Signs of Chronic Inflammation
- Fatigue and Brain Fog
- Unexplained Pain in Muscles and/or Joints
- Worsening Allergies and Chronic Hives
- Skin problems such as Acne and Eczema
- Autoimmune Disease
- Digestive Distress
- Swelling, Water Retention and Unexplained Weight Gain
The first sign of toxicity in the body is often immunotoxicity, toxins irritating and causing dysfunction in the immune system. An increased toxic burden in the body occurs when more toxins are entering the body than leaving, or the body is unable to eliminate toxins effectively and they get trapped in the tissues, causing damage.
Some examples of toxins include:
Heavy Metals: Such as mercury, lead , cadmium, and aluminium. These can be tested with a 6-hour provoked urine collection.
Mycotoxins: Toxins that are absorbed into the body because of mold exposure, tested through a first morning urine sample.
Chemicals: Solvents (think of anything with a smell, cleaners, gasoline, paints etc.), pesticides on produce and herbicides like glyphosate (roundup) in the environment, phthalates from plastics, and parabens from cosmetics. All these toxins can also be tested in urine.
Leaky gut makes our immune system cranky, triggering inflammation.
Our immune system is constantly patrolling for foreign proteins. In the presence of leaky gut, longer protein chains of food particles (longer than 12 amino acids, to be specific) and micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses trigger an immune response. Our immune system starts to become upregulated or cranky, as I like to say, and may start confusing the body’s own proteins as foreign.
This is autoimmune disease. The body’s own immune system is attacking tissues in the body. This could be joints, thyroid, skin, stomach, intestines, nerves, and connective tissues leading to autoimmune conditions.
Leaky gut is caused by inflammation and damage to the gut. Markers of gut inflammation include Calprotectin and Secretory IgA (the gut’s immune system). These are tested through a comprehensive stool test. Causes of leaky gut can include:
- Food Sensitivities that can trigger inflammation. Coincidentally, leaky gut will cause more food sensitivities as the immune system reacts to larger particles of food that “leak through”. This is the cause of adult-onset food sensitivities.
- Poor diet high in processed foods, sugar and alcohol
- Certain medications such as antibiotics and NSAIDS (Ibuprofen)
- Dysbiosis or an imbalance of gut bacteria
- Chronic Stress we know that elevated stress hormones disrupt the microbiome. Yet another example of how stress is bad for us.
The first step in treating inflammation is removing the root cause. Your naturopathic doctor will look for causes of inflammation and may recommend testing based on your personal health history. Treatment plans may include antimicrobials, foods and nutrients to support detoxification, food sensitivity testing and elimination diet, a plan to restore the microbiome balance, and nutrients to support gut healing.
Reducing inflammation is foundational for optimal health!
