Inflammation generally gets a bad rap. With all that pain and heat and swelling and such, it is tempting to enthusiastically declare inflammation as something that should be unconditionally avoided. While persistent, uncontrolled inflammation often does contribute to a decline in health and tissue function, transient inflammation (such as that resulting from exercise) may be essential to appropriate adaptation of tissues to stress. So, before we announce a universal ban on the ouch factor, let’s take a closer look at inflammation, and explore how a nutraceutical might promote the “good” while inhibiting the “bad.”
