Arterial Inflammation is thought to be the greatest factor contributing to Atherosclerosis and Coronary Arterial Disease (CAD). Translation: Inflammation is bad for your health, yo!
The typical American diet just aggravates things, as high in refined sugars and high glycemic index carbohydrates have been linked directly to increased inflammation. Eating complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, rice etc.) and combining macronutrients in one sitting (protein, carbs and fat) to slow digestion is an important piece to the puzzle.
You can improve matters further by limiting stress, sleeping more and training smarter (this one is really an individual thing, but listen to your body).
Without doing the above, supplements are just a band-aid solution, but if you’ve got the above on blast, here’s a supplement suggestion to aid in your pursuit of minimal inflammation:
Fish Oil Capsules
Fish Oil supplements contain the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. These are essential for reducing inflammation, as most western diets are very high in omega-6 fatty acids which are pro-inflammatory. Balancing this intake with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids is very important. Although we recommend you calculate how much omega-6 and omega-3 you are consuming in your diet, and supplementing appropriately, as a general rule of thumb you should supplement between 2 and 3 grams of omega-3 EFAs per day according to most research out there right now.
I pity the fool who neglects inflammation (sorry, mandatory Mr. T reference). If you want to progress – whether it’s with weight loss or muscle gain – you need to take care of yourself. From the Department of Captain Obvious, a less-than-optimal environment will not yield optimal results. Take care of the details now so they don’t become a larger problem later.
Happy fitnessin’ y’all.