Latest news with #chronicinflammation
The Australian
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Australian
How body fat distribution could be leading to illnesses like psoriasis
The distribution of fat in the body has been shown to affect our risk of everything from brain ageing to type 2 diabetes. The belly is renowned for being the most damaging area to store it, with countless studies showing an association with inflammation and metabolic disease. In fact, the wider your waistline, the greater your risk of general disease: a review of 72 studies in the BMJ suggests that those with 'apple shapes' are at higher risk of early death from all causes than those whose fat is distributed elsewhere. In a new study, researchers at King's College London (KCL) also found a relationship between fat and psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects about 1.8 million people in the UK and is characterised by flaky, scaly red patches known as plaques. Drawing on data from the UK Biobank, Catherine Smith, a professor of dermatology, and a research team from KCL's St John's Institute of Dermatology, examined 25 measures of body fat, using body measurements and advanced imaging techniques. Their findings, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, identified belly fat as an independent risk factor for psoriasis, and the association is stronger in women. The link remained consistent regardless of any genetic predisposition to psoriasis. 'As rates of obesity continue to rise globally, understanding how different patterns of body fat influence chronic inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis is important,' Smith says. 'The total amount of body fat is one key determinant of health, but the distribution of fat is also important,' says Javier Gonzalez, professor at the centre for nutrition, exercise and metabolism at the University of Bath, concurs. 'Relatively high amounts of fat on the abdomen are associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.' Upper body fat, including that around the waistline, 'is more easily stimulated by your own stress hormones to release the fat to the rest of the body compared with lower body fat,' says Fredrik Karpe, a professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Oxford. Once in the bloodstream, these fatty acids can wreak havoc. 'When subcutaneous or visible fat has reached its storage capacity, any excess fat spills over to organs including the liver and pancreas,' Gonzalez says. 'When there is too much fat in these organs, they stop working effectively.' How to tell if your body shape could be harming your health Can I tell much about my body fat by looking in the mirror? 'It is actually a reasonable start to assessing body fat,' Gonzalez says. 'The apple-shape body tends to represent more fat in the abdomen, which is higher risk, whereas a pear shape tends to represent the more protective type of fat storage in the thighs, and is a lower risk.' Karpe and Gonzalez recommend the waist-to-hip ratio as a measure of whether you are carrying too much weight around your middle. Using a tape measure, record your waist circumference in centimetres at the widest point and your hip circumference at the hip bones. Divide the waist measurement by that for the hips to find the ratio. For example, if a person's waist measurement were 50cm and their hip one 60cm, their ratio would be 0.83. A ratio of more than 0.85 for women and more than 0.90 for men places a person at increased risk of some conditions. To assess how much fat you store centrally relative to the rest of your body, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommends using the waist-to-height ratio. Measure your height using a piece of string, cut it, then cut this length in half and wrap that section around your waist. If the half-length of string doesn't reach around your middle, it is a sign you are carrying too much abdominal fat. Should I have a Dexa scan? Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans are used in most large studies, including those of the UK Biobank. 'A Dexa scan measures internal visceral fat but also tells you much more accurately about your upper and lower body fat,' Karpe says. 'The results tell you about your bone mineral density as well as lean to fatty tissue. So there's lots of health-related information from having them.' I am slim but am I storing fat? You could be, Karpe says, especially if you drink more than the recommended limit of 14 units of alcohol a week. 'Alcohol is the big villain here and it can specifically increase dangerous internal visceral fat that settles around the organs – even in slim people,' Karpe says. 'We are preparing to publish a study of 5000 people and there is a clear dose response between alcohol consumed and an increase in visceral fat.' Only a Dexa scan will be able to determine clearly your levels of hidden fat. Do I need to worry about having a meno-belly? Men and women naturally store fat differently during their reproductive years. 'Men tend to store fat around their middle, and it links back to our ancestors who responded well to the stress hormones it releases as it kept them running and able to hunt for food,' Karpe says. 'In contrast, the natural female fat depot in the lower body is sluggish to respond and, in evolutionary terms, sits there until needed to mobilise energy when they need to breastfeed.' After the menopause, when oestrogen levels drop, women undergo a rapid transition. 'They don't tend to lose lower body fat but they gain quite a lot of visceral fat and fat around the middle,' he says. 'Around the menopausal age you also lose muscle – the part of the body that burns fat – so if you continue eating the same, you will put on weight often around the middle.' This shift in fat storage raises the risk of metabolic disease for many women. The good news is that if you lose weight – whether through diet and exercise or weight-loss drugs – the fat will disappear more rapidly from your middle than from elsewhere. 'Fat around the middle is normally the fat with the highest turnover,' Karpe says. Are bigger arms bad news? In isolation, they are not a significant risk factor for metabolic disease. 'But when the fatness of arms is part of a very substantial overall obesity, it is an added indication,' Karpe says. A 2024 study published in the journal Neurology tracking people from middle age found that those with arm fat were 18 per cent more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, other forms of dementia and Parkinson's disease than than those with higher levels of leg fat. High amounts of belly fat raised the risk by 13 per cent. However, having strong muscles – including in the arms – reduced the risk by 26 per cent, suggesting that working on your biceps and triceps is worth the effort. Last year researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens looked at the distribution of fat beneath the skin in 83 men and women aged over 50, none of whom had been diagnosed with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. At the European Congress of Endocrinology they reported that those with fatter upper arms were more likely to have lower bone quality and were most at risk of spinal fracture later in life. 'Surprisingly we identified, for the first time, that the body composition of the arms – in particular the fat mass of the arms – is negatively associated with the bone quality and strength of the vertebrae,' said Professor Eva Kassi, a senior author of the report. What about thighs? A pear shape is a sign that you are to some extent protected against disease: fat around the thighs is metabolically superior to belly fat. 'Whereas fat around the abdomen is strongly associated with fat in the liver and pancreas, leg fat stores behave differently,' Gonzalez says. 'Leg fat seems better able to 'hold on to' and store fat, whereas centrally located fat is more sensitive to hormones such as adrenaline and will release the fat more readily into the bloodstream.' Scientists at Rutgers University found that adults with fatter legs were less likely to have high blood pressure than those with a lower percentage of fat tissue in the thighs. They considered hypertension rates in relation to the percentage of fat tissue in the legs of people mostly in their 30s and 40s, and discovered that those who had higher proportions of leg fat were 49 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure where both numbers were elevated. And men and postmenopausal women with higher leg-fat levels were found to be at lower risk of osteoporosis in another study at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in China. Can slim legs be a bad sign? 'Slim legs on a slim body are not risky,' says Karpe, who is researching the composition of lower body fat. 'But if you have too much weight around the waistline and a distinct absence of fat in the hips and legs, it is a potentially risky situation.' The thighs are key a site for storing fat that comes directly from the liver, Karpe says. 'When it is not possible to store fat in the thighs effectively, the liver may need to retain an excess of fat. That comes with substantial health risks including fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis.' What can neck fat indicate? Research suggests that men with a neck circumference of more than 17in and women with a measurement of 14in or more are at increased risk of various health concerns. Neck fat, says Karpe, carries 'a very high risk' for metabolic disease. It stores a significant amount of free fatty acids that are released into the bloodstream where, according to a 2024 study in the Science journal, they are implicated in the onset of inflammation and metabolic disease. A study of 4093 midlifers by researchers at the University of Boston School of Medicine showed that high levels of fat in the neck were associated with atrial fibrillation, which causes erratic heart beats. 'The larger your neck circumference, the more likely you are to have sleep problems, partly because the pressure of fat stored there obstructs breathing and leads to issues such as sleep apnoea,' Karpe adds. The Times Read related topics: Health
Condé Nast Traveler
5 days ago
- Health
- Condé Nast Traveler
Inflammation Is the Latest Wellness Buzzword
In the ever-evolving landscape of wellness, inflammation has emerged as the latest term du jour. Once relegated to medical textbooks, it's now become a focal point in conversations about health, beauty, and longevity. But what does it truly mean, and why is it garnering such attention? Unlike the sharp, obvious kind of inflammation you get from a cut or a sprained ankle, chronic inflammation is subtle. It lingers in the background, quietly disrupting everything from energy levels to digestion, and has been linked to conditions like heart disease, anxiety, fatigue, and even premature aging. It's no wonder so many of us are now trying to get a handle on it—through what we eat, how we move, and with the skincare we use. Travel, too, can have a surprising impact on inflammation, both good and bad. On the one hand, the disruption to routine, jet lag, poor sleep, and processed airport food can spike cortisol levels and inflammatory markers in the body. Long-haul flights also reduce circulation, which can lead to swelling and fluid retention. On the flip side, travel can also reduce inflammation if it allows for rest, exposure to nature, movement, and time away from stress. Inflammation—and finding ways to mitigate it—is something I'm deeply invested in. I have an autoimmune issue called Hashimoto's, which means that I'm constantly looking for ways to lessen the inflammation in my body in order to reduce my symptoms like dry skin, eczema, hair loss, brain fog, crippling exhaustion, and many more. I've tried as many medically sound protocols and questionable TikTok hacks as I can handle, but I can't help thinking a more immersive approach might be necessary. Thankfully, I was invited to a one-off anti-inflammatory retreat at Palazzo Fiuggi. Set in the peaceful Italian hills of Fiuggi, just southeast of Rome, this exclusive wellness retreat has become a leader in anti-inflammatory wellness. Known for its science-backed, holistic approach, the retreat combines advanced medical testing with personalized therapies to help guests reduce chronic inflammation.
Washington Post
23-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
I'm a microplastics researcher. Here's how I limit the plastic in my life.
Microplastics are really small pieces of plastic — less than five millimeters long on one side or about the size of a pencil eraser. That means some of them are visible to the naked eye, but others are so tiny that you can't even see them — smaller than the width of your hair or even a red blood cell. We're exposed to these plastics in countless ways, whether it's the worn car tires that release them into the air or the plastic-lined cans that get them into our food. Scientists have found microplastics in our livers, blood, brains and even placentas. And while more science is needed to fully understand how this impacts our health, there's enough evidence for us to be concerned. A systematic review I conducted with my colleagues in 2024 showed that microplastics are suspected to negatively impact reproductive health, primarily sperm quality, as well as digestive and respiratory health. The evidence suggests microplastics are potential causes of chronic inflammation, which could increase the risk of colon and lung cancer. Other studies have shown a link between microplastics and dementia as well as cardiovascular disease. But there are also effective ways to reduce our exposure through lifestyle changes. The key is to make these slowly over time, and be realistic about your budget and routines. There's no need to throw out all your plastic food-storage containers overnight. Overall, it's about reducing plastic use, particularly single-use plastics. Here's what I've done to limit the microplastics in my life. I know this is hard, but probably the most important thing you can do to reduce your exposure to microplastics is to eat food that you prepare inside your house, made from scratch. Plastic-related chemicals are more commonly found in ultra-processed and fast foods, rather than foods cooked at home, and it's not necessarily clear why. I suspect it may have something to do with all the plastic packaging and the plastic used in the processing. So I try to avoid packaged foods whenever possible. When I travel, I pack my own lunch. Usually, I bring an apple and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I buy peanut butter that comes in a glass container, which I reuse for food storage and as drinking water glasses. I bring my own bags to the farmers market. Of course, it's not always possible to avoid plastics touching your food. I haven't figured out a good way to store lettuce that isn't in a plastic bag, so I'm looking for new ways to do that. I still buy rice that comes in a plastic bag. It's possible to buy grains, beans and nuts in bulk — and bring your own containers to the store — but it can be logistically challenging. Especially if you have little kids. I mostly use glass food-storage containers. Have I thrown all my plastic out? No, I have not. But I never use them in the microwave. Research has found that microwaving food in plastic containers can release millions of microplastics into that food. Single-use plastic water bottles can also leech plastics into your water, so I have a stainless steel water bottle that I carry around everywhere. I also avoid nonstick pans and pots, since these can be made with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — or 'forever chemicals,' as they're often known. Instead, I use a clay rice cooker, stainless steel pots and pans, and a cast-iron skillet that was my grandmother's. It still works great, and I can fry an egg in it without a problem. I use wooden and stainless steel cooking utensils — and avoid black plastics. I eat lower on the food chain, sticking to fruits and vegetables. There is still a lot to learn here, but we know that chemicals are more prevalent in larger animals. So I avoid red meat and ruminant animals such as goat and lamb. I also focus on eating whole grains and beans. And this is consistent with other dietary food guidelines. I do eat some fish. I recommend eating smaller fish in general, since larger fish, such as tuna and swordfish, have a longer lifespan and can accumulate pollutants like mercury. We still don't know the full extent of the microplastics in these animals. But we do know that eating lower down on the food chain is probably a good way to ensure your exposure is lower. Microplastics love to hang out in dust. One efficient way to decrease the amount in your home is to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air — meaning these vacuums are effective at removing very tiny particles around your house, including microplastics. I also suggest using a wet mop or microfiber cloth to clean up around the house, which won't stir up dust. My husband does this once a week at our house. Some abrasive cleaning products, such as the kinds that have little particles to help you scrub, may have microplastics. The same goes for personal care products, such as exfoliants. I avoid these as well as any products with fragrances, since some companies place fragrances within tiny microplastic capsules so the scent will last longer. The idea of avoiding microplastics can seem overwhelming — even to me, a person who has dedicated their life to studying environmental contaminants — but a few small steps can make a difference to reduce your exposure and improve your overall health. And it's important to remember: It's not your fault. The bottom line is that it's hard for an individual to control the production of plastic, and we need systemic changes to lower our exposures. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, is a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California at San Francisco, whose research focuses on environmental contaminants and their effect on vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and children.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
