The Link Between Anxiety And Inflammation

The Link Between Anxiety And Inflammation

 I have shared many times in the past that inflammation is at the root of most, if not all, chronic diseases. We know that eating packaged, processed fake foods increases inflammation as does consume vegetable and seed oils, trans fats, gluten, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and processed meats. But here's something else that drives destructive inflammation that might surprise you. Anxiety. According to Dr. David Hanscom: "Anxiety is a physiological response to a threat. Your whole body is on fire. You have to reduce anxiety, reduce cytokines, and reduce the stress response. If your body is inflamed, you will feel anxiety." Every cell in the body has cytokines.  Cytokines are cell signaling molecules that aid cell-to-cell communication in immune responses and stimulate cell movement toward sites of inflammation, infection, and trauma. By reducing or eliminating stress and anxiety, you will reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Not only will this allow your immune system to function better, but it will also relieve pain. Anxiety is a symptom of inflammation. Inflammation is a symptom of anxiety. Quite a vicious circle. They are directly connected. The antidote to anxiety is controlled. When you lose control, your body releases more stress hormones and more cytokines that trigger anger and anxiety. When you are angry or stressed, you are in constant danger. When anything traps you, especially chronic pain or even being trapped in your house before COVID, you get frustrated, which increases your inflammatory cytokines. Although there are situations you cannot control, you can learn to control your reaction to them. Prayer, meditation, time in nature, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) are all proven and effective ways to deal with anxiety and stress, and finding what works best for you will not only help you reduce stress and inflammation but also supports and improves your immune system. Your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) activates in response to threats, while your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) activates through the relaxation response. The vagus nerve is a connection. There are simple ways to activate your vagus nerve and trigger the relaxation response, such as deep breathing, humming, cold showers, probiotics, EFT exercises, prayer, meditation, intermittent fasting, and expressing gratitude. Because even in the best of times, most people spend their days in a state of constant chronic stress, the relaxation response that should kick in after the threat has passed gets stuck. Sympathetic dominance weakens the response to rest and digestion, detoxification, and healing, and many can no longer activate it effectively when they need to. Another thing to keep in mind is how EMPs affect us all. There is a correlation with the vagus nerve. Since the majority of your immune system resides in your gut, it is of the utmost importance to take specific steps to maintain a healthy digestive system. There is no dispute that anxiety and stress compromise gut function. If you are chronically stressed, there is a good chance that your vagal function is compromised. By simply taking steps to support and improve your vagal tone and being intentional about ways to reduce anxiety and stress, you will reduce inflammation, which will help improve your immune function.