Inflammation to Help Our Survival: Immune Response Became a Double-edged Sword

Introduction: Is Inflammation Unconditionally Bad?

When we hear the word ‘inflammation,’ we usually think of pain, swelling, or disease. But inflammation is originally a clever defense mechanism meant to protect our body. It’s like calling up an army to kill bacteria and repair tissue when there’s an injury.

The problem occurs when this army doesn’t disband even after the war is over and continues to attack our body. Dr. Christopher Palmer explains in Brain Energy how this ‘chronic inflammation’ destroys our brain’s metabolic system and causes mental illness.

1. Hostile Symbiosis of Inflammation and Mitochondria

When an inflammatory response occurs, our body’s energy priorities change. Since immune cells must spend enormous energy to fight, the energy that should go to brain cells decreases.

More seriously, inflammatory substances directly damage mitochondria. When inflammation persists, mitochondria become less efficient at making energy and emit more debris called ‘active oxygen’ in the process. A vicious cycle repeats where this debris attacks neurons again. This is the biological reality of ‘brain fog’ and lethargy experienced by depression patients.

2. Why Do Mental Illness Patients Have High Inflammation Levels?

Numerous studies have found high levels of inflammation markers (CRP, etc.) in the blood of patients with depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. This is typical evidence showing that mental illness is not just a ‘disease of thought’ but a ‘systemic metabolic and immune disease.’

Psychological stress also causes an inflammatory response in the brain, just like an actual physical injury. This is because the brain cannot biologically distinguish between external attacks and emotional wounds, and in both cases, it calls up an immune army to switch the metabolic system to a wartime footing.

3. Triggers for Chronic Inflammation

Our daily lives are full of factors that stimulate the immune army.

Collapse of Gut Health: When the gut barrier weakens, gut bacteria flow into the bloodstream, causing systemic inflammation.
Excessive Consumption of Refined Carbohydrates: Rapid blood sugar spikes generate inflammation signals at the cellular level.
Lack of Exercise and Obesity: Excessive fat cells themselves act as a factory that pouts out inflammatory substances.

Conclusion: Regulating Inflammation is the Way to Save the Brain

Every act we do to reduce chronic inflammation—avoiding processed foods, taking care of gut health, and moving the body appropriately—is ultimately an act of protecting the brain cells’ mitochondria.

If your mind is heavy and dark, it may be because your immune system has been maintaining an emergency state for too long. When you put out the fire of inflammation and restore metabolic peace, your brain will finally be able to regain bright energy again.

In the next post, we will look at ‘sleep and circadian rhythm,’ the most decisive time for regulating our body’s inflammation and recharging brain energy.