Most people don’t realize how many of their daily aches, pains, and chronic health issues can be traced back to one root problem: chronic inflammation.
Joint pain, fatigue, bloating, brain fog, autoimmune conditions, heart disease, diabetes, even cancer—they may seem unrelated on the surface, but chronic inflammation is the common thread running through them all.
And while there isn’t just one cause, many of the biggest drivers of inflammation in modern life tend to pile up and reinforce each other. The good news? Once you know what they are, you can start making changes that truly lower inflammation and support your body’s natural ability to heal.
Omega-6 Overload
One of the biggest dietary drivers of inflammation is omega-6 fatty acid overload. Omega-6 fats aren’t “bad” by themselves. We need them. But they must stay in balance with omega-3 fats, which have anti-inflammatory effects.
Ancestrally, our diets had a ratio of about 2:1 omega-6 to omega-3. Today, thanks to industrial seed oils and processed foods, that ratio is often closer to 20:1.
That massive imbalance flips the body into a pro-inflammatory state, keeping inflammatory markers elevated and increasing the risk of chronic disease.
Processed Foods
The standard American diet is filled with highly processed foods loaded with seed oils, refined sugar, and chemical additives—all of which drive inflammation.
Fast food, packaged snacks, sugary cereals, sweetened drinks, and convenience meals flood the body with refined carbs and industrial oils that spike blood sugar and keep inflammation turned on.
Reducing processed foods and choosing whole, nutrient-dense options is one of the most effective ways to calm inflammation and support long-term health.
Chronic Stress & Poor Sleep
Inflammation isn’t just about what you eat—it’s also about how you live. Chronic stress and poor sleep are major, underappreciated drivers of inflammation.
When you’re in constant fight-or-flight mode, your body pumps out stress hormones like cortisol. Over time, this disrupts immune balance, increases inflammatory cytokines, and prevents the body from properly healing and repairing.
Poor sleep does the same. Without enough deep, restorative rest, your body can’t turn off the inflammatory signals or repair the daily wear and tear.
Managing stress through breathwork, mindfulness, gentle movement, and prioritizing quality sleep can dramatically lower inflammation levels.
Foods with Glyphosate & Gluten
Another major (and often hidden) driver of inflammation is what’s sprayed on your food. Glyphosate—the world’s most widely used herbicide—is found on many non-organic grains, legumes, and processed foods.
Glyphosate has been shown to disrupt the gut microbiome and damage the intestinal lining. This can lead to increased intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut,” where the gut barrier is compromised.
When the gut lining is damaged, undigested food particles and bacterial toxins can pass into the bloodstream. The immune system sees these as threats and mounts an inflammatory response. Over time, this chronic immune activation drives systemic inflammation and is implicated in many modern diseases.
Gluten also compromises the gut barrier—whether you’re intolerant or not. It has been modified in ways that make it difficult for the body to properly break down, further fueling inflammation.
Choosing organic, glyphosate-free, and gluten-free foods when possible, supporting gut health with nutrient-dense, unprocessed ingredients, and reducing exposure to inflammatory triggers can help restore the gut lining and reduce inflammation at its root.
Conclusion
Your body wants to heal. By removing these key drivers of inflammation—omega-6 overload, processed foods, chronic stress and poor sleep, and gut-disrupting chemicals—you’re giving it the chance to do exactly that.
