How to Reduce Inflammation Naturally: 6 Methods to Try Before Taking NSAIDs
Learn what reduces inflammation naturally – from herbs to vitamins and minerals.
So, you’re experiencing chronic or acute inflammation. Before you jump into taking the NSAIDs or other medications recommended to you, you want to explore how to reduce inflammation naturally. 🌱
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Keep reading to learn the functional medicine approach to inflammation. We explore the underlying causes of inflammation – and how to reduce it without taking medications.
What Is Inflammation?
In its natural form, inflammation is your body’s method of protecting itself and healing from injury. When your body detects potential harm or tissue injury, it triggers an immune response to protect you.
This process happens when you injure yourself or get exposed to a toxin. This could include pathogens, environmental toxins, or food sensitivity, which can also lead to infection.
In short, your immune system responds to heal your injured tissue or in response to toxins. In doing so, acute inflammation may cause some swelling or redness.1
The intended result of inflammation is to promote healing and protect you from invaders. But when inflammation persists long-term, it results in chronic inflammation which can be harmful.
A few signs of chronic inflammation include:
Fatigue
Muscle Weakness
Muscle and Joint Pain
Cardiovascular Issues
Brain Problems
GI Issues
Frequent Colds & Flus
Anxiety
Skin conditions (e.g. psoriasis or eczema)
Chronic inflammation causes your body to continually activate the immune system’s protection response. This causes your body to be in a continual state of stress, which can cause damage to your body and/or brain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are the medications usually prescribed to treat inflammation. But there are two problems with these medicines:
They tend to address your symptoms, but not the root cause of your inflammation. So, your inflammation could potentially return right after you stop using the medication.
NSAIDs can be harmful to your gut and kidney health, which results in an increased risk of bleeding disorders, myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), renal damage, and stroke after the first day of use. (4)
Your gut health is one of the most critical aspects of your health and well-being. The gut microbiome is responsible for regulating countless body functions like digestion, immunity, and even brain function. Taking NSAIDs runs the risk of harming your gut which leads to other issues. (2)
How to Reduce Inflammation Naturally: 5 Proven Methods
So, what causes chronic inflammation? Unfortunately, the foods and chemical toxins we are exposed to today play a big role in inflammation. Beyond this, stress and poor quality sleep also play a role. If you’re working a ton or often in a stressful state, it may be time for a change.
Here are 5 causes of chronic inflammation, and how to reduce inflammation naturally:
Standard American Diet (SAD). Unfortunately, many of the foods in the grocery store today are highly processed and high in pro-inflammatory ingredients like refined carbs, sugar, processed seed oils, additives, food coloring, preservatives, and “natural” flavors – which are not so natural.
For many, food sensitivities also play a role in inflammation. Some foods that cause sensitivities include gluten, wheat and other grains, along with dairy, corn, and soy.
Plus, foods tend to be lacking in essential nutrients. These foods are leading to inflammation that may cause allergies, asthma, joint pain, or gut issues and can ultimately lead to autoimmune conditions and other more serious diseases.
Try to cut out refined carbs and any processed foods from your diet. It’s best to start eating a whole food, an organic diet filled with more veggies, fruits, and healthy proteins, like grass-fed/finished meats. It can be hard to reduce your intake of processed foods, but your body runs better when you’re properly nourished.
Environmental Toxins. You’re exposed to tons of toxins in your environment every day – from your household supplies, and personal hygiene products to the air you breathe and the water you drink. Your body is capable of processing some amount of toxins. But increased exposure to toxins can overwhelm your liver & immune system, leading to chronic inflammation. (3)
Reduce the number of toxins in your environment by purchasing all-natural household and beauty products and air and water purifiers for your home.
Stress. Physiological, emotional, or mental stress can all be causes of stress on the body. Are you experiencing long periods of stress at work? Stress and lack of sleep contribute to chronic inflammation in your body. And with the modern work culture, it’s not uncommon for you to be overworked.
Chronic infections, poor sleep, poor food choices, lack of exercise, sunshine, or fresh air are physiological stressors – especially under chronic conditions.
It’s time to take the steps to reduce stress in your work and lifestyle. Stress-caused inflammation can lead to heart disease and other serious conditions.
Exercise. Of course, you already know that exercising has many benefits to your health. But it may surprise you to learn that exercising just once per day can actually act as a natural anti-inflammatory. (5) However, constant extreme exercise can have the opposite effect and cause inflammation (6). So, mix it up with a balance between HIIT training, yoga, hiking, or biking outdoors for example.
In just twenty minutes, exercise can make an impact on inflammation. You don’t need a ton of time to make an impact on your health. Just start and make a habit of it!
Herbs. Eating foods that are high in nutrients and have anti-inflammatory properties can not only help provide phytonutrients and antioxidants, but some can also strongly reduce inflammation. Various herbs and spices can be an important part of that equation.A few of these herbs include (7)…
Turmeric. Turmeric has many great benefits even aside from anti-inflammation, like anxiety relief. Make yourself a turmeric latte at the end of a long day and experience stress relief as well.
Ginger. This anti-inflammatory herb has been used as a natural remedy in Eastern countries for generations.
Rosemary. Rosemary has been used as an anti-inflammatory herb for centuries. This tasty herb offers a rich source of antioxidants as well.
Black pepper. The chemical compounds of black pepper have antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help lower your risk of disease.
Garlic. Another natural anti-inflammatory, garlic can boost your help and reduce your inflammation.
All of these herbs are wonderful additions to your foods and also act as anti-inflammatory foods. This is a simple addition to your daily routine that can make an actual impact on your inflammation and stress levels.
In today’s world, you truly need to do your research and be intentional about what you’re taking into your body. There are many inflammatory ingredients and toxins hiding in common foods, household supplies, and even the air you’re exposed to. Hopefully, this list makes it easier to identify the most important lifestyle changes to make.
Get Guidance on Reducing Your Inflammation Naturally
Reducing inflammation plays a critical role in your health and well-being. When left unchecked, inflammation can lead to countless problems from anxiety to larger diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. So, learning how to reduce inflammation naturally without just managing it with NSAIDs is a top priority.
For guidance on how to reduce inflammation naturally, request a consultation with Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine. We help you unveil the root cause of your inflammation through...
In-depth analysis of your health history
Examination of the connection between your symptoms
Performing functional lab testing
From there, we provide you with a plan to reduce your inflammation naturally. This may include herbs, supplements, and acupuncture – along with coaching you to improve your nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle.
We’re here to get to the root of the problem and get you back to feeling in top health!
Whether you're local, out of state, or international, we can help, as we provide telemedicine consultations. To get started, request a free consultation today.
Resources: