Could dementia be just another manifestation of chronic inflammation?

( Natural News ) Cognitive decline is a part of getting older to some extent, but what causes some people to develop full-blown dementia while others will never experience it? While much about this illness remains a mystery, researchers are honing in on inflammation as a root cause of this condition. Blaming chronic inflammation on aging is an easy answer, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Some behavioral factors, like obesity, a lack of physical activity, and smoking, can also lead to chronic inflammation, raising your risk of several chronic conditions. In fact, chronic progressive inflammation is behind illnesses like cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and arthritis in addition to Alzheimer’s disease . This might lead you to assume that inflammation is bad, but acute inflammation is actually a beneficial response by your immune system, For example, Everyday Health points out that when you have acute pneumonia, inflammation is your first line of defense in fighting the cause of the lung infection. Chronic inflammation is different, however, and there’s a growing body of evidence pointing to the role it plays in Alzheimer’s. Many of the genes identified as putting people at risk of Alzheimer’s are related to aspects of immunity regulating inflammation. In addition, the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of people with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment indicate greater levels of inflammation than samples of those who don’t have dementia. While researchers are still trying to determine conclusively whether the inflammation is the result of the disease or the cause of it, it’s looking increasingly like it is indeed the cause. In fact, scientist believe that inflammation in your 40s and 50s, if not earlier, could influence neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s symptoms that appear later in life. 100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home […]

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