Silent Inflammation: The Underestimated Danger in Our Body
Inflammation once again shows us what a sophisticated system our body truly is. Contrary to popular belief, inflammation is not initially a bad thing. Rather, it is a highly intelligent mechanism our body uses to repair damaged tissue. However, if this important and useful repair mechanism falls out of its natural balance, it can have far-reaching consequences for our health.
Particularly insidious are the so-called “silent inflammations,” which spread unnoticed throughout our body. Such smoldering inflammation is the cause of many serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, or cancer. Unfortunately, in conventional medicine, most of these diseases are still usually treated only symptomatically, typically with cortisone or other medications with many side effects. The question of the actual cause, i.e. the original focus of inflammation, is generally neglected.
What Is Inflammation?
But first, let us clarify what inflammation actually is. Inflammation is an important protective and defensive reaction of our body to harmful external or internal stimuli. Or, put another way: inflammation is a repair measure initiated by our immune system in order to contain and defend against damage or irritation of the tissue and then repair the damage. In a sense, inflammation ignites a healing process.
During inflammation, various defensive substances are released. Among other things, these cause the blood vessels in the tissue to widen, allowing more blood and other fluids to reach the inflamed area. The immune cells in the blood support healing. Pain and functional limitations are intended to ensure that we protect the affected area. Once the trigger has been eliminated and the injured tissue repaired, the inflammatory reaction normally subsides.
However, if the body does not manage to eliminate the cause of the inflammation, chronic inflammation can develop. This happens, for example, in the case of permanent tissue damage that the body cannot repair. Sometimes the immune system also turns against the body itself. In that case, the immune cells do not attack foreign substances, but rather tissue that is actually healthy, as is the case with so-called autoimmune diseases. These diseases, such as rheumatism, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis, are also chronic inflammatory diseases, but they are not preceded by acute inflammation.
Possible Triggers of Inflammation
The causes of inflammation are diverse. Possible triggers for inflammatory reactions in our body include:
- “natural” pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites
- bruises, strains, or hematomas
- chemical or physical stimuli such as acids, burns, frostbite, or sunburn
- external injuries to the skin such as wounds or foreign bodies that have penetrated the skin (e.g. wood splinters)
- internal causes such as too much uric acid in gout or fat deposits in the blood vessels
- allergens such as pollen, animal hair, or foods can also lead to allergic inflammation in the body and in the mucous membranes
A local inflammatory reaction is limited to a specific part of the body. This is the case, for example, with a cut or minor wounds, but also with sinusitis or bronchitis. A so-called generalized inflammation affects several parts of the body or organs. In the worst case, the entire body is affected. Whether and to what extent inflammation spreads in the body depends on the triggering stimulus and the condition of our immune system.
The 5 Signs of Inflammation:
We are all familiar with the classic five signs of inflammation, the so-called cardinal symptoms:
redness, swelling, increased local heat, pain, and impaired function of the affected area.
However, not all symptoms always occur to the same extent.
In some cases, an inflammatory reaction is also accompanied by fever.
Silent Inflammation
Chronic inflammations that do not cause any visible or noticeable signs of inflammation and therefore spread unnoticed throughout the entire body are particularly dangerous. These so-called silent, hidden, or smoldering inflammations, known in English as silent inflammations, place an enormous burden on our organism, because inflammatory processes are continuously running in the background, often for many years. This not only burdens the metabolism, but also the body’s own detoxification system. Accordingly, silent inflammation is one of the main causes of our lifestyle diseases.
In silent inflammation, the inflammation itself becomes the problem, rather than the trigger, and thus also the cause of possible nonspecific signs of inflammation such as fatigue, headaches and aching limbs, sleep disorders, digestive problems, or increased susceptibility to infections.
If they remain undetected and untreated over the long term, silent inflammations are associated with many serious secondary diseases:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases (rheumatic diseases, multiple sclerosis)
- Arteriosclerosis
- Vascular calcification
- Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke
- Depression
- Metabolic diseases
- Metabolic syndrome
- Cancers
What Promotes Silent Inflammation?
