Transcript

Inflammation isn't Something to Eliminate. It's Something to Regulate

0:00 If inflammation is designed to heal us, why does it begin hurting us as we age? Why does so many of us feel like our bodies are fighting a battle even when we're not sick? Maybe your joint sick. Maybe your brain feels foggy. Maybe you're tired all the time. You can't lose weight like you used to. Maybe your blood work keeps showing signs of inflammation.

0:18 even though you're doing quote all the right things. Well at first glance those problems don't seem connected. One affects your brain, another affects your metabolism, another affects your heart or your joints. But what if they're all being driven by the same underlying biological process? Over the last decade, scientists have discovered many of these seemingly unrelated conditions. powerful part of your immune system. Think of it as your body's master inflammation switch. Its job is to check nature.

0:45 To protect you. To coordinate your body response to injury or infection, and when it's working properly, it's one of the reasons you survive. But when that switch stays activated for too long. The very system designed to protect you can begin working against you. And researchers believe that this pathway plays an important role in many of the chronic diseases associated with aging from metabolic dysfunction and heart disease. to neurodegener diseases and arthritis.

1:11 Scientific name for this immune switch is called N L R P three inflamosome. Don't worry about remembering the name. What's important is understanding how it works because once you do, you'll start looking at inflammation and aging in a completely different way. Now today we're gonna explore what keeps this inflammation switch turn on. Why modern life makes that happen more often than ever before. And the science backed habits that help restore balance to your immune system.

1:38 Because longevity isn't about shutting down inflammation. It's about teaching your body the difference between a true emergency And the stress of everyday modern life. This episode was brought to you by Function. Get access to over one hundred and sixty lab tests annually at functionhell.com slash mark. Now before we can understand this hidden inflammation switch, we have to rethink inflammation itself.

1:59 It's information. It's gotten a bad rap. People hear the word and immediately think, Oh, bad. But that's not simply true. Inflammation is one of your body's oldest survival tools. It's how you heal. It's how you fight infection. It's how you recover after exercise. Imagine you cut your hand while cooking dinner, within seconds, your immune system jumps into action, blood vessels widen, immune cells rush to the area, they destroy bacteria, they clear away damage tissue, they begin rebuilding healthy skin. That's inflammation doing exactly what it was designed to do. The same thing happens.

2:30 After a challenging workout. Your muscles experience tiny amounts of damage. Inflammation arrives not to hurt you, but to help rebuild stronger muscles than before. In other words, inflammation isn't something to eliminate. something to regulate. The problem comes when your immune system never gets the message that danger has passed. Imagine

2:49 Your home smoke detector. If there's a real fire, you want that alarm blaring. It could save your life. But imagine the fire goes out, smoke detector keeps screaming day after day, week after week. Eventually the alarm becomes a problem. So when we have an acute injury, we want that inflammatory take over. We want the body to start to bring in all the repair chemicals and the cytokines and the inflammatory repair molecules. And that's all great. But that's acute. What happens in modern life is that we are exposed to chronic inflammatory triggers. The biggest one being our inflammatory diet. change in her microbiome as a result of that. Chronic stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, environmental toxins.

3:25 All these things create this low grade inflammatory response to the body. Yeah. Doesn't feel acute. but it creates this constant immune activation that damages healthy tissues instead of protecting them, which raises a fascinating question. Why does the alarm system stay on, right? This is a really important discovery in immunology. Inside every immune cell, there's a remarkable

3:45 molecular security system. Scientists call this the N L R P Three. Inflammers over. Don't worry about remembering the name, like I said. What's more important is understanding what it does. Think of it as your body's internal smoke detector.

3:58 Its job is to constantly scan for danger, bacteria, viruses, damaged cells, environmental toxins, metabolic stress. And when it detects a real threat, it sounds an alarm. It activates the powerful inflammatory messengers. things called cytokines like interleukin one beta and interleukin eighteen.

4:16 Uh these help coordinate the body's defense. Now those signals are essential for fighting infections and for repairing injury. That's exactly what you want. If you have pneumonia. Or if you step on a rusty nail. But here's where modern life creates a real problem.

4:29 Your inflammosome can't always tell the difference between an actual emergency And the constant barrage of unhealthy signals we experience every day. Poor sleep, chronic stress, ultra processed food, high blood sugar, visceral fat. damage mitochondria, sedentary lifestyle. And over time, these signals can repeatedly activate this immune alarm.

4:48 So instead of switching on occasionally, it stays on far more than it should. Now, researchers believe that chronic overactivation of the NRP three inflammosome plays an important role in many diseases associated with aging, including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, or hardening the arteries. And you get Hunts. Heart attacks, fatty and liver disease, osteoarthritis.

5:07 Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, it's not the only cause, but it's increasingly recognized as a central player in inflammatory signaling. So now actually the question becomes One of the biggest things in our daily lives to keep flipping this switch. Let's start with something we all underestimate. Sleep.

