What is chronic inflammation, anyway? It is a state in which our bodies are in constant “defense mode”: the immune system sending out emergency signals to protect our cells from harm. Medical research has shown that when our body’s defense system stays “turned up” for too long, it can damage our cells and tissues leading to diseases like heart issues, diabetes, arthritis (joint pain), brain problems, and even some types of cancer. The harmful substances that are made during inflammation can confuse our immune system, making it attack healthy parts of our body, which causes autoimmune diseases.