Inflammation in the body is a normal and healthy response to injury or attack by germs. We can see it, feel it and measure it as redness, swelling, and pain. This is the body’s way of getting more nourishment and more immune activity into an area that needs to fend off infection or heal. But inflammation isn’t always helpful. It also has great destructive potential, which we see when the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s own tissues in (autoimmune) diseases like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.Whole-body inflammation refers to chronic, imperceptible, low-level inflammation. Mounting evidence suggests that over time this kind of inflammation sets the foundation for many serious, age-related diseases including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.Your diet has a huge impact on whole-body inflammation, so much so that it’s possible most people in our part of the world go through life in a pro-inflammatory state as a result of what they eat. One of the most important things you can do to counter chronic inflammation is to stop eating refined, processed and manufactured foods. You’ve probably also heard of many people adding turmeric or curcumin to their diet and supplement regimen.Turmeric, the main spice in curry, is one of the most powerful herbs on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease. It has so many healing properties that currently there have been more than 6,000 peer-reviewed articles published proving the benefits of turmeric and one of its renowned healing compounds curcumin. One of the most powerful aspects of curcumin is its ability to control inflammation.The journal Oncogene published the results of a study that evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and ibuprofen are least effective, while curcumin, is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world.In addition to being an effective anti-inflammatory, curcumin has high anti-oxidant properties. Curcumin happens to be a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure; and it boosts the activity of the body’s own antioxidant enzymes. Studies also exist that show curcumin’s importance in fighting heart disease, neuro-degenerative conditions and even cancer.If you’d like to talk about introducing turmeric or curcumin into your diet or supplements, just let us know the next time you schedule an appointment.