logo
Five free, easy ways to fight chronic inflammation

Five free, easy ways to fight chronic inflammation

The Guardian7 days ago
Inflammation – the body's evolutionary response to infection, injury, or other threats – has been a trending topic in the health world. Some scientists have even called inflammation 'the cause of all diseases'. But what actually causes inflammation, and what fights it?
In some contexts, inflammation is good. When the body faces an acute threat – say, an ear infection or a sprained ankle, it responds with acute inflammation – an immune system process marked by fever, swelling and pain in the affected area.
But in the face of chronic threats – say, from trauma or job stress, acute inflammation can become chronic, and the immune, stress and cardiometabolic responses can become dysregulated. Research links chronic inflammation with low mood, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular risks, and a range of health conditions, including depression and dementia.
A growing number of products and routines – like red light masks and de-puffing regimens – claim to fight the signs of inflammation. Many nutritional methods have proven to help chronic inflammation, too – such as eating a vegetable-heavy Mediterranean diet or more whole grains and omega-3-rich fish.
But cost and access issues can get in the way of these solutions. Plus, they may not address a major root cause, as increasing evidence says chronic stress can induce chronic inflammation.
To prevent and manage chronic stress, more health professionals are offering 'social prescriptions', or referrals to non-medical, community-based, de-stressing activities. Often, these activities are free or the costs are covered by another party, like an insurer or local non-profit.
Dr Alan Siegel, executive director of non-profit Social Prescribing USA and a family physician at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, has prescribed community walks, painting classes and museum visits to his patients for over two decades. 'Whether somebody walks into my office with type 2 diabetes or depression, I've seen how social prescriptions can help patients truly heal and adopt healthier lifestyles in the long-term.'
Over 30 countries and a dozen US states have social prescribing programs, which have led to improved health and reduced pressure on healthcare.
But even without a doctor's note or a thick wallet, anyone can engage in these scientifically backed anti-inflammatory activities.
Spend time in nature
Forest-bathing – engaging in natural environments with all five senses – is a known wellbeing booster. But according to Dr Qing Li, professor of clinical medicine at Nippon Medical school in Tokyo, forest bathing can also help support healthy functioning of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, a key player in controlling the stress and inflammation response.
'Forest environments can promote relaxation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the 'rest and digest' functions,' says Dr. Li. It can also reduce activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the 'fight or flight' responses. By helping to prevent and manage stress, forest bathing can also help prevent and manage chronic inflammation.
A series of Li's studies show that forest bathing can reduce the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. Other research similarly finds time in nature can reduce physiological markers of stress, like cortisol, and the perception of stress. One study found just 20 minutes of nature per day can make a difference in stress levels.
Engage with art and music
Art can also promote relief from chronic stress. In one study, healthy adults who participated in a 45-minute art-making session saw significantly lower levels of cortisol afterward.
Feelings of stress are related to a loss of control, says Dr Girija Kaimal, professor of creative arts therapies at Drexel University, who co-authored the study. Creating art helps us feel like 'there's something we have a sense of agency over' and 'lets us take charge of the distress'.
The study's participants self-reported that they found art-making relaxing, enjoyable, 'freeing from constraints', and conducive to flow and self-discovery. 'Distraction is a great initial coping mechanism to help us calm down after a stressful event, but art can help us dig deeper – it helps us pay attention to what distressed us, and it'll help the next time something similar sets us off,' says Kaimal.
It's important to create 'the kind of art that speaks to you,' says Kaimal – whether it's writing, dancing, or drawing – and skill level doesn't matter. 'You want to get into a judgment-free zone where you can play and have fun without consequences.'
A growing body of research suggests experiencing art, not just creating it, can also promote inflammation reduction. Some research has found listening to music, for instance, can reduce blood pressure and cortisol. Researchers at the University of Florida have been documenting the health benefits of engaging with the arts, with some studies suggesting just one to three hours of related activity per week can reduce risk of depression and cognitive decline.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Well Actually
Free weekly newsletter
Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life
Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our
Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
Move your body
Beyond reducing stress, exercise is linked to a number of other anti-inflammatory benefits. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective because bodily movement was often linked with fighting a predator or fighting for our lives, says Dr. Michael Gleeson, emeritus professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University. 'The body puts its survival first,' and temporarily inhibits the inflammatory response so it can use energy more efficiently, he says.
In his co-authored research, Gleeson suggests exercise not only induces an anti-inflammatory environment in the short-term, but may also reduce visceral fat mass in the long-term. The accumulation of visceral fat can drive and worsen chronic inflammation by promoting development of insulin resistance, atherosclerosis and other diseases linked to physical inactivity.
Other research finds that exercise can significantly reduce production of pro-inflammatory proteins, like CRP and IL-6, and increase anti-inflammatory proteins, like IL-10.
To reap these and other benefits, the World Health Organization recommends adults spend at least 150 minutes each week on moderate aerobic activity, like brisk walking and cycling, or 75 minutes on vigorous activity, like running, Zumba or sports. A longitudinal study finds sports involving social interaction – such as tennis, badminton and soccer – are best at promoting health and longevity.
Support other people
Because cooperation with others has historically been essential for survival, our bodies have evolved to respond to the absence of social connections. The late neuroscientist Dr John Cacioppo compares this evolutionary response to hunger. Just as hunger signals the absence of energy and nutrients and cues the body to find food, loneliness signals the absence of social connections, and cues us to seek out or repair relationships.
That's why multiple studies link feelings of loneliness and social isolation to a range of stress responses, including increased pro-inflammatory proteins and dysregulated cortisol function.
Conversely, studies link high levels of social support to lower cortisol, and link social activities like volunteering and giving social support to lower pro-inflammatory proteins.
Experience 'awe'
Within all of these activities, the experience of awe – a feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends our current understanding of the world – can also reduce inflammation.
Dr Jennifer Stellar, a professor of psychology at University of Toronto, co-authored a study that links awe to greater positive affect and lower inflammatory proteins.
Further research is underway but Stellar suggests 'that positive emotions can undo the effects of negative emotions, and negative emotions are associated with inflammation'. Another reason is that 'awe makes us feel connected to others, and social connection has been documented to act as a buffer against inflammatory responses.'
So how can you encounter awe? Her co-author, Dr Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at University of Berkeley California and renowned awe expert, says that it can result from engagement with the 'eight wonders of life': the moral beauty of others, nature, collective movement, music, visual design, spirituality and religion, big ideas, and the cycle of life and death.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EXCLUSIVE New mom details shocking cost of giving birth in America
EXCLUSIVE New mom details shocking cost of giving birth in America

