Inflammation

Inflammation is, by its nature, a protective response. Some insult or injury will occur, ranging from infection to blunt injury to just plain overuse of a body part, and the body will respond with a group of physical and chemical changes that are designed to isolate the damaged body part and the infecting agent, if there is one. Although the causes are many, inflammation has some common characteristics-- namely pain, swelling, heat, redness, and loss of function of the part in question. One or all of these signs can indicate inflammation.

Although inflammation normally serves a protective response, it can get out of control and become damaging. Extreme pain can detract from quality of life, and loss of function of a body part can be either inconvenient or deadly, depending on whether we're talking about the little finger or a vital organ. In some cases, such as allergies and autoimmune disorders, the inflammatory response is basically a mistake, a case of the immune system attacking when it has no real need to. C-reactive protein, which is used as a measure of the body's history of inflammation, is a better predictor of heart attacks than cholesterol. So clearly, there are times when it's important to control inflammation. Tragically, antiinflammatory drugs, both prescription and over the counter, kill people. Drug industry estimates put the death toll for these drugs in the hundreds of thousands over the past decade. And when you think about it, running a serious risk of death for the chance at reducing inflammation isn't such a good deal.

Fortunately, there are literally thousands of natural substances that help to reduce, prevent, or relieve inflammation. Many of them are in the foods that a healthy person eats every day. Others are readily available as medicine when the need arises.

Healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, contain a arange of substances called Antioxidants. These are substances which prevent the oxidation of healthy cells and molecules-- oxidation being the process which turns shiny metal into rust, yellows the papaer of an old book, and plays a major role in the inflammatory and aging processes. Vitamin C is a mild antioxidant. So is the citric acid which makes lemons sour. Carotenoids-- the orange color in carrots and squash and sweet potatoes-- is a pretty strong antioxidant. Proanthocyanidins-- The purple or red color in grape juice, red wine, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries-- is a very powerful antioxidant. There are many others, occuring in an array of colors and a variety of whole foods. The best way to get antioxidants is not to spend a fortune on some concentrated antioxidant pill or the latest exotic high-antioxidant fruit juice. The best way to get the antiinflammatory effects of these substances is the way people have been doing it for uncounted centuries-- by eating decent food.

Antioxidants are mild substances that can help to prevent inflammation or relieve a mild, self-limiting case of inflammation (in other words, one that probably would have gone away anyway). In the case of sever or persistent infalmmation, it's good to have something a little bit stronger.

Turmeric is a good example. I use it frequently in my practice. So do lots of other herbalists. In fact, it's one of the most well-known therapeutic substances in the world. It has no appreciable levels of toxicity in any dosage, and it works as well as or better than prescription antinflammatories in clinical trials.

Ginger, a not-too-distant relative of turmeric, has similar uses, and is similarly safe and effective. Ginger has long been famous for its ability to relieve pain and swelling in joints. Joint inflammation is especially tricky, because the parts of an inflamed joint don't fit together the way they should. this means every time the joint is moved, they will do damage to one another, damage which often does not heal. Ginger contains substances that help to reduce this swelling, bringing the parts of the joint back to their correct size and preventing further damage while reducing pain and restoring range of movement. One of the first people to write about this property of ginger was Hakim Ali Ibn Sina, or Avicenna, of Persia-- about a thousand years ago. He figured the ginger had its power over joints because the ginger itself was jointed in appearance. Scientists now give some other reason for why it works. Either way, no one's dispting the fact that it does work.

Willow is another potent antiinflammatory herb. It contains substances very similar to aspirin (in fact, vinegar extract of willow bark contains about 5% aspirin), but it also contains lots of other substances, some of which can help to cancel out the side effects of aspirin such as uset stomach. Small children and people who are allergic to aspirin probably still shouldn't take willow, however. For the rest of us, it can be very useful for inflammation, and can be used in combination with ginger or turmeric if necessary, since it works differently in the body. A number of other herbs, such as meadowsweet, wintergreen, birch, and violets, contain the same main active substances, but with a variety of different substances playing supporting roles.

Frankincense is yet another sort of antiinflamatory. Most people are familliar with frankincense, at least in name, from the story of the Magi. In those days, frankincense cost five times its weight in gold (about $100-$500 a dose in today's money). The people who had it were able to charge that much for it, because it worked that well. These days it's not very expensive ($0.40-$2.00 a dose from my clinic), but it still works just as well.


For anyone who is experiencing an inflammatory condition like arthritis or allergies, dealing with everyday inflammation, or just trying to prevent unnecessary wear on the body, safe and reliable help is certainly out there. The herbs listed in this article are just a handful of the antiinflammatory herbs that can be found all over the world. It's a good idea to work with a professional (like me) to try and identify what is causing your inflammation, and which of the many different antiinflammatory herbs might be best suited for your body and your state of health. It's also a good idea to take something consistently to make sure it's getting a chance to work (some inflammation, such as joint and connective tissue inflammation, can subside very gradually and effects might not be immediately noticeable). It's also important to eat a good diet, and be mindful of any activities or actions that might make inflammation worse.

Inflammation, in all its various forms, contributes to most illnesses and can greatly impair quality of life. Fortunately, with the right strategy and treatment, it's possible to control inflammation and regain or maintan good health.