7 Lifestyle Habits That Can Reduce Inflammation, According to Health Experts
While inflammation is the body's natural response to injury and infection, it can throw the immune system off balance and begin targeting healthy tissues when it becomes chronic. Chronic inflammation has been linked to a range of health concerns, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. And while genetics and medications can influence inflammation, daily habits play a major role as well. What you eat, how you move, how well you sleep, and how you manage stress all directly affect your body's inflammatory response. Here are seven habits worth adopting to help keep inflammation in Pooja Gidwani, MD, MBA, concierge physician specializing in metabolic health and longevity for high-performing professionals Dr. Olabisi Badmus, MD, MPH, medical director and preventive medicine physician Dr. Allison Buttarazzi, MD, internal and lifestyle medicine physicianProcessed foods, which often contain added sugars and trans fats, can cause rapid glucose spikes that trigger oxidative stress and ramp up inflammation in the body. 'These foods also contribute to increasing LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and a reduction in the amount of HDL cholesterol,' says preventive medicine physician Dr. Olabisi Badmus, MD, MPH, referring to the so-called 'bad' and 'good' cholesterols. She points out that processed foods are also typically low in fiber, which plays a key role in supporting gut health. Acting as a prebiotic, fiber feeds the good gut bacteria that produce compounds known to help reduce inflammation. 'Diets that lack fiber can potentially contribute to inflammatory conditions of the digestive system, such as inflammatory bowel disease,' Dr. Badmus says. Over time, regularly eating processed foods may also increase the risk of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease. If your diet leans heavily on processed foods, consider swapping out one processed item at a time and keeping healthier snack options on hand. 'Leafy greens and berries are all rich in antioxidants, which can serve as anti-inflammatory agents,' Dr. Badmus says. 'Walnuts and fish like salmon are also rich in omega-3s, which have anti-inflammatory properties.' If you drink socially, Dr. Badmus recommends keeping it to no more than one drink per day for women and two for men. That's because alcohol activates immune cells in the liver, which can lead to chronic inflammation both in the liver and throughout the body. 'The metabolism of alcohol produces acetaldehyde and reactive oxygen species. These molecules damage cells and tissues, triggering immune responses and amplifying inflammation,' Dr. Badmus says. 'Alcohol-induced inflammation is also linked to cardiovascular disease, neuroinflammation, pancreatic inflammation, and exacerbation of autoimmune disease." Since your natural circadian rhythm helps regulate immune function and inflammation, not getting enough sleep can throw things off balance. 'Irregular sleep-wake cycles disrupt this rhythm, leading to misalignment in the timing of immune responses and increasing baseline inflammation,' Dr. Badmus says. 'Poor sleep also elevates cortisol, which is a stress hormone that can be pro-inflammatory.' Dr. Badmus recommends aiming for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. If your sleep schedule is all over the place, one helpful first step is to stick to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. 'Start with waking up at a consistent time, even on the weekends,' she says. 'This helps to anchor your body's rhythm and makes it easier to fall asleep at night.' Whether it's strength training or low-impact aerobic movement like walking, cycling, or swimming, the goal is to get moving most days of the week. Internal and lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Allison Buttarazzi, MD, says just 20 to 30 minutes is enough to help lower inflammation. 'Resistance training helps lower levels of inflammation by improving insulin sensitivity, reducing visceral fat, and increasing lean muscle mass, which in turn releases anti-inflammatory substances,' she says. Low-impact cardio also helps by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers stress hormones like cortisol. If the idea of carving out time to exercise daily feels overwhelming, Dr. Buttarazzi suggests starting by weaving movement into your day. March in place while returning text messages or do calf raises while waiting for your coffee to brew. 'Tiny habits add up,' she says. 'Social isolation is a major risk factor for chronic inflammation and has been linked to increased levels of inflammatory markers such as CRP,' says concierge physician Dr. Pooja Gidwani, MD, MBA. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, a weakened immune system, and even early death. 'Loneliness is a physiological stressor as much as it's a psychological burden,' Dr. Gidwani says. On the flip side, Dr. Buttarazzi explains that strong, meaningful relationships can help bring inflammation levels down by reducing stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine. 