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE New mom details shocking cost of giving birth in America

A new mom has shared the shockingly high cost of giving birth in America - and it's well over six figures. Emily Fisher, 36, from Columbus, Ohio, welcomed twin girls last month and was left stunned when she saw an insurance claim come through for her delivery that was over $10,000. Completely shocked by the immense figure, she decided to go back and total up all the bills she had received over the course of her pregnancy to determine just how much having a baby in the US really costs. And after adding everything up, Emily found that having her baby girls would have cost her a whopping $120,527.51 had she not had insurance. She shared her findings in a video shared to TikTok earlier this month and it quickly went viral, leaving thousands across the globe just as surprised as she was. 'So I am five weeks postpartum with twin girls and I've been seeing a lot of headlines recently about how the birth rate in America is declining and how concerning that is,' Emily began in the video. 'I thought to myself, I could think of a lot of reasons why the birth rate might be declining. First and foremost, cost. 'So I decided to take it upon myself and look at every bill that I received over the course of my pregnancy and total what it costs to deliver twins in America.' Emily explained that she is considered 'advanced maternal age' and was pregnant with 'dichorionic diamniotic twins' which made her pregnancy 'high risk.' In addition, about halfway through the pregnancy her doctor raised concerns about potential 'fetal growth restriction,' so from about 22 weeks on she had to have two appointments every week with her OBGYN and a maternal fetal medicine specialist to make sure the babies were healthy. 'So what was the total cost of that? From the start of my pregnancy through delivery and me walking out of those hospital doors, the total bill for my care was $120,527.51,' she said in the video. 'Now I am very fortunate great insurance and I have a low deductible so over the course of my pregnancy out of pocket I paid $2,038.70. 'I know that is relatively good but still, $2,000 for something that is considered necessary and vital to the future of America is pretty significant.' Emily added that on top of that, her newborns both received bills for their delivery. 'It's kind of funny, they're not even able to blink yet and they've already been billed more than the total cost of my student loans,' she continued. 'Baby A received a bill for $15,124.55 and Baby B was billed $14,875.55, I guess there was some sort of sibling discount. She added, 'The total cost I owed for those two bills was $750, which was the cost of my deductible.' The bills are seen above 'The total cost I owed for those two bills was $750, which was the cost of my deductible.' She then broke down what some of the highest costs were during the pregnancy. Unsurprisingly, the delivery itself and the hospital stay afterwards was the most costly expense. Emily explained that she had a scheduled C-section at 37 weeks and spent four days in the hospital post delivery, and the total cost of her care before insurance was $65,665.50. The second highest cost during the pregnancy was an appointment she had about seven months in, during which she complained to her doctor that she was having headaches. She said they took her blood pressure and it was slightly elevated, so they monitored the heart rate of the babies for 20 minutes to 'make sure they were okay.' She was then given 'two extra strength Tylenol' and they 'did some blood work.' 'The cost that was billed to my insurance for that visit was $9,115,' shared the new mom. 'All things considered, I'm very grateful for the experience that I had and very grateful to have great insurance, but I know that for a lot of people who live in America that is simply not possible,' she concluded. 'And if I did not have insurance delivery my two baby girls, I would not be able to afford it. 'In fact, I probably would have had to file bankruptcy had I not had insurance. So when people act confused why the birth rates are down, maybe it's not necessarily all attributed to lifestyle choices, maybe it's not because people aren't feeling the vibe of having kids, maybe it's because the cost of having a baby in America is over six figures.' While chatting with the Daily Mail about it, Emily, who used to work on the healthcare space, said she believes the insurance system in America 'needs a complete overhaul.' 'Given that the US is the one of (if not the only) developed nation in the world without some sort of universal healthcare, we're falling behind,' she said. 'People are spending too much on basic and necessary care. Medical debt is one of the number one reasons for bankruptcy in the US, and it shouldn't be that way. 'If we invested in a system that put the health its people first, everyone would be better off. 'And given the decline in birth rates, if our politicians are genuinely concerned about falling birth rates, they would be incentivizing people to have children. You shouldn't have to pay to give birth.' She added that while she was 'shocked' by the high number that her insurance was billed, she was 'not surprised at the same time.' 'The first thing that came to mind when I saw the total was, "How do people without insurance afford this?"' she shared. 'But I've always known that healthcare in America is a business. Ultimately, like most necessities in the US, privatized insurance is designed to make money.' She said she certainly wasn't expecting her video, which was viewed more than one million times, to get as much attention as it did, but she's so glad that it has sparked a conversation. 'I hope my video makes people think twice about having kids in America. Because until the system is redesigned to truly support the people, we shouldn't be buying into it,' she concluded. 'I'm fortunate to have good health coverage. I'm not on the hook for much as far as the cost of my pregnancy, but that is only the beginning for my family and what we'll pay to raise my kids. 'Now we have to think about things like paying for their health coverage, daycare, food, housing and college. 'All of these things are only getting more and more expensive and almost unreachable for people.'

