Vitamin Deficiency Drives Dangerous Inflammation
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted December 11, 2022
Inflammation is always cast as the bad guy. But the truth is, it has a critical job to do.
When part of your body is damaged it’s inflammation that’s responsible for sending extra blood and immune cells to the area to begin the healing process.
If you twist your knee, for example, inflammation gets switched on to help clear your body of the damage.
Redness and swelling are outward signs of that activity. And when the job is done inflammation gets switched back off again.
Or it’s supposed to. But sometimes things misfire and it isn’t the end of the story.
When inflammation overstays its welcome… hanging around for a long time… it switches from healer to harmer.
In fact, chronic inflammation a contributes to many of the diseases we get as we age. This includes heart disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, arthritis, and more.
Some so-called “experts” will insist widespread chronic inflammation is a normal (unavoidable) part of aging. Hogwash! Don’t buy that nonsense.
There are many things you can do to easily and safely REDUCE inflammation. And the first stop on our list of inflammation-busters is something you should be taking every day, anyway.
Researchers recently used new genetic research techniques to uncover an unexpected link between vitamin D and inflammation.
The study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology connected vitamin D (or the LACK of it) with the overproduction of C-reactive protein (CRP).
It’s produced in your liver and increases when you have inflammation. In fact, doctors measure how much CRP you have in your blood to determine the level of inflammation in your body.
The researchers concluded that vitamin D may be the perfect tool to lower inflammation. And considering how many folks don’t get enough of this vital vitamin I would have to agree.
Vitamin D is produced naturally when sunlight strikes our skin. But most of us spend too much time indoors. And the risk for a deficiency worsens in the winter because we spend even less time outside – and there’s less daylight.
Spending more time outdoors and taking a supplement can help you boost sagging D levels. But when you’re fighting chronic inflammation don’t stop there.
Try these other inflammation busters too:
- Add some powerful natural anti-inflammatories to your regular routine. Ones I recommend include fish oil, curcumin, and Boswellia.
- Get some Inflammation increases for about an hour after exercise. But then it plummets to very low levels resulting in an overall decrease in inflammation.
- Avoid processed foods and too much sugar. Both sugar and vegetable oils increase inflammation.
- Eat your veggies. Vegetables help calm inflammation.
- Take a probiotic. Your immune system controls inflammation and 70 percent of your immune cells are located in your digestive tract. So keeping your gut flora topped up with healthy bacteria can fight inflammation.
P.S. This simple mealtime trick DOUSES the fires of chronic inflammation AND fights blood sugar too!
Source:
“Vitamin D deficiency and C-reactive protein: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study” by Ang Zhou and Elina Hyppönen, 17 May 2022, International Journal of Epidemiology., DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyac087
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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