What is hidden inflammation?

Inflammation is a process in which your body's white blood cells and other chemicals in your body protect you from bacteria, viruses, or infectious materials. Hidden inflammation is a condition where there are pockets of undetected inflammation in your body. Inflammation can occur in any organ or system. When it's hidden there may be no outward symptoms.

While hidden inflammation is not a "condition" per se it is likely the root cause of many other conditions. Many behaviors, foods, and conditions can contribute to hidden inflammation. Stress, inadequate sleep, nutritional deficiencies, an inflammatory diet, food allergens, imbalances in your digestive function, low-grade chronic infections, or a sedentary lifestyle -- any of these can contribute to it. Hidden inflammation can attack any system or organ in your body and is very often at the root of many of the epidemic diseases plaguing our country today. It is greatly linked to metabolic stress -- the kind of stress that occurs when the various systems of your body are challenged by anything from environmental factors, stress, or toxicity.

Low grade or hidden inflammation can lead to the many conditions such as heart disease obesity, cancer, depression, dementia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), forgetfulness, foggy-headedness, and Alzheimer's, even blindness. This is a short list of possible conditions resulting from untreated hidden inflammation.