'Connection also promotes oxytocin, known as the bonding or love hormone, which is also thought to lower inflammation,' she says. 'The quality of social interactions is more important than duration, but regular, consistent connection is key.' Both green spaces, like parks or forests, and blue spaces, like oceans, lakes, or rivers, offer benefits that help calm the nervous system while reducing stress hormones and key inflammatory markers over time. 'Spending time in nature helps calm the body's stress response by lowering activity in the sympathetic nervous system, or the 'fight or flight' mode that's linked to increased inflammation,' Dr. Gidwani says. 'It can also regulate cortisol levels and increase movement, all of which are directly linked to inflammatory signaling.' Research shows that spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature is linked to better overall health and well-being. 'To make that more manageable, I recommend breaking it into 20 to 30-minute sessions, three to five times a week,' Dr. Gidwani says. This helps people stay consistent while still reaching the threshold where anti-inflammatory and stress-reducing benefits kick in. 'Mindfulness meditation helps calm the body's stress response by reducing activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates cortisol levels and lowers sympathetic nervous system activation,' Dr. Gidwani says. 'It shifts the body into a parasympathetic, 'rest and repair' state, which reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and CRP.' She adds that over time, regular meditation can even alter gene expression related to immune function and inflammation. Dr. Gidwani recommends incorporating mindfulness meditation into your daily routine as often as possible. 'Even 10 minutes a day of mindfulness practice can begin to lower stress and inflammation when done consistently,' she says. Read the original article on Real Simple
Times
07-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Living more like a hunter-gatherer may ward off ageing
A study has cast doubt on a widely accepted belief that chronic inflammation is an inevitable part of ageing, raising questions about how lifestyle and environment shape our health in later life. Scientists have long flagged 'inflammaging' — persistent, low-level inflammation that increases as a person grows older — as a key driver of age-related illnesses such as heart disease, dementia and diabetes. However, research published in Nature Aging suggests that it is not inevitable but driven by modern lifestyles. The researchers examined blood samples from more than 2,800 people aged between 18 and 95 from four locations: city dwellers in Italy and Singapore, and two indigenous groups — the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli in Malaysia. In the Italian and Singaporean groups, the expected pattern emerged: molecules that signal inflammation increased steadily with age and were strongly associated with chronic illnesses. However, among the Tsimane and Orang Asli, this pattern was absent. Inflammatory markers did not rise with age and they were not strongly linked to the same cluster of diseases. 'Inflammaging, as measured in this manner in these cohorts, thus appears to be largely a byproduct of industrialised lifestyles,' the researchers, who were led by Maximilien Franck of the University of Sherbrooke in Canada, wrote. The semi-nomadic Tsimane follow a subsistence lifestyle, combining slash-and-burn agriculture with hunting, fishing and gathering. Their diet is high in fibre and unprocessed foods and previous research has suggested that less than 10 per cent of their daylight hours are spent on sedentary activities, compared with roughly 50 per cent, on average, for city populations. • Could eating like the Japanese improve your mood? The Orang Asli are made up of subgroups whose lifestyles differ. However, many combine farming with foraging and hunting for wild game. Despite high levels of infection related to inflammation, particularly among the Tsimane, both populations had low rates of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia. The findings suggest that inflammaging may be the result of modern lifestyles, including calorie-dense diets, sedentary behaviour and possibly a reduced exposure to germs. In traditional environments, where people are more active and frequently exposed to pathogens, the immune system may operate differently and inflammation may not necessarily lead to chronic disease. 'These findings challenge the assumption that human physiological processes are universal and can be extrapolated from one population to others,' the researchers said. • The 10 ultra-processed picnic foods nutritionists avoid That a person's environment, lifestyle and diet can affect inflammation levels was already known. Another recent study involved asking participants to switch from processed western-style foods to a diet typical of Tanzania, rich in vegetables, legumes, ancient grains and fermented foods. After two weeks, tests suggested strikingly positive effects. In particular, it dampened inflammation. Proteins in the blood linked to a cluster of conditions, including heart attacks, strokes and insulin resistance, also fell. Another group of participants who switched from traditional African foods to a western-style diet experienced an increase in the markers of inflammation.
