Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response to an irritant, injury, or infection. It is an effective mechanism for signaling the immune system that something needs to be repaired, or that there is an intruder that should be kicked out. Inflammatory responses are not entirely good or bad. On the one hand, acute inflammation is crucial for defending ourselves against harmful pathogens and healing from injuries. On the other hand, research has shown that chronic or sustained inflammation can...