Richard Bacon reveals he's now reliant on heartburn tablets and vitamin injections to cope with the fallout from his heavy drinking - and quit AA because it's 'boring'
Richard Bacon reveals he's now reliant on heartburn tablets and vitamin injections to cope with the fallout from his heavy drinking - and quit AA because it's 'boring'

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Richard Bacon reveals he's now reliant on heartburn tablets and vitamin injections to cope with the fallout from his heavy drinking - and quit AA because it's 'boring'

Richard Bacon has opened up about his long-running struggle with alcohol addiction - admitting he's sleep-deprived and reliant on heartburn tablets and vitamin injections to cope with the fallout from heavy drinking. Richard was famously just 18 months into his dream job at Blue Peter when he was fired at the age of 22 after admitting he took cocaine in a London nightclub in 1997. He has since been open about his continuing addiction struggles, recently opening up in a candid podcast chat. The presenter, now 49, said that he struggles to take accountability after a doctor told him his addiction is a disease inherited from his alcoholic mother. 'I went to see an alcohol doctor not long ago,' he said in the chat. 'I'm not out of control or anything, but I do think I should drink less. It affects your sleep and I get bored of being tired. 'I don't get enough sleep because I drink too much. I enjoy drinking.' Speaking on The Perfect Day podcast with Jessica Knappett, he added: 'You know you drink too much when you have a lot of Rennie. You know you're middle aged and you drink too much and you're popping those things.' The father-of-two also confessed to a regular habit of having vitamin B12 injections to cope with the after-effects of drinking too much. 'A vitamin B12 injection in your bum is famously good for hangovers. It brings you back to life,' he said. 'At the end of last year and for the first few months of this year, I had one a week. I've got this doctor - he's a bit like Michael Jackson's doctor - he just gives me anything I ask for.' 'At one point I had eight prescriptions and there wasn't really much wrong with me. He's just like, 'you're a bit deficient in this, bit deficient in that. Bit of this, bit of that.' A lot of it's sort of vitamin based, but weirdly prescription based. But it did work… He's terrific.' Richard was sacked from children's TV programme Blue Peter in 1998 after admitting to taking cocaine. To this day he is the only presenter in the history of the show to have been sacked. 'I got a Blue Peter job at 21 and then lost it at 22 and it was a big scandal at the time,' Richard reflected. 'I suppose there's something about getting caught for taking drugs where you can just come back, can't you? It's not one of the worst ones. 'There are far worse ones that make you look like a malicious person. If you beat someone up, do something aggressively sexual, say something racist... those reveal something about you that people don't like. I think the desire to get drunk and get high is something people generally can get over.' Now a successful creator of TV formats and the man behind shows like This Is My House and I Literally Just Told You, Richard admits his lifestyle can still get in the way. 'What I find annoying about myself is if I have a night of not drinking, I'll go into the office - I work on ideas... and I'll just have so much energy, and I'll be better at it.' Despite still drinking regularly, he added he ditched Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) because he found the meetings 'boring'. 'I've gone through loads of periods of stopping, and I've done periods of AA. I admire AA. It's a strange combination of people telling the most dramatic stories you've ever heard that I find really boring. I'm not even joking.' He recalled one meeting in Chelsea with several famous faces in the room. 'This guy was telling this story - he'd come out of prison and he'd gone to prison because he'd got high and he'd stolen a car and he was chased by a police helicopter then he drove through a police barricade. And I remember just sitting there checking my watch going, 'boring!' 'Imagine someone you know telling you that story? But somehow it's just one dramatic story after another, and it became a bit numb to it.' Despite this, he praised the 'generosity' of long-term sober members who continue to attend meetings seemingly to help others. 'If I'd been sober for 15 years, I wouldn't still be going to AA, and listening to more stories,' he said. 