How Inflammation Triggers Diabetes - And Anti-Inflammatory Tips to Live By
Inflammation is emerging as a key factor underlying the development of type 2 diabetes, and it's one that many people have not heard of.
A normal and completely natural body response, inflammation is a process by which your white blood cells and body chemicals protect you from bacteria, viruses and infection.
You can detect acute inflammation in your body by redness, warmth, swelling and pain at the site of an injury.
These are signs that your body is actively fighting an infection.
However, under many circumstances -- often due to lifestyle factors or an over-reactive immune system -- inflammation can become chronic, leading to a low-grade state of disrepair in your body.
In this case, inflammation causes no outwardly symptoms even though it may be causing damage to your system, which is why it's also known as "silent" inflammation.
Chronic "silent" inflammation is not only implicated in chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, but also in type 2 diabetes.
The Diabetes-Obesity-Inflammation Link Inflammation appears to be intricately linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.
White blood cells called macrophages trigger inflammation as part of your immune response.
Macrophages also release cell-signaling chemicals called cytokines, which cause cells to become insulin resistant, a condition in which your body has lost the ability to utilize insulin appropriately, and type 2 diabetes often follows.
In people who are obese, research shows that macrophages move into fat tissue where they release cytokines and interfere with the cells' ability to use insulin properly.
[1] This is a likely reason why people who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In fact, it's widely known that obesity contributes to a state of low-grade "silent" inflammation as well as insulin resistance.
However, obesity is not the only inflammatory state that can trigger insulin resistance.
Other inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis C and inflammatory lung diseases are also linked to an increased risk of diabetes, which suggests that not only may type 2 diabetes be an inflammatory disease as well, but inflammation may also be to blame for why obesity triggers insulin resistance and diabetes.
[2] To put it simply, the location of the inflammation or inflammatory cytokines in your body will dictate what health condition or symptoms develop.
For instance, inflammation in your brain may lead to Alzheimer's, inflammation in your joints can lead to arthritis, and widespread systemic inflammation can lead to cancer, fibromyalgia and more.
Separate research has also shown that a protein called Fox01 stimulates macrophages and the production of cytokines called interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), which lead to insulin resistance.
[3] Insulin typically helps to inhibit Fox01, which means that when your cells are no longer sensitive to insulin, Fox01 can trigger inflammation unchecked.
It's a complex cycle, however, as too much insulin is also a marker for inflammation.
This is why a fasting insulin blood test, typically used to screen for diabetes, can be a marker for inflammation; higher insulin levels typically mean you have higher inflammation levels.
Of course, obesity is only one factor that's associated with silent inflammation in your body.
It's possible, and quite common, to have chronic inflammation even if you're not overweight or obese, and this is often due to lifestyle factors.
Your Diet and Your Lifestyle Habits Can Increase Inflammation, Too Many factors can stimulate chronic inflammation in your body, including:
This includes:
How do you know if you have chronic inflammation? The C-Reactive Protein (CRP) test is the most common test used to detect inflammation; it measures a protein in your body that increases during systemic inflammation.
In one study, women with elevated CRP levels were found to be nearly 16 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with lower levels -- and even after adjusting for other risk factors, the risk was still over four times as high.
[4] However, whether you know you have elevated CRP levels or not, it's a good idea to take the steps above to reduce inflammation in your body.
All of us are impacted by inflammation to varying degrees, and the best option to keep the chronic, diabetes-linked type away is to lead a healthy lifestyle as described above.
References 1.
Diabetes, 2010; 59 (7): 1648 2.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation 2005;115(5):1111-1119.
3.
November 2009 vol.
58 no.
11 2624-2633 4.
JAMA.
2001;286(3):327-334.
A normal and completely natural body response, inflammation is a process by which your white blood cells and body chemicals protect you from bacteria, viruses and infection.
You can detect acute inflammation in your body by redness, warmth, swelling and pain at the site of an injury.
