There are two major types of inflammation: acute and chronic inflammation.

Acute inflammation starts rapidly, becomes severe in a short time, and symptoms may last for a few days, and then settle down when the cause is under control.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is different. It is slow, long-term inflammation lasting for prolonged periods of several months to years. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health. Chronic inflammation is linked to many severe diseases such as:

• excess weight

• diabetes

• cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and stroke

• Infections like hepatitis C

• autoimmune disease

• cancer

• arthritis

• depression

• Alzheimer’s

• asthma