Document Text Contents
Page 151
INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is one of the fundamental ways in which we defend
and repair ourselves.
If you sprain your ankle, it gets hot, swollen and red. This is acute
inflammation and helps the area heal. A short while after, when the
body has completed its healing, the inflammation is switched off. So
far, so good.
Inflammation is meant to be a short-lived process that protects us. It
becomes problematic when it’s longstanding and unresolved. That is
what’s happening to many of us as a result of our modern lives – our
bodies believe they are constantly under attack. Our lifestyles are
sending the body stress signals that trigger the body’s defence
systems.
This is one of the major reasons why our society is so sick. Chronic
inflammation is behind the development of many modern,
degenerative diseases.
A brilliant 2013 paper from Australia looked at the link between
chronic inflammation and depression. Its authors reviewed a wealth
of data that explored how lifestyle problems such as stress, lack of
sleep, physical inactivity and poor diet as well as gut permeability
and smoking can drive inflammation which, in turn, can increase the
risk of depression. They concluded, ‘Most of these factors are
plastic, and potentially amenable to therapeutic and preventative
interventions.’ In other words, by making the lifestyle interventions I
recommend to bring inflammation back down, it looks like, in many
cases, we can actually treat depression and other inflammation-
driven illnesses.
The basic principles are identical to those outlined in
:
Page 299
THE BEGINNING
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Page 300
PENGUIN LIFE
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia India | New Zealand | South Africa Penguin Life is part of
the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at
global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published 2018
Copyright © Dr Rangan Chatterjee, 2018
Photography © Susan Bell, 2018
Illustrations © Son of Alan – Folio Art, 2018
The moral right of the author has been asserted Names and identifying details have been
changed.
Any resemblance to actual persons is entirely coincidental.
Cover image © Susan Bell
ISBN: 978-0-241-30356-6
http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com
INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is one of the fundamental ways in which we defend
and repair ourselves.
If you sprain your ankle, it gets hot, swollen and red. This is acute
inflammation and helps the area heal. A short while after, when the
body has completed its healing, the inflammation is switched off. So
far, so good.
Inflammation is meant to be a short-lived process that protects us. It
becomes problematic when it’s longstanding and unresolved. That is
what’s happening to many of us as a result of our modern lives – our
bodies believe they are constantly under attack. Our lifestyles are
sending the body stress signals that trigger the body’s defence
systems.
This is one of the major reasons why our society is so sick. Chronic
inflammation is behind the development of many modern,
degenerative diseases.
A brilliant 2013 paper from Australia looked at the link between
chronic inflammation and depression. Its authors reviewed a wealth
of data that explored how lifestyle problems such as stress, lack of
sleep, physical inactivity and poor diet as well as gut permeability
and smoking can drive inflammation which, in turn, can increase the
risk of depression. They concluded, ‘Most of these factors are
plastic, and potentially amenable to therapeutic and preventative
interventions.’ In other words, by making the lifestyle interventions I
recommend to bring inflammation back down, it looks like, in many
cases, we can actually treat depression and other inflammation-
driven illnesses.
The basic principles are identical to those outlined in
:
Page 299
THE BEGINNING
Let the conversation begin …
Follow the Penguin [email protected]
Keep up-to-date with all our stories YouTube.com/penguinbooks
Pin ‘Penguin Books’ to your Pinterest
Like ‘Penguin Books’ on Facebook.com/penguinbooks
Listen to Penguin at SoundCloud.com/penguin-books
Find out more about the author and
discover more stories like this at Penguin.co.uk
http://www.twitter.com/penguinukbooks
http://youtube.com/penguinbooks
http://pinterest.com/penguinukbooks/
http://www.facebook.com/penguinbooks
https://soundcloud.com/penguin-books
http://www.penguin.co.uk
Page 300
PENGUIN LIFE
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia India | New Zealand | South Africa Penguin Life is part of
the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at
global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published 2018
Copyright © Dr Rangan Chatterjee, 2018
Photography © Susan Bell, 2018
Illustrations © Son of Alan – Folio Art, 2018
The moral right of the author has been asserted Names and identifying details have been
changed.
Any resemblance to actual persons is entirely coincidental.
Cover image © Susan Bell
ISBN: 978-0-241-30356-6
http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com