'I think for some of them, they are fairly certain they won't drink again but they do want to help. So it's a very positive place. It just didn't work for me.' Richard, who said he was diagnosed with 'a particularly strong strain of ADHD' aged 42, recently consulted a specialist about why he drinks so much - and was told he inherited the destructive tendency. 'My mum's basically an alcoholic. My granddad died of alcoholism. He went, 'Well that's why, it's just genetics.' 'I said, some people think it's the result of childhood trauma or something you've been running away from or not dealt with. And he was like, 'Nah, it's just genetics. It's a disease.' 'So now I think I can just say to my wife: it's not my fault! It's grandad's fault. It's mum's fault.' He added: 'I drink and I enjoy it and I don't seem to get in trouble so it's fine. It's not so much that I'm worried about being dangerous. I just the calories and the sleep. That bit is annoying.' To slash calories in his drink, he said, he avoids beer and red wine and sticks to vodka - particularly in the form of a martini with a twist. 'When you go to a bar and order vodka and they go, what sort of vodka do you want? I think they all taste the same! It's so irrelevant.' The former Radio 5 Live and Capital FM host lives in north London with his wife Rebecca McFarlane and their two children, Arthur, 13, and Ivy, 11. He admits parenthood didn't quite sober him up the way people might expect. '[Rebecca] had always wanted to be a mum,' he explained. 'So it was a really wonderful thing, but I think she looks back with disappointment at me at that time because I was still going out and not pulling my weight and coming in late. 'I think those first few years, I didn't snap into what you're kind of required to do quickly enough. So there was too much of a burden on her.' He continued: 'I hadn't wanted to be a parent until I met her, and then we fell in love really intensely. And she would talk about kids a lot, and that made me think, oh, right, OK. 'I recently tried to imagine having another baby... I'm so pleased I'm out of that phase. Rebecca did the real work here, but it is definitely harder than people say. 'No one really says how hard it is. They're constantly relying on me to keep them alive. It's like, f***ing hell. When they're young - two, three, four - they're flat out annoying.'

Obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk plunges as it cuts forecasts again
Obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk plunges as it cuts forecasts again

Reuters

time2 hours ago

  • Reuters

Obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk plunges as it cuts forecasts again

COPENHAGEN, July 29 (Reuters) - Obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk ( opens new tab on Tuesday cut its full-year sales and operating profit forecasts for the second time this year, sending its shares down as much as 17%. The maker of weight-loss drug Wegovy is struggling to convince investors it can remain competitive in the obesity drug boom against U.S. rival Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab. Novo shares have fallen sharply over the past year. "The lowered sales outlook for 2025 is driven by lower growth expectations for the second half of 2025," the company said in a statement. "This is related to lower growth expectations for Wegovy in the U.S. obesity market, lower growth expectations for Ozempic in the U.S. GLP-1 diabetes market, as well as lower-than-expected penetration for Wegovy in select IO (International Operations) markets," it said. Novo now expects 2025 sales growth of 8%-14% in local currencies, down from its previous 13%-21% forecast range. It also lowered its operating profit growth estimate to 10%-16%, from 16-24% previously. Sales rose 18% year-on-year in both the second quarter and the first half of the year, Novo said. Its operating profit increased by 40% in the April-June quarter and by 29% in the first half, the company added. Booming sales of Wegovy catapulted Novo to become Europe's most valuable listed company in 2024, peaking at about 615 billion euros, but the value has since fallen by more than half. CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen was ousted in May by Novo and its controlling shareholder, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, but will remain in his position until a successor is appointed. The company is scheduled to release full second-quarter earnings on August 6.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store