5:24 We can think of sleep as passive. Like we're simply turning off our brain for the night. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sleep. is when your body repairs your brain clears metabolic waste, your hormones rebalance, your immune system recalibrates. Think of sleep as a nightly reset button for inflammation. And when you constantly get enough high quality sleep, your immune system learns to turn the alarm off. But when you're chronically sleep deprived, the opposite happens. Your body interprets sleep loss as a stress. Inflammatory signaling increases, recovery slows down.

5:54 Blood sugar becomes harder regulated. Even your appetite changes. One poor night of sleep won't ruin your health, but when poor sleep becomes normal your immune system begins acting like it's constantly under attack. The next cycle isn't physical, it's emotional.

6:08 Stress. Big one. Now here's something important. Your immune system doesn't distinguish very well between different kinds of stress. Whether you're running from a predator or worrying about your finances or answering emails until midnight, your biology often responds in remarkably similar ways.

6:23 Your nervous system shifts into fight or flight. Stress hormones rise. Your body prepares for the danger. And that response is incredibly helpful. For a few minutes.

6:33 it becomes harmful when it never ends. Today many of us are living in a constant state of low grade survival mode. Always rushing, always stimulated, always connected. And your immune system is listening to every single bit of it. And this is why managing stress isn't just about feeling calmer. It's about changing the biological signals Your immune system receives every single day.

6:55 Now sometimes. The most powerful anti inflammatory practice isn't another supplement. It's taking a walk. Calling a friend, meditating, breathing deeply, spending time in nature. These simple habits tell your nervous system

7:09 We're safe. When your nervous system feels safe, your immune system You know from follows. I know one of the hardest things a patient can hear is everything looks normal. Especially when they don't feel normal. They're exhausted, their joints hurt, they can't think clearly and they know something isn't right.

7:24 I've seen this happen for years. Take autoimmune conditions. They often begin long before they're discovered. And the markers to help identify them like A and A and thyroid anybody's will. There are always included in routine physicals. So people spend so much time and money trying to explain symptoms and to get answers. That's exactly why we built function.

7:43 Function gives you access to 160 plus lab tests annually that measure signals in your blood, including nutrients, liver health, inflammation, and hormones. You can also complete your health baseline with an annual MRI that helps you see organs, tissues, and other changes. Check your health at functionhealth.com slash mark, and if you're One of the first one thousand people this week used the code MARC twenty twenty six for a fifty dollar credit under three hundred and sixty five dollar year membership. So let's talk about ultra processed food next. and blood sugar. This is where metabolism enters the picture. Every time you eat, you're sending it.

8:15 information to your immune system. Whole foods send one message, ultra processed foods send another message. Diets high and refined carbs and sugars. Industrial ingredients, added sugars, highly processed foods. I mean these contribute to blood sugar spikes, visceral fat. Oxidative stress.

8:31 Chronic low grade inflammation. Researchers sometimes call this Meta inflammation. Inflammation driven by metabolic dysfunction.

8:40 Over time, those repeated signals keep the immune system And the alarm switch. Or. Not one cookie or one slice of birthday cake. It's about the overall pattern. What you eat most of the time matters far more than

8:54 And what you eat once in a while. And one of the simplest ways to calm inflammation is to eat foods your immune system recognizes, like vegetables, healthy fats, high quality protein, beans, nuts and seeds, lots of colorful plants, rich in polyphenols. Food becomes information. And your immune system is reading every meal. But your cells still have to process that information. And that's where one of the biggest drivers of inflation comes in.

9:17 your mitochondria. And this surprises almost everyone. When people think about inflammation, they don't usually think about mitochondria, but they should. Matochandra are yourselves powerfulness. They produce energy that powers virtually everything your body does. But they're also incredibly sensitive. As mitochondria become damaged, they begin producing more free radicals or reactive oxygen species, like oxidative stress. They release distress signals. Your immune system interprets those signals as a danger.

9:41 Which can activate inflammatory pathways like the N L R P three flammosome. But mitochondria are remarkably adaptable. Exercise stimulates your body to build healthier mitochondria. Quality sleep supports mitochondria repair. Autophagy helps recycle damaged mitochondria. And nutrient dense food provide the building blocks they need to function efficiently.

10:00 Every workout, every walk. Every time you challenge your muscles, you're not just burning calories, but You're improving the health of the very organelles. That help regulate inflammation. And finally, the biggest signal that keeps your immune system activated, visceral fat.

10:14 Which a lot of people have. This is fast sort of deep inside your abdomen. wrapped around your organs. Unlike the fat just beneath your skin, which is this subcutaneous fat Victor or organ fat Isn't simply stored energy.

10:26 It's metabolic act. It it behaves almost like its own endocrine organ. And also acts like an immune organ, it produces inflammatory molecules called cytokines. It recruits immune cells, it creates constant stream of signals. Telling your immune system is something is wrong. This is one of the reasons improving metabolic health has such profound effects on inflammation.

10:46 When people lose visceral fat the improvements in sensitivity, they build muscle, they stabilize blood sugar. But not just changing their way, they're changing the conversation happening inside their immune system. Which is why I spent so much time talking about metabolic health because Metabolic health is immune health.

