Inflammation is thought to be at the root of nearly every major disease. It is regarded as the immediate result of most epigenetic concerns and can quickly debilitate systemic cellular damage. Modern research quickly discovers the underlying causes of inflammation and learning several powerful nutritional approaches to addressing the issue.
Introduction
Dietary supplements may help answer the call to arms in battling inflammation, but one must be careful. Not only should one work closely with a licensed health professional, but it is also paramount to be aware of how unregulated the dietary supplement marketplace is. Fortunately, certifying agencies like Project Non-GMO, the USDA, and QAI help assert product quality. The FDA also maintains a decent list of manufacturing standards (cGMP), which can be certified via third parties such as the NSF.
Inflammation
Before discussing which compounds may help address inflammation, let’s consider what inflammation is, how it gets measured, and why researchers feel certain nutritional compounds can help. Don’t worry—you won’t need a chemistry degree to follow along!
Inflammatory Markers
The human body, as well as many animals and microbial bodies, produces many compounds associated with inflammation. Some of these include Interleukin-6 (IL6), C-reactive protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factors, and many more.
Researchers monitor levels of these compounds when researching potential therapies for treating inflammation. Essentially, these types of biomarkers measure inflammation—find a way to lower them, and you lower the damaging effects of inflammation.
Free Radicals
Humans, along with many other forms of life on Earth, use oxygen copiously. Oxygen may keep us alive, but it also produces compounds that can cause inflammation. For example, the compound superoxide is produced naturally as our bodies metabolize oxygen for cellular respiration, fighting invading bacteria, and several other purposes.
I say “potentially” because they are quite useful. Compounds like Superoxide Dismutase are produced naturally by our bodies to help keep these potentially harmful compounds in check. Only when overproduction occurs do we start to see unchecked inflammation, cellular damage, and otherwise nasty results. Fighting back the unwanted increase in these compounds is often the target of nutritional research to reduce inflammation.
Anti-Inflammatory Supplements
With the above information, let’s consider some more popular anti-inflammatory supplements. Some are well-supported—others only well-marketed—and some require critical considerations. Remember that some supplements may work well for some people and be massive disasters for others.
Curcumin
This turmeric extract is probably the most well-known anti-inflammatory compound on the supplement market today. It’s often referenced for its anti-tumor effects and has a large body of evidence describing its ability to lower inflammatory markers.
Curcumin has been researched as an adjuvant therapy for cancer. This means that, in addition to traditional therapies, it has been shown to help improve patient outcomes.
Curcumin is thought to do this by reducing the expression of a specific compound that eliminates toxins from human cells. This allows cancer medications to target tumor cells for longer.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C therapy has shown powerful potential in lowering inflammation in various circumstances. It helps keep histamine in check, helps the body synthesize collagen, and has entered mainstream conversations about potentially serving as an anti-cancer therapy.
However, there are some essential things to consider before jumping on the Vitamin-C bandwagon. First, in most cases, Vitamin C is commonly sold as ascorbic acid—an isolated form of Vitamin C—produced from corn. Higher-quality Vitamin C sources, such as those used in hydration therapy, contain fewer traces of unwanted compounds and are better suited for health therapies.
Benfotiamine
Vitamin B1, known as thiamine, is a water-soluble compound with many health benefits. It’s an essential nutrient, meaning humans and animals need it in their diets. Several years back, researchers discovered that a semi-synthetic, fat-soluble form of thiamine was much better absorbed, tolerable, and had fewer side effects.
Fast-forward to today, we know that benfotiamine can help lower levels of IL-6, help stabilize blood sugar, and may even help reverse some conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, where age-related cognitive decline is an issue. The keyword here is maybe. May of its wide-reaching health benefits can be traced back to its ability to keep inflammatory markers low.
Black Seed Oil
In Ayurvedic medicine, black cumin seed oil has been described as “curing everything but death.” It’s a cure-all in herbal medicine and has been attributed to successes in treating conditions ranging from ankle sprains to fungal infections and even diabetes. Spoiler alert: it helps lower inflammation! Modern research is quickly catching up to speed with black seed oil and has shed light on how it may have earned such a loved reputation.
Black seed oil has shown particular novelty in addressing lung inflammation. Research on this compound is quite mature compared to other natural compounds and has inspired several human trials to confirm its role in addressing a range of health concerns. If searching for an effective universal anti-inflammatory has left you frustrated, black seed oil may be worth keeping on your radar.
Final Thoughts
Inflammation is no joke. It sounds like something one might get after hitting the gym too hard or bumping into a table. The subtle, incremental, and often inevitable increase in systemic inflammation has been linked to nearly every major disease, including cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Inflammation is such an influential factor in our health that even the aging process results from inflammation.
No one is saying that taking anti-inflammatory supplements will cure what ails you. Nor is anyone saying that taking these supplements will help you live longer. These are but a few of the well-documented, clinically-verified (in most cases) compounds known to help mitigate inflammation in the human body. However, as much promise as they are shown, it can’t be stressed how disastrous the misguided use of these compounds may be. Always consult a doctor before adding these potent compounds to your daily regimen.