These are signs that your body is actively fighting an infection.
However, under many circumstances -- often due to lifestyle factors or an over-reactive immune system -- inflammation can become chronic, leading to a low-grade state of disrepair in your body.
In this case, inflammation causes no outwardly symptoms even though it may be causing damage to your system, which is why it's also known as "silent" inflammation.
Chronic "silent" inflammation is not only implicated in chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, but also in type 2 diabetes.
The Diabetes-Obesity-Inflammation Link Inflammation appears to be intricately linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.
White blood cells called macrophages trigger inflammation as part of your immune response.
Macrophages also release cell-signaling chemicals called cytokines, which cause cells to become insulin resistant, a condition in which your body has lost the ability to utilize insulin appropriately, and type 2 diabetes often follows.
In people who are obese, research shows that macrophages move into fat tissue where they release cytokines and interfere with the cells' ability to use insulin properly.
[1] This is a likely reason why people who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In fact, it's widely known that obesity contributes to a state of low-grade "silent" inflammation as well as insulin resistance.
However, obesity is not the only inflammatory state that can trigger insulin resistance.
Other inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis C and inflammatory lung diseases are also linked to an increased risk of diabetes, which suggests that not only may type 2 diabetes be an inflammatory disease as well, but inflammation may also be to blame for why obesity triggers insulin resistance and diabetes.
[2] To put it simply, the location of the inflammation or inflammatory cytokines in your body will dictate what health condition or symptoms develop.
For instance, inflammation in your brain may lead to Alzheimer's, inflammation in your joints can lead to arthritis, and widespread systemic inflammation can lead to cancer, fibromyalgia and more.
Separate research has also shown that a protein called Fox01 stimulates macrophages and the production of cytokines called interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), which lead to insulin resistance.
[3] Insulin typically helps to inhibit Fox01, which means that when your cells are no longer sensitive to insulin, Fox01 can trigger inflammation unchecked.
It's a complex cycle, however, as too much insulin is also a marker for inflammation.
This is why a fasting insulin blood test, typically used to screen for diabetes, can be a marker for inflammation; higher insulin levels typically mean you have higher inflammation levels.
Of course, obesity is only one factor that's associated with silent inflammation in your body.
It's possible, and quite common, to have chronic inflammation even if you're not overweight or obese, and this is often due to lifestyle factors.
Your Diet and Your Lifestyle Habits Can Increase Inflammation, Too Many factors can stimulate chronic inflammation in your body, including:
- Overweight and obesity
- Unhealthy diet
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Lack of exercise
- Gum disease
- Smoking
- Stress
- Long-term infections
This includes:
- Avoiding pro-inflammatory foods.
The following foods may contribute to systemic inflammation: trans fats (found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil), fried foods, sugar, bread and other refined carbs, soda, alcohol, and polyunsaturated vegetable oils. - Eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods.
Foods that help reduce inflammation include fresh fruits and vegetables, and wild-caught seafood (for the omega-3 fats). - Exercising
- Quitting smoking
- Reducing stress in your life
- Considering certain anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, such as turmeric, ginger and boswellia.
How do you know if you have chronic inflammation? The C-Reactive Protein (CRP) test is the most common test used to detect inflammation; it measures a protein in your body that increases during systemic inflammation.
In one study, women with elevated CRP levels were found to be nearly 16 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with lower levels -- and even after adjusting for other risk factors, the risk was still over four times as high.
[4] However, whether you know you have elevated CRP levels or not, it's a good idea to take the steps above to reduce inflammation in your body.
All of us are impacted by inflammation to varying degrees, and the best option to keep the chronic, diabetes-linked type away is to lead a healthy lifestyle as described above.
References 1.
Diabetes, 2010; 59 (7): 1648 2.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation 2005;115(5):1111-1119.
3.
November 2009 vol.
58 no.
11 2624-2633 4.
JAMA.
2001;286(3):327-334.
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