All articles tagged with #inflammation
A McGill University preclinical study in mice shows that icing injuries (cryotherapy) can reduce pain early but may impair the body’s healing, with some cases’ recovery times more than doubling. The results add to concerns about anti-inflammatory strategies like icing and the RICE protocol, though human relevance is not yet established and a clinical trial is testing icing effects after procedures such as wisdom tooth removal.
A four-week proof-of-concept trial in 30 adults with major depressive disorder and signs of inflammation tested the IL-6 receptor blocker tocilizumab. Treated participants showed greater improvements in depressive symptoms, fatigue, anxiety, and quality of life than placebo, with remission rates around 54% vs 31%, but the study was not powered for statistical significance. The researchers highlighted that those with higher baseline inflammation tended to respond best, suggesting inflammation-targeted therapies merit larger, longer trials. No notable adverse effects were reported.
University College London researchers identified natural epoxy-oxylipins as an anti-inflammatory off-switch in humans. By blocking soluble epoxide hydrolase with GSK2256294, levels of these fat-derived molecules rise, dampening the expansion of intermediate monocytes via the p38 MAPK pathway, accelerating inflammation resolution without broadly suppressing immunity and suggesting safer therapeutic routes for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant) are not generally inflammatory; they provide antioxidants and nutrients that may reduce inflammation. Some people with IBS/IBD or alkaloid sensitivities could experience gut symptoms, so an elimination diet can test tolerance. Cooking reduces alkaloids, and avoid green potatoes or sprouts. Overall, nightshades deserve a place in a healthy diet.
A heart surgeon warns that highly processed carbohydrates—including foods marketed as healthy like granola, whole-wheat bread, and rice cakes—can trigger insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, promoting plaque buildup and increasing heart attack risk; he recommends sticking to real whole foods and natural fats instead.
In a small, four‑week, calorie‑matched study, adults with overweight or obesity who replaced typical snacks with 42.5 g of almonds showed a rise in beneficial gut bacteria linked to butyrate, lower inflammatory markers, and higher satiety hormones (GLP‑1 and PYY). The almond diet also produced a mild ketosis‑like metabolic signal. However, the study’s small size (n=15) and focus on calorie balance mean results should be interpreted cautiously; almonds remain energy‑dense, so this is about snack quality, not unlimited consumption.
A seven-day water-only fast drives broad molecular shifts that become most evident after about three days, including changes in hundreds of circulating proteins linked to the extracellular matrix and brain support, alongside a switch from glucose to fat and about 5.7 kg of weight loss. Refeeding largely reverses lean-tissue loss while fat loss persists. These findings could inform therapies that mimic fasting’s benefits for metabolism, aging, and neurological health, though prolonged fasting carries risks and should be medically supervised.
Researchers find tiny gut-derived exosomes may actively drive inflammation and aging-related diseases; exosomes from older animals induce metabolic and inflammatory changes in young mice, while exosomes from young animals alleviate several aging-related metabolic problems in older mice, highlighting the gut environment as a potential target for interventions.
C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, may predict heart disease risk more accurately than LDL cholesterol, leading to ACC recommendations for universal CRP screening alongside cholesterol tests; however cholesterol remains relevant, and a comprehensive risk assessment also considers apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a), with prevention rooted in diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, weight control, and smoking cessation.
A new line of chronic-pain research points to a brain region, the caudal granular insular cortex, and the vagus nerve as key players in whether pain fades after an injury or becomes long-lasting; blocking the pathway early in animals prevents chronic pain, while later intervention can ease established pain. The work emphasizes that pain is not just tissue damage but an active nervous-system state influenced by brain circuits, inflammation, and interoceptive signaling, with taVNS emerging as a potential tool in specific clinical contexts—but findings are preliminary and condition-specific.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute and ChristianaCare found that pancreatic cancer cells depend on an inflammation signal triggered by damaged mitochondria via the TLR3/TRAF6 pathway; blocking this pathway kills cancer cells and halts tumor growth in mice, revealing a potential therapeutic target for a cancer type with few effective options.
Researchers have linked an overactive immune sensor called cGAS to tissue degeneration in severe DNA repair disorders (like Ataxia-Telangiectasia and Bloom syndrome). Damaged DNA in cells can trigger cGAS, causing chronic inflammation that drives decline; reducing cGAS activity in a rapid-aging vertebrate model improved neuroinflammation, tissue function, and reproductive capacity. The work suggests aging-related decline may hinge as much on the body's inflammatory response as on unrepaired DNA damage, offering a potential new therapeutic angle with caution to preserve antiviral defense.
A Nature Communications study from APC Microbiome Ireland finds regular coffee consumption reshapes the gut microbiome, lowers inflammatory markers, and improves mood, with both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee exerting distinct, caffeine-independent effects; a two-week abstinence altered some responses and reintroduction produced rapid microbiome changes, highlighting coffee’s complex mix of bioactive compounds that influence the gut-brain axis as part of a balanced diet.
Vogue highlights 10 flavonoid-rich foods—berries, parsley, capers, red cabbage, red onion, tea, cherries, oranges, apples, and red wine—and explains flavonoids’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles, noting research that links them to lower oxidative stress, cardiovascular and immune benefits, and potential brain health support, while reminding that alcohol should be consumed in moderation.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles found in water, air, food and packaging and have been detected in human tissues. The health concern is about long-term, repeated exposure from multiple sources—not a single bottle—which may drive inflammation and cellular stress via both particles and their carried chemicals. Bottled water is a visible source, especially when bottles are heated or stored long, but exposure is widespread. Reducing plastic use and avoiding heat exposure can lower body burden, though it cannot be eliminated, as researchers continue to study potential long-term health effects.