11:02 And immune health is longevity. Here's what I find so exciting about this science. The same things that flipped your immune alarm on. can often be reversed. Your immune system's incredibly responsive.

11:14 It isn't fixed. It's constantly adapting the signals that you send. So instead of asking What's the best anti inflammatory supplement, I encourage you to ask a different question. What signals am I sending to my immune system every day? Is everyday healthy choices? Changes that conversation.

11:31 Strength training improves insulin sensitivity and reduces visceral fat. Interval training supports mitochondria. Eating colorful fibrous foods nurses your gut microbiome and provides polyphenols and help regulate inflammation. Omega three fats from fatty fish, flax, and walnuts while they help balance. Inflammatory pathways.

11:48 Quality sleep gives your immune system time to reset. Stress reduction comes. Both your nervous system and your immune system. S Notice something.

11:56 None of these are exotic biohacks. They're the foundations of health. And that's the beautiful thing about longevity science. The habits that help you feel better today. are often the same habits. Help you age better. Tomorrow.

12:10 We've covered a lot of science today, but At the end of the day, this isn't about memorizing the name of a protein complex or or inflammatory pathway. It's about Understanding the signals. You're sending to your body every day.

12:22 So let me answer a few questions I hear most often. Can one supplement turn off the inflammazone? No. Some nutrients like omega three fats, curcumin. They have been studied for their anti-inflammatory effects, but no supplement can replace daily signals created by sleep, nutrition, exercise.

12:38 Stress management, metabolic health. Another question I guess. Can fasting Help reduce inflammation. For some people, yes, it can. Emerging research suggests that time restricted eating and fasting can influence some of those inflammatory pathways and the cellular repair processes. But fasting isn't a magic solution, it's one tool

12:57 In a much bigger toolbox. Should I measure inflammation? Yes. One of the most useful markers we had. is High sensitivity C reactive protein or HS CRP.

13:07 Think of it as a general barometer of inflammation of the body. Now it's important to understand what it can and can't tell you. An elevated CRP doesn't tell you wire inflamed. It tells you that your immune system may be responding to something. That could be a poor metabolic health from a bad diet, could be an infection, it could be an unimmune condition, could be poor sleep, could be something else. That's why I never look at HS CRP by itself. I always interpret it alongside the rest of the whole story. your metabolic health, your blood sugar, your cholesterol, your triglycerides, your liver health. Your lifestyle and most importantly

13:36 How you're actually feeling. This is one of the reasons I'm so excited about function health. Instead of looking at one marker in isolation Function measure CRP. Along more than a hundred other biomarkers across metabolism, heart health, hormones, nutrients. Liver function.

13:52 inflammation, toxins, and looking at those markers together, it gives you a such a more complete picture of what's driving your health rather than just treating a single lap value. But in functional medicine, we're not asking, is the inflammation high? We're asking Why is the information high? And that's where the real opportunity to improve your health begins. And here's what I hope you take away. From today's conversation. Your immune system isn't broken.

14:13 It's doing exactly what it was designed to do. The challenge is modern life keeps convincing it that you're under attack. Too little sleep, too much stress, ultra processed food, physical inactivity, metabolic dysfunction, and day after day. Those signals keep pressing the alarm button. Here's the empowering part.

14:29 Your immune system is always listening. Every healthy meal, every strength workout, every walk after dinner. Every night a restorative sleep. Every time you calm your nervous system. You're sending your body a different message.

14:42 You're safe. A dangerous past. You can stop fighting. That's what healthy aging really looks like. Not eliminating inflammation.

14:51 but restoring balance. Because longevity isn't about silencing your immune system. It's about helping it become wiser, knowing exactly when to fight, and just as importantly knowing when to rest. That's how we don't just add years to our lives, we add life to our years. If you love this podcast, please share it with someone else you think would also enjoy it. You can find me on all social media channels at Doctor Mark Hyman. Please reach out. I'd love to hear your comments and questions. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the Doctor Hyman Show wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to check out my YouTube channel at Doctor Mark Hyman for video versions of this podcast and more. Thank you so much again for tuning in. We'll see you next time on the Doctor Hyman Show.

15:29 This podcast is separate from my clinical practice at the Ultra Wellness Center, my work at Cleveland Clinic and Function Health, where I am chief medical officer. This podcast represents my opinions and my guests' opinions. Neither myself nor the podcast endorses the views or statements of my guests. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. This podcast is provided with the understanding that it does not constitute medical or other professional advice or services. If you're looking for help in your journey Please seek out a qualified medical practitioner, and if you're looking for a functional medicine practitioner, visit my clinic, the ultra wellness center at ultra wellness center dot com and request to become a patient. It's important to have someone in your corner who is a trained

16:11 licensed healthcare practitioner and can help you make changes, especially when it comes to your health. This podcast is free as part of my mission to bring practical ways of improving health to the public. So I'd like to express gratitude to sponsors that made today's podcast possible. Thanks so much again for listening.