A Natural Response to an Overloaded System

Written by Celine Cuevas

At our shop at Gaia Garden in Vancouver, we often see people coming in seeking support for difficult symptoms that don’t seem connected to just one thing. Sometimes these symptoms evolve into chronic conditions such as autoimmune disease, diabetes, MS, allergies, pain, and compromised immunity. People struggle to find answers and often turn to traditional or herbal medicine for support. We see that these symptoms and conditions often have chronic inflammation as an underlying cause.

Unfortunately, in North America specifically, we have become exposed to several toxic materials in our food, body care products, packaging, and from air pollution. Our lifestyle is also very centered around fast paced consumer culture, which is not a rhythm our bodies and nervous systems are designed to sustain. The result is an epidemic of inflammatory diseases and symptoms that leave people feeling unwell.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s natural intelligence at work. From a traditional lens it is characterized by heat, excitation (or increased activity), and swelling. Here are some examples of the role of inflammation in our body. When we are injured for example, white blood cells release pro-inflammatory cytokines which signal the body to flood the area with more blood carrying different blood cells including immune cells to fight infection, heal the wound, and deal with foreign objects. When we have a fever, this is also the body's way of dealing with bacteria and viruses by raising our body temperature so that the environment is not favourable to the pathogens.

However, when our body becomes exposed to a constant stream of toxins, stress, and is not given adequate nutrition it responds by increasing these pro-inflammatory cells which begin to cause harm to our body as well as train our immune system to be in this activated state.

5 Signs of Inflammation in the Body

· Chronic fatigue

You may find yourself feeling constantly tired and lacking energy. Perhaps your sleep is also compromised or you are simply not feeling rested. Day to day tasks can feel difficult to impossible at times.

· Body aches and pains

You may have constant aches and pains that come and go, throughout your body or in specific areas. If you have a long standing injury that pain can also be exacerbated.

· Digestive issues

You may experience symptoms like constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain, or food intolerances.

· Compromised immunity

You may find that you are often getting sick or you have a cold that lingers forever. Or on the other hand you may have an over active immune system, which shows up as autoimmune disease, food intolerances, skin issues, and chronic allergies.

· Brain Fog and Mood Changes

Constant states of inflammation and fatigue can also cause you to have low mood, depression, anxiety and make it hard to focus or have mental clarity.

Tea of the Month: Anti-Inflammatory Tea

At Gaia Garden we created a tea blend that can really support the body when dealing with illness and pain that are linked to chronic inflammation. This tea is designed to modulate inflammatory markers in the body and modulate immune function in cases such as auto-immune disorders or compromised immune function.

Herbs in our Anti-Inflammatory Tea

· Turmeric root (Curcuma longa):

Large amounts of research supports the use of Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory agent for both acute and chronic conditions. Evidence shows that it is comparable to NSAIDs with lower side effects. Some research has shown that turmeric lowers leukotriene production and prostaglandin production, both compounds in the body that regulate inflammatory process and pain signaling.

· Burdock root (Arctium lappa):

Helps to cleanse the blood via its depurative and alterative action to rid the body of cellular waste. One study examined patients with osteoarthritis and found that the group taking burdock tea significantly decreased inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 and improved oxidative stress.

· Pau d'Arco (Tabebuia impetiginosa):

Has been shown to be an effective antiseptic against bacterial, fungal and viral infections throughout the body. It has been widely used in the treatment of candidiasis and for those with weakened immunity. One of its key compounds, lapachol, has been highly researched for its anti-tumor activity.

· Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis):

Has mucilaginous compounds that help soothe irritated and inflamed mucous membranes. These compounds are called polysaccharides, which have been shown to reduce inflammatory markers and boost immune function

· Astragalus root (Astragalus membranaceus):

Highly revered in Chinese medicine for its tonic qualities. It helps modulate and boost immune function, protects the cardiovascular system and the kidneys. It has demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity via affecting NF-kB inflammatory pathways, a family of protein responsible for cellular response and controlling genes for immunity, inflammation, cell survival and growth,

· Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum):

Has shown promising results in the management of autoimmune diseases and viral infections, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, myasthenia gravis, hepatitis, herpes, and HIV/AIDS. Reishi enhances natural killer cell activity, monocyte, macrophage, and T-lymphocyte activity and downregulates excessive immune activity as well as inhibits histamine release from mast cells. It is therefore useful in auto-immune disease and allergic reactions including food allergies and those affecting the lungs.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is meant for educational purposes only. It is not meant to treat or diagnose. If you would like to work with herbs to support your health please consult your healthcare provider.

About the Author

Celine Cuevas
Through travels, studies and just over 10 years of practicing herbalism, Celine has deepened her knowledge of the plant world and is passionate about inspiring others to develop relationships with the plants. For Celine, herbalism is a way of life that permeates throughout her life as a mother, supporting her family and friends. She is also trained in western herbalism as a clinical phytotherapist and supports clients one on one by creating custom protocols helping people return to a sense of balance. Her approach takes into consideration all aspects of life: physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual well-being.

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