Chronic Inflammation is something that everyone should be concerned about but could be reduced with supplements. We live in a toxic world and are exposed to all kinds of substances, even in our food and water, that can raise our inflammation to dangerous levels. Inflammation can be a contributing factor in most diseases and health concerns, such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, MS, Auto-Immune Conditions and more. Aside from lifestyle changes, such as cleaning up your diet, exercising, and avoiding toxins, what else can be done to reduce the amount of inflammation in your body?
I was recently joined on my podcast by Dr. Madiha Saeed, The Holistic Mom, MD. She is a big proponent of the idea that chronic inflammation leads to chronic illness. She is the author of Amazon bestseller “The Holistic Rx: Your Guide to Healing Chronic Inflammation and Disease” (now available to medical students in college and university libraries across the U.S.) and the brand-new Amazon-bestselling holistic children’s book, “Adam’s Healing Adventures: From Sickness to Health”.
Dr. Madiha notes that only when we take care of our body, it will take care of us. One of the easiest ways to reduce inflammation is through supplementation. There are actually many supplements that are highly effective at reducing the inflammation in your body.
My top supplements for reducing inflammation:
Zinc:
Zinc has long been known to boost immunity, but recent research shows that zinc is also a natural inflammation fighter. Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit found that consuming a daily zinc supplement for three months decreased TNF-alpha, a cytokine that amplifies inflammation. Zinc supplementation trials in the elderly showed that the incidence of infections was decreased by approximately 66% in the zinc group.
The U.S. Population has chronically low zinc levels and helps to explain why our aging population is unable to fight the most common infections. Taking 30mg of zinc per day has been shown to help fight infection and systemic inflammation.
Vitamin C:
Most everyone is aware of the immune boosting properties of Vitamin C. However, most people do not realize why it is so important for us to supplement our diets with it. All mammals on the planet are capable of producing their own vitamin C, except for guinea pigs, most bats, primates, and humans. Without vitamin C in their diets, these mammals will prematurely die. In humans this premature death will come from a condition called scurvy.
The majority of Americans do not have optimal levels of vitamin C. In fact, if you look at the levels of vitamin C produced by other mammals, the RDA is dramatically low in comparison. A typical 155 pound goat can produce over 13,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily. As a comparison, the recommended dietary allowance for humans of vitamin C proposed and used by nutritionists, is 90 milligrams. Consider elevating your intake of vitamin C to 3,000 – 6,000 milligrams per day. You will need to space out your intake and gradually work your way up to prevent loose bowels.
How Can We Help You?
For customized supplementation recommendations, consider getting a consultation for nutritional deficiencies from Dr. Shel by calling (281) 313-7435 or by filling out a consultation request form.
Get Well,
Dr. Shel
P.S. Listen to Dr. Madiha’s episode of Get Well with Dr. Shel here! – Tweet this!
