Core Framework & Diagram What Is Inflammation?

The most accessible test is high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP): below 1 mg/L is low risk, 1 to 3 is moderate, above 3 (with recent acute illness ruled out) is high. This is a routine, low-cost add-on to standard bloodwork. A persistently elevated hs-CRP is a signal to seriously examine lifestyle factors — visceral fat, sleep, diet, stress levels — rather than simply adding anti-inflammatory supplements on top of unchanged habits.

No — and long-term use carries real risks. NSAIDs like ibuprofen target a specific pathway involved in acute inflammation (the COX enzyme system); they're not designed for the systemic, multifactorial nature of chronic inflammation. Prolonged use carries risks of gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney damage, and cardiovascular complications. The genuine solution to chronic inflammation is eliminating its fuel sources — reducing visceral fat, improving sleep, managing stress, improving diet — not persistently suppressing signals with medication.

There's reasonable evidence, but the effect size is modest and dose-dependent. Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) have genuine pro-resolving properties — they help activate the body's natural inflammation-shutdown process. But they're a complement to lifestyle intervention, not a replacement for it. Getting omega-3s through food (salmon, sardines, flaxseed) is more effective, safer, and more sustainable than supplementation. If you do supplement, a combined EPA + DHA total of at least 2g per day is the minimum dose at which measurable effects have been demonstrated.

Because it's a synergistic combination of three anti-inflammatory components: high omega-3 intake (abundant fish), high polyphenol intake (vegetables, fruits, olive oil), and high dietary fiber (whole grains and legumes). Each has independent anti-inflammatory properties, and together their effects compound. Simultaneously, the Mediterranean diet is low in refined sugar and ultra-processed food, which reduces NF-κB pathway activation. Most importantly, it sustains gut microbiome diversity — and a diverse, healthy microbiome is foundational to maintaining immune balance and a low systemic inflammatory state.