Ditch Inflammation with POWERFUL “Light Fix”
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted October 17, 2022
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Inflammation gets a bad rap.
Commercials try to sell us the latest pills and potions to fight it. And drug-store shelves are lined with products designed to target it.
We’re told to wipe out inflammation at all costs because it’s bad for your body.
But that’s not entirely true.
In fact, short-term inflammation is an essential tool for your continued good health. (More on this in just a moment.)
It’s long-term or chronic inflammation that you want to avoid. It wreaks havoc on your body, damaging cells, tissues, and organs.
Many doctors will insist that this type of inflammation is a normal part of aging that you can’t do anything about. Don’t buy that nonsense.
There are various safe and easy ways to REDUCE inflammation in your body, such as quitting smoking or ditching processed sugar. But research just revealed one of the easiest inflammation-soothing moves you can make is also one of the most effective.
When you have an injury or develop an infection, your body reacts with short-term or acute inflammation. It triggers white blood cells to rush to the scene to help protect your body from invaders.
This process raises blood flow to the area, ultimately promoting healing. On the other hand, chronic inflammation isn’t such a welcome visitor.
If you were going to pick a single trigger for almost every modern disease we face today, chronic inflammation would be a good candidate.
After all, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer can all be traced back to this type of inflammation.
Chronic inflammation can be caused by a variety of things:
- Autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis
- Exposure to pollution, chemicals, and toxins
- Smoking, a diet full of refined sugars, obesity, stress, sleep issues, and dropping hormone levels
- Untreated acute inflammation
But now, new research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has revealed a powerful drug-free solution that can help us fight back against this killer.
It turns out our old friend vitamin D can help lower inflammation.
A molecule called C-reactive protein (CRP) is used to measure inflammation. Researchers used a high-powered computer to compare vitamin D levels and CRP in 294,970 people in the new study.
The team found a direct link between low vitamin D and high inflammation levels.
Getting enough vitamin D is vital. D not only helps with inflammation but also supports better health from head to toe, including boosting bone, muscle, and skin health and better blood sugar, heart, brain, and immune health.
The good news is getting enough vitamin D isn’t difficult.
- Assess your vitamin D status. Start at your doctor’s office with a blood test to check your levels. Keep in mind most of us have sagging levels after a long winter, and our highest numbers show up during the summer months.
- Get enough sun. Vitamin D is produced in your body when sunlight hits your skin. The key is to get enough without overdoing it. I believe most of us need far more than the 15 minutes of sun exposure a day you often hear recommended. Just make sure to not burn your skin.
- Consider supplements. We can get a lot of our necessary nutrients from our diet. But many of us fall short in vitamin D. So taking a daily vitamin D supplement is a good idea, especially in winter.
P.S. Beware of these 6 Conditions that STEAL your vitamin D.
Source: “Vitamin D deficiency and C-reactive protein: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study,” International Journal of Epidemiology, 2022;, 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.
View More Free Articles
Stop Obsessing Over Diet Trends
Can we stop with the endless diet debates already? Every other week there’s a new headline shouting about which diet is best for weight loss, heart health, or diabetes. Paleo, keto, low-carb, high-protein… it’s exhausting. And now, a new meta-analysis is out comparing the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and something called AHEI (that’s “Alternative...
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...
Move Over Yogurt—5 Foods That Pack MORE Probiotics
Let’s talk about your gut. The microbiome is the collection of trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in and on your body—especially in your gut—and help keep you healthy. I’ve written often about how vital it is to maintain a healthy microbiome. And you might have dutifully added yogurt to your shopping...