The Relationship Between Inflammation and Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa affects less than 1% of the Australian population and over half of the sufferers have a co-morbid mental health condition, most commonly depression and/ or anxiety. Furthermore, the rate of mortality of people suffering from anorexia nervosa is up to 5 times that of the general population when matched for age and sex.

Recently, a meta-analysis (i.e., the combined results from several published studies) published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research indicated that pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), are associated with the condition.¹ Cytokines are small proteins involved in cell signalling, and are elevated during inflammation. Therefore higher levels of cytokines such as TNF-a and IL-6 indicates that people with anorexia are in a ‘pro-inflammatory’ state.

The results of this analysis make sense as cytokines play a role in regulating appetite, mood, and feelings of anxiety. These findings are important as future treatment options that target cytokine production may be an effective treatment option for people with anorexia. Doing so may reduce the inflammatory response in the body resulting from theses cytokines, leading to a positive impact on appetite, mood, and anxiety.

A natural treatment option that has demonstrated a powerful ability to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the body is curcumin, one of the active ingredients contained in turmeric.² Other ‘anti-inflammatory’ options include omega-3 fish oils, magnesium, and improved sleep quality. Improving gut health, which is a common trigger of inflammation and found to be impaired in people with anorexia may also be a good option. This may include probiotic supplementation. Furthermore, stress reduction and meditation can lower inflammation.