The Inflammation Solution: When Everything Works & Nothing Hurts

From the Show: Wellness for Life
Summary: What really IS inflammation, and why is it so bad?
Air Date: 10/23/15
Duration: 10
Host: Susanne Bennett, DC
Guest Bio: William Sears, MD
William-SearsWilliam Sears, M.D., is one of America’s most trusted physicians. He has served as clinical associate professor at the University of Toronto, University of Southern California, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and University of California, Irvine. Together with his wife, Martha Sears, RN, Dr. Sears has written 42 books on parenting, family health, and healthy aging. His www.AskDrSears.com website is one of the most popular health and parenting sites. His contribution to family health was feature on the cover of TIME Magazine in May 2012. He practices and lives with his family in Southern California.
  • Book Title: The Inflammation Solution: When Everything Works and Nothing Hurts
  • Guest Twitter Account: @AskDoctorSears
The Inflammation Solution: When Everything Works &amp; Nothing Hurts
Inflammation has become a popular "buzz" word in the health, medical and scientific communities. But, what really IS inflammation, and why is it so bad?

Your body needs some inflammation to work optimally. For instance, if you get a cut on your finger, your body responds with inflammation in order to heal it.

The problem occurs when there is an imbalance of inflammation in your immune system... your immune system either under-fights and you get sick and tired, or it over-fights and you get an "itis" disease (i.e. arthritis, gastritis).

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and MS are all examples of neuro-degenerative diseases, which are in part caused by inflammation of the brain. In fact, according to special guest, Dr. William Sears, brain diseases have overtaken heart diseases as the number-one health problem. 

Dr. Sears became very familiar with the severity of inflammation when he developed colon cancer.

Prior to his cancer, Dr. Sears was overweight, ate junk food, and didn't exercise; all root causes of dangerous inflammation. After his cancer, he decided to make health his hobby. Now, at 75 years old, he has been cancer-free for 20 years, takes no Rx medications, and has the vitals of someone at least half his age.

Because Dr. Sears works with kids, he has come up with a way to describe inflammation that is easy to understand. "Sticky stuff" is the simple scientific explanation of inflammation: blood bio-chemicals that stick to the lining of your blood vessels, joints, and tissues. "You put sticky stuff in your mouth, you get sticky stuff in your body."

Listen in as Dr. Sears joins Dr. Susanne to share more about what causes inflammation, why it is so detrimental to health, and some of the ways you can address it in your life.