Cancerwise

Inflammation is one of the immune system’s tools for keeping your body healthy. It can help your body heal and prevent illnesses, but if it sticks around for too long, it may increase your risk of diseases, including cancer.

Think of inflammation as a firefighter and your body as a burning house. When the firefighter arrives to put out a fire, they are a major help; this is like short-term inflammation. But imagine that even weeks after putting out the fire, the firefighter stayed at your house. Not so useful anymore, right? That’s like long-term inflammation.

That’s why it’s important to know how your daily habits impact inflammation. For answers to some burning inflammation questions, we called on Kathleen Martin, a nutrition support dietitian at UT MD Anderson.