An "Insight of the Decade": Chronic inflammation kills

Macrophages are "hallmarks of inflammation" and provide important immunological defense. However, they can also promote disease.Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, describes the Four Horsemen of Aging in his book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer. Although not a paleo book per se, the discussion of the Four Horsemen - Free radicals, Inflammation, Glycation and Stress - is mostly on target.

Bowden quotes a number of specialists in the field:

Inflammation is one of the things that keeps us alive in a hostile world. … Without inflammation we would be sitting ducks in a very hostile world, with no way to repair the damage constantly being inflicted on us. Our internal inflammatory responses let us attack invaders, surround, them, and ultimately kill them before they kill us. (Barry Sears, PhD)

However, while we need acute inflammation to repair damage done by a cut, an infection, or other insult, chronic inflammation is another matter altogether. While not necessarily the starter switch, “chronic inflammation may be the engine that drives many of the most feared illnesses of middle and old age.” (Christine Gorman)

SAD is largely to blame:

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