Chronic inflammation can lead to all sorts of seemingly unrelated problems, including allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, chronic infections, colitis, dermatitis, sinusitis, arthritis, and any other health condition that ends in “itis.” If chronic inflammation establishes itself in the brain, it leads to measurable brain shrinkage, especially in the areas associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
A 2019 study from the University of Birmingham in the UK concluded that the sluggishness or "brain fog" that people report when they are ill, on some medications or dealing with a chronic condition results from cellular level inflammation in the part of the brain that is responsible for reaching and maintaining a state of mental alertness. The study focused specifically on an area of the brain which is responsible for visual attention. A group of 20 young male volunteers took part and received a salmonella typhoid vaccine that causes temporary inflammation but has few other side effects. The results showed that inflammation specifically affected brain activity related to staying alert, while other attention processes appeared unaffected by the inflammation.
“This research finding is major step forward in understanding the links between physical, cognitive, and mental health and tells us that even the mildest of illnesses may reduce alertness,” said Professor Jane Raymond of the University’s Centre for Human Brain Health. “Furthermore, subtle changes in brain function may be used as an early marker for cognitive deterioration in patients with inflammatory diseases.”
Your diet is a major factor in determining the level of inflammation in your body. By avoiding inflammatory foods (can you say SUGAR?) you maybe doing your brain a big favor.
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