Dr. Hellen Greenblatt

Exercise and Inflammation

The function of hundreds of genes and numerous biological pathways are affected by being physically active. Too many individuals, especially health practitioners, fail to appreciate the dominant role exercise plays in maintaining the body’s immune homeostasis, its balance. Being physically active decreases the risk of chronic inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, depression, atherosclerosis, and certain …
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anti-inflammatory, brain function, brain immune gut axis, cytokine, exercise, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, joints, muscle, physical activity

Eczema-Itchy, Painful Skin

“Eczema” is worldwide the most common of chronic (long-lasting) inflammatory skin diseases. Also called atopic dermatitis [“itis” means inflammation], it is a condition of red, inflamed, burning, itchy patches of skin. In severe cases, people experience blistering, bloody and peeling skin and raw, excruciating pain. In the United States alone, over 30 million people have …
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autoimmune, autoinflammatory, balance, cytokines, eczema, immune homeostasis, immune system, infection, inflammation, inflammatory responses, itchy, rash, scaly, skin

Low Back Pain and the Role of Inflammation

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints among adults in the US. From 75-80% of individuals will suffer from lower back pain sometime in their lives. Symptoms of back pain include shooting or stabbing pains in the back, limited mobility, and/or pain that radiates down the leg. The majority of individuals experiencing …
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back pain, balance, C-reactive protein, cytokines, exercise, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, injuries

Stress

From the time of the ancient Greeks, it has been clear that the mind-gut-body connection influences one’s health; however, only during the last century have we begun to understand why this is the case. With new tools, scientists can show that there is cross-talk between the brain, the gut and the immune system. Immune molecules …
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anti-inflammatory, balance, cytokines, exercise, fatigue, genes, gut, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, pro-inflammatory, stress

Cancer, Inflammation and Fat

During a recent 5-day cancer conference in Washington, D.C. additional evidence was presented about the fact that inflammation produced by fat cells (adipose tissue) contributes to the growth and spread of tumors. Dr. M.Kolonin of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Texas has been quoted as saying: “Obesity is the leading preventable cause …
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anti-inflammatory, balance, cancer, diabetes, immune homeostasis, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Obesity, pro-inflammatory, tumors

Lupus and the Inflammatory Process

What is the Role of Inflammation? When the body is injured or recognizes the presence of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, molds, parasites or cancerous cells, its immune system is triggered to respond with inflammation to “burn” the threat out of the body. Balance is Essential Once the challenge has been met, a person in …
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anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, autoinflammatory, balance, chronic disease, cytokines, depression, exercise, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, lupus, SLE

Inflammation and Stress

Given all the current social, political and economic uncertainties, this year may be even more anxiety-producing and stressful than in the past. Past surveys have shown that 30-50% of people (and because of all of their responsibilities, especially women) experience heightened stresses. STRESS AND INFLAMMATION Stress alters immune responses affecting our ability to fight infection …
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anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, chronic disease, depression, fatigue, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, pro-inflammatory

Depression, Anhedonia and Run-Away Inflammation

Without the ability to produce inflammation we die. The inflammatory response is the main weapon that the immune system uses to protect us from infection, keep cancer cells from growing out of control, and help tissues heal when they are damaged. However, one has to have the right balance of inflammation to be healthy. We need enough …
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autoimmune, autoinflammatory, balance, chronic disease, cytokines, depression, exercise, fatigue, immune homeostasis, pro-inflammatory

Inflammation Is the Root Cause of Arthritis

Nearly every day people tell me that their joints are swollen and stiff, they hurt all over, and that they look and feel older than their chronological age. Most of these individuals have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis is a sign of a “boosted” immune system with excessive inflammation leading to joint damage. People …
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anti-inflammatory, antibodies, arthritis, autoimmune, balance, cytokines, exercise, fat cells, healing, immune homeostasis, immune system, immunoglobulins, infection, inflammation, inflammatory responses, injuries, joint pain, multiple sclerosis, Obesity, pain, pro-inflammatory

Obesity and the Inflammatory State

People who are heavy and are not physically active, are at greater risk for conditions such as: increased blood sugar, higher pressures on their artery walls (high blood pressure), increased rate and workload on the heart, stroke, joint problems, sleep disorders, difficulty breathing, and even certain types of cancer. There are other posts on this …
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anti-inflammatory, antibodies, autoimmune, balance, chronic disease, cytokines, fat cells, immune homeostasis, immune system, immunoglobulins, infection, inflammatory responses, Obesity, overweight, pro-inflammatory

Alcohol Abuse, Immune Balance, and Inflammation

Alcoholism is a condition in which individuals drink alcohol in excess despite the fact that their habit causes physical and mental health problems, and social, family, and/or job-related issues. Heavy alcohol consumption results in damage to many parts of the body including the brain, liver, digestive system, and joints. Alcoholics also suffer with dementia, memory …
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alcoholism, anti-inflammatory, autoimmune, balance, cancer, chronic disease, cytokines, depression, exercise, gut, healing, immune homeostasis, immune system, infection, inflammation, inflammatory responses, injuries, joint pain, microbes, pro-inflammatory

THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION: INFLAMMATION AND DEPRESSION

Exposure to chronic constant emotional or physical stress triggers a vicious cycle of inflammation. The stress increases the amount of inflammation that the body generates, and the additional inflammation “feeds” more stress. Depressed individuals report that they experience high levels of tension and anxiety, fatigue, muscle discomfort, and/or gastrointestinal problems. Often they have a feeling …
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anti-inflammatory, balance, C-reactive protein, chronic disease, cytokines, depression, exercise, fat cells, fatigue, gut, healing, hyperimmune egg, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, pro-inflammatory

Inflammation, Infections, and Statins

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), nosocomial infections, are caused by a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. One bacterium that commonly causes illness is Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile. Hospitalized children and elderly people are at special risk of acquiring these bacteria, infections that result in severe diarrhea. Individuals infected with C. difficile are more likely …
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atherosclerosis, balance, C-reactive protein, C. difficile, cancer, chronic disease, exercise, fat cells, healthcare-associated, hyperimmune egg, immune homeostasis, infection, inflammation, inflammatory responses, lungs, multiple sclerosis, nosocomial, pro-inflammatory, statins

Inflammation, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Immune Homeostasis

A previous posting (1) discussed the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and inflammation. Evidence was presented, that levels and types of inflammatory cytokines, as well as other blood markers, are different for individuals suffering with sleep apnea as compared to controls. Steven Park,MD, a renowned sleep apnea expert in NYC, has discussed the contribution of …
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arthritis, asthma, balance, cancer, cytokines, immune homeostasis, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Obesity, pro-inflammatory, sleep apnea, TNF-alpha

Inflammation, Longevity, and Healthy Aging

The journal of the American Geriatrics Society, just released a study of older women suggesting that women, and we assume men as well, add years of healthy living by staying active and increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Women between the ages of 70 to 79 years were followed for a five-year period. Investigators …
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balance, C-reactive protein, cancer, cytokines, energy, exercise, fruits, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, longevity, phytonutrients, pro-inflammatory, vegetables

Inflammation, Epigenetics, and Aging

The concept of epigenetics was first introduced in the 1940s, and its implications on how we modulate inflammation through its processes are intriguing and exciting. For most of my scientific career, we were taught that biological processes of the body were pre-determined by genes. It was said that DNA’s message was set-in-stone, and except through …
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aging, balance, cancer, chronic disease, cytokines, diabetes, epigenetics, exercise, fat cells, heart disease, immune homeostasis, immune system, inflammation, inflammatory responses, Obesity, pro-inflammatory