Extraordinary Health Magazine EHMagazine Vol 38_Final | Page 28

REDUCING INFLAMMATION
For Health
by David Perlmutter, M.D.
The leading causes of death and disability worldwide are chronic degenerative
conditions. These familiar diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer,
Alzheimer’s disease, and type II diabetes are increasing globally, at a dramatic rate,
in every region, and in all socioeconomic classes. To be clear, chronic degenerative
conditions exceed deaths caused by famine, war, and even infectious diseases. And
importantly, this was not always the case.
What has changed? Certainly, it hasn’t been our genetics. Our DNA has changed very
little in the past hundred thousand years. And yet, we are suddenly experiencing a
virtual explosion in the prevalence of these conditions.
To understand why these conditions
are now so widespread, we have to ask
if there’s any shared mechanism that
underlies chronic degenerative diseases
as a group. And indeed, there is. In a word,
its inflammation. All of these conditions
represent a consequence of increased
levels of inflammation within the body.
And higher levels of inflammation can
damage heart arteries, the brain, the
joints, and even disrupt the function
of the immune system allowing cancer
to manifest.
So, if inflammation is at the root of what are now the most
pervasive diseases on our planet, it really makes sense to explore
how our modern world is amping up inflammation as this should
clearly provide us some action points to live a healthier and
longer life.
26 Vol 38• Extraordinary Health ™
Food, Probiotics & Fiber
Without question, the biggest environmental
change that humans have experienced worldwide
in the past several decades has been in the area
of the type of foods consumed. The so-called,
“Western diet” has unfortunately become pretty
much the global norm—high in ultra-processed
components, sugar, and refined carbohydrates
which dramatically enhances inflammation. Of
the 1.2 million foods typically sold in American
grocery stores, approximately 68% contain added
sugar. And an incredible 58% of food consumed by
Americans is ultra-processed.
Forward-thinking healthcare providers are dialing in to diets
that are designed to reduce inflammation. These are diets that
emphasize whole foods from natural sources, low in sugar and
refined carbohydrates, primarily plant-based, with an emphasis
on providing adequate amounts of healthy fats. In addition, there