renee.t.edge Autoimmune disease involve the production of antibodies that attack healthy tissues. Inflammation is a normal defense against infection and tissue damage and quickly ends under normal circumstances. However, in many chronic conditions, the inflammatory response continues and leads to significant tissue and organ damage. Evidence has shown that the abnormal inflammatory response is closely associated with many chronic diseases, especially in autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), gout, and diabetes.
matoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. Over long periods of time, the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis can cause bone erosion and joint deformity. In severe cases it attacks internal organs.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of disorders that cause pain and swelling in the intestines. IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both types affect the digestive system. Crohn’s disease causes pain and swelling in the digestive tract. It can affect any part from the mouth to the anus. It most commonly affects the small intestine and upper part of the large intestine. Ulcerative colitis causes swelling and sores in the large intestine. In people with IBD, the immune system mistakes foods as foreign substances. It releases antibodies to fight off this threat, causing IBD symptoms.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is the most common type of lupus. SLE is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels.
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by the build-up of uric acid crystals in the joints. This is most commonly characterized by swelling in the middle joint of the big toe, but can be found in other joints. The human body makes uric acid during the breakdown of chemicals called purines found in certain food and drinks. This normal byproduct goes through the kidneys and exits the body when you pee. However, sometimes the body produces too much uric acid or the kidneys cannot do a good job of handling it, and an attack of gout can occur.
New research on Type 2 diabetes is showing increasing links between the development of type 2 diabetes and inflammation. Research from the University of Kentucky has linked the development of type 2 diabetes to changes in the mitochondria of the cells, the powerhouses of the cells, which lead to the inflammation when exposed to specific types of fat within the body. Type 2 diabetes is chronic condition in which the body has difficulty processing glucose (aka blood sugar) from carbohydrates in food. This causes chronically high levels of blood sugar, which can also trigger the body’s inflammatory response.
While medical treatments seek to provide relief to the symptoms associated with many autoimmune diseases, diet can also play a big role in the way in which your body responds. Watch for coming posts about foods that increase inflammation, and foods that fight inflammation.
Not sure if you may be dealing with Chronic Inflammation? Check out this prior blog post for more information- The Destruction of Chronic Inflammation
