Inflammation Control in Los Angeles, CA
Chronic inflammation is a key driver of many digestive conditions and age-related diseases. Unlike acute inflammation, which protects you from injury and infection, chronic inflammation can silently damage the body for months or years before symptoms appear. At LA Integrative Gastroenterology & Nutrition, we identify and address the sources of chronic inflammation through targeted diagnostics, nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle optimization to help restore immune balance and protect your long-term health.
Request an AppointmentAcute vs. Chronic Inflammation
Acute inflammation is protective. It develops quickly in response to injury or infection, causes redness, heat, swelling, and pain, and resolves once the threat is gone.
Chronic inflammation is harmful. It develops gradually, often with few noticeable symptoms, persists for months or years, damages healthy tissue, and contributes to aging and disease. Most people do not realize they have chronic inflammation until a disease develops.
Common Causes of Chronic Inflammation
- Food sensitivities and dysbiosis
- Increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut)
- Chronic stress and inadequate sleep
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Environmental toxin exposure
- Chronic or hidden infections, including SIBO
- Autoimmune activation
- Processed foods and high sugar intake
- Excess weight and metabolic dysfunction
Conditions Linked to Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation contributes to inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, gastritis, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, depression and anxiety, certain cancers, and accelerated aging. Controlling inflammation may help prevent or slow these conditions.
How We Assess Inflammation
- Laboratory testing: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha, fecal calprotectin for intestinal inflammation, markers of intestinal permeability, and tissue transglutaminase antibodies for gluten-related inflammation
- Functional assessment: evaluation of symptoms, diet, stress, sleep, and lifestyle
- Microbiome analysis: comprehensive stool testing to identify dysbiosis that fuels inflammation
- Procedures when indicated: colonoscopy, endoscopy, or capsule endoscopy to evaluate intestinal inflammation directly
Our Anti-Inflammatory Protocol
Identify and remove triggers: eliminating food sensitivities, treating dysbiosis and infections, reducing toxin exposure, and improving sleep and stress management.
Heal the gut barrier: targeted nutrients and therapies that support repair of the intestinal lining.
Anti-inflammatory nutrition: a customized nutrition plan emphasizing omega-3-rich foods such as fatty fish, flax, and chia; polyphenol-rich foods such as berries and green tea; and colorful vegetables, while reducing processed foods.
Targeted supplementation: based on your results, options may include omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, resveratrol and other polyphenols, probiotics, prebiotics, and collagen, using professional-grade nutraceutical supplements.
Lifestyle optimization: regular moderate exercise, stress reduction, 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep, more daily movement, and social connection.
What to Expect
Many patients notice initial improvements in energy and digestion within 4 to 6 weeks, with inflammatory markers and symptoms continuing to improve over several months. Inflammation control is closely tied to our oxidative stress, functional medicine, and anti-aging medicine services.
Inflammation Control FAQs
What is chronic inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is a low-grade, long-lasting immune response that can damage healthy tissue over time and contribute to many digestive and systemic diseases.
How is inflammation measured?
Common tests include hs-CRP, inflammatory cytokines, fecal calprotectin for intestinal inflammation, and markers of gut permeability and gluten-related inflammation.
Can diet reduce inflammation?
Yes. Removing trigger foods and emphasizing omega-3s, polyphenols, and colorful vegetables can significantly reduce inflammation for many patients.
What is fecal calprotectin?
Fecal calprotectin is a stool test that measures intestinal inflammation. It helps distinguish inflammatory conditions such as colitis from functional disorders such as IBS.
How long does it take to reduce inflammation?
Many patients feel better within 4 to 6 weeks, while lab markers and long-standing symptoms may take several months to fully improve.
Is gut health related to inflammation throughout the body?
Yes. Dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability can allow inflammatory triggers into the bloodstream, contributing to inflammation far beyond the gut.
Take Control of Inflammation in Los Angeles, CA
Find out what is driving inflammation in your body. Call LA Integrative Gastroenterology & Nutrition at (310) 289-8000 to schedule an evaluation.