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Inflammation can be a killer. But that’s only if it is not managed properly.
That’s why we recommend you familiarise yourself with these ‘inflammatory’ pearls of wisdom from Skin Renewal so that you’re armed with all you need to know to turn down the heat and let your skin and body keep it cool – with a healthy glow, of course.
Inflammation is the body’s natural defence against foreign bodies or injury, playing an essential role in healing. When you get injured, this immune function kicks in, and a bruise develops, getting darker after the initial impact and then fading as the injured tissues recover. This is considered acute inflammation, where healing occurs quickly, and is not the kind of inflammation to worry about.
Rather, the red flag of inflammation for your body and skin’s long-term health is chronic inflammation. This kind of inflammation is linked to several health and skin conditions, listed as one of the ten leading causes of mortality in the United States, as well as a significant factor in the development of degenerative disease and loss of youthful function.
To manage inflammation levels, it is important to manage stress levels. Once triggered, stress-induced inflammation (from low-level to chronic) can go undetected for years, even decades, systematically triggering cellular stress and dysfunction, weakening and destroying cells throughout the body like a submarine in stealth mode. But cortisol-spiking stress isn’t the only culprit. Other well-documented and widely warned-against causes of chronic inflammation include excessive calorie consumption, elevated blood sugar levels, and oxidative stress.
The good news is that understanding the causes of chronic inflammation is the first step to equipping ourselves – and our loved ones – to make more informed choices about how to deal with inflammation or prevent it from happening.
The long-term effects of chronic inflammation, if not managed and taken seriously, are serious. It can cause cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, osteoporosis, depression and cognitive decline – overall decreasing your ability to live a long and healthy life.
The bane of many women’s skincare struggles, acne, rosacea, and hyper-pigmentation are also closely associated with inflammation. The effects of low-level and chronic inflammation are often more than skin-deep, but it can still reflect back at you in the mirror. That’s when you know you need to get the inflammation under control from the outside in with treatments and products, as well as from the inside out with a balanced diet and supplements.
It should also be noted that before inflammation becomes chronic, it takes up space in our bodies as low-level inflammation, which shouldn’t mean that you put it at the end of your wellness priorities. The bottom line is, any level of inflammation is an indication of cellular stress.
The question then is, when your cells are sending distress signals, how do you give your body the attention it deserves? In short, your best bet is to consciously limit and decrease your exposure to exogenous (external environmental toxins, tobacco smoke) and endogenous (internal reactive oxygen species) stressors.
The causes and effects of inflammation may be a tough pill to swallow, but starting to tackle it doesn’t have to be a big deal with Skin Renewal on the roster. Consider a natural anti-inflammatory supplement – Meriva – ideal for treating any acute or chronic condition caused by inflammation.
Meriva contains the active ingredient curcumin, a potent natural anti-inflammatory which also has antioxidant properties and boosts the body’s own endogenous antioxidants. Regular use can protect the cardiovascular system from harmful inflammation, lowering the risk of heart disease while improving brain function and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases. It’s a useful addition in treating acne and inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis, too.