Is Infl ammation Causing You to Gain Weight?


By Stephanie Mallory, ND I


nfl ammation is a major component of life that helps us deal with things such as infections, injuries, or allergies. In all in- stances, our body is trying to fi ght off what it sees as a foreign


invader. In some instances, like arthritis, our body mistakenly iden- tifi es our own cells as foreign. On the one hand this infl ammation is necessary to help us heal and recover. On the other hand, when our immune system reacts to ourselves or becomes overactive it can lead to further issues and chronic diseases. One of these issues is weight gain and diffi culty losing weight.


How Does Infl ammation Cause Weight Gain? Infl ammation is your bodies’ response to something it sees


as dangerous. When we are exposed to something our body sees as foreign, as in the case of venom from a bee sting, our immune system sees this invasion as dangerous and mounts a response. This response leads to an increase in circulation at the site of the sting, engorging our tissue with blood carrying our immune cells, the white blood cells, to detain and rid the body of the venom. There is also a release of histamine that promotes an increase in fl uid retention in the area. This whole process is a type of reac- tion known as Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction or an acute allergy. Sometimes we will see such strong Type 1 reactions that lead to an


emergency situation called anaphylaxis. These are our nut allergies and seafood allergies. In this case, the antibody involved is IgE.


There is another type of immune reaction that is less extreme in symptomology and affects us at a slower speed known as Type 3 or IgG antibody mediated response. This response can occur hours to days after the initial introduction of the foreign invader. Food sensitivities are an example of this type of reaction and may lead to vague symptoms of brain fog, bloating after eating or variable stool consistency, fatigue, fl ares in skin issues or body aches and pains and many more. All too often, it is also connected to weight gain and diffi culty losing weight. With an increase in infl amma- tion, there is an increase in water retention so some of the excess weight you may be carrying may also be fl uid.


Systemic infl ammation leads to an increase in cortisol levels. Cortisol is an important hormone involved in helping our bodies regulate and lower infl ammation as well as regulating our blood sugar levels, stress response, and management of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. When chronic infl ammation occurs, the body ends up with chronically high levels of cortisol causing increased fat storage, increased hunger, higher blood sugar levels that over time causes decreased insulin sensitivity. All of which promote weight gain and diffi culty shedding the pounds.


How Do We Get Food Sensitivities? 1414 Tues., Wed., Fri. 10-6, Turs. 10-7, and Sat. 10-5


Our gut is one of our major barriers to the outside world. It is made up of both benefi cial bacteria (probiotics) and cells that link together in a tight network to prevent the contents of our digestion from crossing into our body. Our digestive system harbors a large portion of our immune system. Unfortunately, it can be injured from taking certain medications, GI infections, fl ora imbalances, the types of food we eat and lifestyle factors such as smoking or alcohol. When the fl ora and cells are injured, this barrier becomes weak allowing larger partially digested food particles to pass through. Since these food particles are not something our im- mune system recognizes it treats them as foreign. Over time, with repeated exposure, a food sensitivity is created and constant low- grade infl ammation occurs.


22 Natural Nutmeg - January/February 2019


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