This post is by guest blogger Matthew Savage
Following exercise, many of us will feel pain and tenderness in the muscles, caused by microscopic tears in the muscle fibres. Your body then responds to this damage by causing inflammation in the muscles which can lead to symptoms of tenderness, muscle fatigue and stiffness. Known as Delayed-onset-muscle-soreness, or DOMS for short, these feelings can last between two and five days following exercise and can be combatted by staying hydrated, cooling down with a foam roller and regular massages. These techniques can help to reduce inflammation in the muscles and thus, reduce the effects of DOMS. However, inflammation is not limited to our skeletal muscles. Our brains can also suffer neuroinflammation, a condition which can range from minor and short-term symptoms to contributing to long term neurodegenerative diseases. With much research into the topic over recent years, it is important we all know how to take care of the inflammation we can’t see.
What is neuroinflammation?
Neuroinflammation is defined as the inflammatory response in the brain and spinal cord (DiSabato et al., 2016). It can be both positive and negative in its actions. This process is mediated by the production of cytokines, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secondary messengers (DiSabato et al., 2016) and can lead to tissue damage, recruitment of immune cells, oedema, and potential cell death (DiSabato et al., 2016). Neuroinflammation is a complex response to brain injury and is the brain’s innate immune system responding to inflammatory challenge (Milatovic, 2017). Not all inflammation is bad however. Some inflammatory responses are good for us and help to protect or develop our brains. For example, neuroinflammation can support tissue repair following injury, can be neuroprotective and can support enhanced brain plasticity (DiSabato et al., 2016).
Why is neuroinflammation a concern?
As noted, neuroinflammation is associated with a number of positive changes in the brain. However, an ever-growing body of research continues to link excessive neuroinflammation with negative consequences. For example:
- Ageing – Aging is characterized by a progressive increase in neuroinflammation, which contributes to cognitive impairment, associated with aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's (Kumar, 2018). An acceleration in the brain aging process has been associated with elevated inflammatory markers in the brain. This acceleration can be reduced by making better life choices such as exercising and eating less saturated fats and sugars which can contribute to an inflammatory response throughout the body.
- Depression – Recent research indicates that inflammation is involved in a multitude of mood disorders. A protein named Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) helps to fight off infections when working correctly. However, it is also involved in many inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, Crohn’s disease and, more recently, has been linked with depression. TNF can have the effect of reducing the production of serotonin (Pelletier and Siegel, 2009) and pro-inflammatory cytokines can elicit depression-like behaviour (Brymer et al, 2019). There is now much research into the production of more effective anti-depressants including anti-cytokine therapies.
- Neurodegenerative diseases – Defined as diseases which lead to a progressive degeneration of the structure and function of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system, a plethora of research now exists linking neuroinflammation with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and Multiple sclerosis. Over a lifetime, stresses can build up leading to an extended inflammatory response. This leads to chronic inflammation/neuroinflammation which, in turn, leads to neuronal death and the initiation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (Bazan et al., 2012). Research suggests that certain diets and behaviours throughout the lifetime can help to reduce the chances of neurodegeneration.
Good lifestyle choices that can help to keep healthy inflammation levels
As previously noted, neurodegeneration is heavily linked to the ageing process. However, our lifestyle choices can also be linked with an acceleration of inflammatory response. Research suggests the following can have very positive impacts on our brains, promoting neurogenesis, neuroplasticity and healthy brain development:
- Diet – Oily fish, Avocados, Green leafy vegetables, Nuts and Coffee are high in anti-inflammatory vitamins and minerals. For example, Oily fish, such as Salmon, are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to promote Neurogenesis. Kale and Broccoli are high in Vitamin K, essential for fighting neuroinflammation. Avocados are rich in Vitamin E which protects brain cells, as well as monosaturated fats, great for healthy guts. Diets high in saturated fats, high GI carbohydrates and sugars can lead to inflammation and should be avoided.
- Physical activity – Higher levels of physical activity have been shown to promote healthy cognitive functioning, reduce executive functioning decline and promote cerebral blood flow which is vital for maintain proper brain cell function.
- Vitamin D - It has been shown to regulate the production of inflammatory cytokines and immune cells, which play a vital role in many immune-related diseases such as atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food rich in vitamin D include fish, cod liver oil, eggs, mushrooms and yoghurt can also support neurogenesis and enhance cognitive functioning.
- Rest and Sleep - Chronic sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances can increase pro-inflammatory cytokines (Zhu, 2012) so ensuring we get a solid night’s sleep is extremely important to support positive brain development and maintenance.
As has been noted, depression has been linked with neuroinflammation and chemical imbalances in the body that can get more severe if not addressed. It is vital we understand and recognise the signs of depression and low mood – and seek out support should we need it. If you require support, please contact Sparta Health for more information on the services provided.
About Matt Savage
Matthew Savage has an MSc in Psychology, is a qualified personal trainer, and has worked within the field of cognitive rehabilitation for 5 years. He is an FA qualified football coach, with a keen interest in moral behaviour and wellbeing within team sports. Matthew is also one of our Mental Health Triage Practitioners.
References
Brymer K.J. et al. (2019). Exploring the Potential Antidepressant Mechanisms of TNFα Antagonists. Frontiers in Neuroscience. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00098
Dickson D. W. (2012). Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism: neuropathology. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine. 2(8). DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a009258
DiSabato, D. J., Quan, N., & Godbout, J. P. (2016). Neuroinflammation: the devil is in the details. Journal of neurochemistry. 139 (2), pp. 136–153. DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13607
Kumar A. (2018). Editorial: Neuroinflammation and Cognition. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 10, 413. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00413
Zhu, B., Dong, Y., Xu, Z., Gompf, H. S., Ward, S. A., Xue, Z., Miao, C., Zhang, Y., Chamberlin, N. L., & Xie, Z. (2012). Sleep disturbance induces neuroinflammation and impairment of learning and memory. Neurobiology of disease, 48(3), 348–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2012.06.022