Inflammation is part of our body's natural defense against pathogens, but chronic inflammation can play a role in almost every major disease. There is growing evidence that chronic inflammation has an important impact on human health, through its impact on various diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular problems, neuropathic issues, and cancer. A concerted effort must be mounted to reduce the global incidence of chronic illness, especially those that can be readily addressed through the implementation of policy and environmental changes; interventions in those who are at risk; and strategies that help people with chronic conditions better manage them. It is not by coincidence that chronic diseases share common behavioral risk factors; these risk factors also happen to contribute to the development of chronic inflammation. That is to say the common denominator is healthy living. From hanging out with people who smoke to excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, the air we breathe, and our large fortunes, there are a number of factors that put everyday people not just at risk of developing chronic diseases and conditions, but also inflaming their bodies with every breath, every mouthful, every step, every thought, and every laugh.
Inflammation is a process that is associated with numerous diseases when sufficient inflammation leads to negative effects. Many processes associated with inflammation are necessary for life, but when inflammation is overactive, persistent beyond an appropriate time frame, or not resolving when no longer requiring the tools used to dampen inflammation, it is this over-activity that leads to damage and disease. While resolving inflammation is critical to overall health, disease may also result from tissues that never truly resolve inflammation leading to chronic inflammation that is associated with numerous diseases. Although inflammation has been the subject of much research, there is still much that is not understood with the biology of inflammation. This chapter offers an understanding of how inflammation develops and produces the multitude of different expressed tissue phenotypes; how, when, where, and signaling mechanisms in the step-by-step blueprint that inflammation uses to resolve inflammation; and how regulation for nutrition may affect inflammation steps to resolve inflammation. The basis to tailor mediation for resolution therapy playbook is presented in the hope that over-activity of inflammation can be resolved. This chapter will describe how inflammation changes a tissue to an inflamed tissue while taking special measures toward how this step-by-step logic effectively affects a multitude of different cell types. Thereby including current understanding of when, where, and the signaling mechanisms regulating the step-by-step blueprint that the process of inflammation uses to resolve inflammation. Also discussed is how nutrition can regulate the process of inflammation and how nutrition can be used to curb this process when inflammation cannot self-regulate. Finally, a proposal for treatment with resolution therapy will be offered based on understanding derived from recent developments in the resolution of inflammation initiated by mediators discovered in the late 1990s that follow activation of the inflammation cascade.
2.1. Acute vs. Chronic Inflammation
Tissue response to damage or infection in an organism is a biological phenomenon; these responses are associated with immune changes. Inflammatory response is categorized into two: acute inflammation (AI) and chronic inflammation (CI). AI is an immediate and non-specific reaction in the body following injury, and its purpose is to restore the body to normal biological function. In general, the imbalance created by this cascade is corrected by the system itself within a few days and has no noticeable effects if it comes to an end. The first response of the body to injury or infection is the vascular and cellular events of AI. It is traditionally characterized by five cardinal signs: pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function. However, these are indeed not an essential requirement; they can vary depending on the nature of the invasive event and the organs involved in the response. Some of these signs can be so subtle that we attribute them to normal cell injury and regeneration that occurs throughout our body and that does not even require a detectable AI response. The life-threatening problem can occur when there is an attempt to contain the inflammation, and it continues long enough to damage the body. CI is a slow, long-term (weeks to years), and generally unnoticeable inflammation that does not result in injury that the body can heal. CI can be associated with broad pains and reduction in body functions. The progression shows no relationship to the duration or severity of the initiating sti
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