Nordic Naturals which adds in Vitamin D as well. A high quality zinc supplement is also a good idea to incorporate. Lastly, and this one is big, high dose Vitamin C through an IV through a company like this one https://nsmedicine.com/iv-therapy.
Lastly, sleep. If we aren’t getting good quality sleep, our bodies release inflammatory markers. When we’re sleeping, our blood pressure naturally drops. If our sleep is being interrupted, OR we aren’t getting into REM sleep, blood vessels release inflammatory markers. Also, the glymphatic system is critical in maintaining homeostasis in the brain. As we sleep, the brain contracts ~30%, allowing spinal fluid to clean all the debris from the day between brain cells. If we aren’t completing normal sleep cycles (2-3 / night) we see an increase in inflammation as well as plaquing over time.
If you aren’t sure about the quality of your sleep, I’d recommend we run an at home sleep study for you to see exactly what’s going on and what we can do to improve it. That’s something we offer here in our practice if you’d like to learn more.
That’s it for now…yours in health,
Dr. Rich Baez