The most common causes of silent inflammation are a combination of an unbalanced diet (too few vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and secondary plant compounds), chronic stress, and too little exercise. Other contributing factors include:
- Unhealthy lifestyle (heavy smoking, frequent alcohol consumption)
- Exposure to environmental toxins
- Allergies
- Abdominal fat
- Impaired digestion / gut flora
- Acidosis (shift in the acid-base balance)
- Acute foci of inflammation that have not fully healed (such as sinusitis or inflammation of the jawbone)
Our Tip Against (Silent) Inflammation:
dr. reinwald metabolic regulation®
In conventional medical practice, unfortunately, the causes of inflammation are still rarely investigated. Reaching for cortisone or other medications remains standard in many places to this day. The fact that this only ever treats symptoms superficially, but never truly addresses the cause, is accepted. Yet it does not have to be this way!
In addition to carefully investigating the causes, the personal responsibility of the affected person plays a major role in holistic therapy. A healthy lifestyle as well as a balanced and healthy diet are essential building blocks here, not only in the treatment of inflammation or related secondary diseases, but also in their prevention. We recommend a ketogenic diet, depending on individual body weight combined with healthy weight management to reduce excess abdominal fat, as you will find in our revolutionary nutrition concept dr. reinwald metabolic regulation®.
Another central component of our holistic program is to stimulate and improve the metabolism through more movement. Ideally, this means plenty of activity in the fresh air as well as different types of exercise such as stretching for greater mobility, endurance training, or strength training. Balancing, gentler forms of exercise such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong also have a positive effect, as they help reduce stress on the one hand and also get the metabolism moving.
Also ensure good sleep hygiene – without disruptive factors and preferably with fixed sleep times, take regular time-outs, and optimize your stress management.
Do good things for your body,
so that the soul will want to live in it.
Teresa of Avila
(Silent) Inflammation – Proven Help from Nature
In keeping with the motto “nature is our best pharmacy,” there are many natural helpers known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and they have proven effective in many cases. We would like to introduce just a few of them:
- MSM, an organic sulfur compound, as well as the body’s own substances glucosamine and chondroitin, are used especially for complaints of the musculoskeletal system (joints, tendons, muscles), as they support function and regeneration and are also known for their effective pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.
You can find MSM in our products SulfoCLEAN® - MSM also occurs in fresh foods such as raw milk, sauerkraut, tomato paste, meat, and fish. Foods that contain mustard oils in particular (garlic, onions, wild garlic, radish, horseradish, leek, cabbage, mustard) are rich in organic sulfur. But beware: heating, drying, and other processing methods used in modern food preparation destroy this important nutrient.
- Vitamin C is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to citrus fruits, the camu camu plant, a member of the myrtle family that is considered a traditional remedy among the indigenous peoples of South America, is a true vitamin C powerhouse.
Our product EyeCQ provides you with fat- and water-soluble vitamin C
Other Natural Helpers Are…
- Reduced glutathione (GSH) is one of the body’s most important antioxidants and plays a key role in all detoxification processes in the body. Because reducing the toxic burden in the organism also reduces inflammation.
Our vital product Glutathion comp supports you here - Zinc is an important cofactor of glutathione and is therefore essential for protection against free radicals and thus also against inflammation.
You can find zinc in many of our products, such as VitaDK plus - The trace element boron is also known as an anti-inflammatory, as it enables repair processes in the cell.
Like zinc, boron is also an important cofactor in our products, such as VitalBASE® or Active H® - Cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger have been used in Indian and Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, including in the treatment of inflammation.
- Among our native medicinal herbs, there are also many that have proven effective in the treatment of inflammation: nettle, arnica, comfrey, yarrow, thyme, rosemary, and peppermint
Do you constantly feel irritable or exhausted and keep getting infections? Do you have elevated inflammation markers, but your doctor is not getting to the root of the cause? Do you have questions about our metabolic program dr. reinwald metabolic regulation® or would you like to get to know it? Our friendly team – consisting of therapists and naturopaths – will be happy to advise you on all aspects of inflammation. Call now or use our chat.
