Every disease, whether you are dealing with arthritis or cancer, will result in inflammation.

The medical community uses anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, and others to combat inflammation. The reason a patient has pain is due to inflammation.

People can be walking around in an extremely inflammatory state and still function. The reason people can develop heart disease or cancer is that they become immune to the pain and they really forget what it was like before they even had it because it develops over years.

The inflammation I am talking about now is not the kind you get from a severely sprained knee or a rotator cuff injury. It is the kind that is dangerous. For instance, someone eats more inflammatory foods like animal products and dairy, along with sugar, all day every day. This will result in an inflammatory state that drives cells not to function at 100%, resulting in a disease down the road. The common diseases in the United States are cancer and heart disease.

So there are two ways to control inflammation. Diet and supplementation. You must incorporate both ways to successfully control inflammation.

First, we will discuss diet. Anti-inflammatory foods are generally foods in the vegetable category, greens, etc. Also omega fatty acids such as fish and nuts. The common Mediterranean diet is a great non-inflammatory diet. Flax seeds are great for colon health and a great way to fill up with healthy fats. There are 2 types of fats, good and bad to be general. The bad fats or inflammatory fats are animal products and dairy products. Good fats are peanuts, avocados, flax seeds, salmon, trout, etc.

One reason the residents of Europe do not get nearly as much heart disease as the US is the type of foods they eat.

Second, we will discuss supplements. Some great supplements to control inflammation are omega-3-fatty acids. Make sure to get your fish oil from a reputable source. Fish oil that is cheap will generally be lacking the proper capsule and preparation for consumption. The oil must also be filtered properly to make sure there are no toxins such as methy-mercury in the oil.

Tumeric is another great natural anti-inflammatory. It has been used very successfully to control pain and inflammation. Studies show that turmeric, along with fish oil, can decrease the risk of heart disease.

Lastly, superoxide dismutase combats the inflammatory free radicals in any disease state. Free radicals, or unpaired electrons, can damage tissue and are prevalent in any disease. Superoxide Dismutase or SOD, will halt free radical damage and thus stop the inflammation from these pathways.

Exercise is also another great way to stop inflammation. Too much exercise, though, can cause inflammation. I am strictly talking about light cardiovascular exercise. This will also cause a person to sweat, which is good to release toxins and other inflammatory substances.

So, incorporating these basic steps will help you to live a healthier and more productive life. Remember, combating inflammation is not a one-time deal. You must work at it your whole life!