Hidden inflammation lies behind many modern diseases. Shilpa Ravella, an expert in nutrition and the gut, explains why our immune systems are turning against us and what we might do about it. 'Controlling inflammation is the key to good health and this beautifully written and researched book is the best way to understand it' TIM SPECTOR, #1 bestselling author of Food for Life ___ Inflammation is the body's response to injury and foreign microbes. But as our environments and diets have changed, low-level inflammation, simmering quietly and undetected, has been identified behind everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions. Shilpa Ravella is a doctor at the forefront of this field, specialising in gut transplants, nutrition and the microbiome. In A Silent Fire she interweaves the latest research with unusual case studies from her own practice and the history of immunology to explain what we know about this elusive phenomenon. She debunks common myths about 'anti-inflammatory' lifestyles and explains the simple principles by which we can reform our relationship with food and our microbiomes to benefit our health. ___ 'As gripping as a mystery story and as useful as a self-help book' BEE WILSON, author of First Bite 'Compelling, thoughtful and rigorously researched' The Times

A radical new vision of human health and illness revealing the hidden but most significant cause of death in the world today

Inflammation has traditionally been thought of as the body's response to injury and foreign microbes. But as the threats we face have evolved, what if it were now the root cause of modern disease?

New science has revealed low-level, smoldering inflammation, simmering quietly and undetected, behind everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions. Hidden inflammation even weakens our immunity, increasing the likelihood that our immune system will mount an overwhelming, inappropriate attack against infections such as COVID-19.

In this beautifully written story of scientific discovery by a doctor at the forefront of this field, A Silent Fire brings together the science of immunology, nutrition and the microbiome to explain what we know of this elusive phenomenon. With fascinating case studies, Ravella debunks common myths about 'anti-inflammatory' lifestyles - adding or eliminating any one food, for example, is not a cure-all - and reveals how we can live not only long, but well.

Inflammation is the body's ancestral response to its greatest threats: injury and foreign microbes. But as the threats we face have evolved, new science reveals simmering inflammation underneath the surface of everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions. In A Silent Fire, gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella takes us on a lyrical quest across time, around the world and into the body to reveal hidden inflammation at the root of modern disease-and how we can control it. We meet an eccentric Russian zoologist, the passionate yet flawed inventor of Kellogg's Cornflakes, and dedicated researchers working on the frontiers of medical and nutritional science today. With fascinating case studies, Ravella debunks common myths about "anti-inflammatory" lifestyles-adding or eliminating any one food, for example, is not a cure-all-and unmasks the links between food, the microbiome and inflammation. A paradigm-shifting understanding of human health, A Silent Fire shows us how to live not only long, but well.

A Silent Fire is a captivating expert account of inflammation's hidden role in many of the diseases of modernity and what we can actually do about it. 'Controlling Inflammation is the key to good health and this beautifully written and researched book is the best way to understand it' TIM SPECTOR, #1 bestselling author of Food for Life 'As gripping as a mystery story and as useful as a self-help book' BEE WILSON, author of First Bite _____ Inflammation is the body's response to injury and foreign microbes. But what if it were also a potential root cause of modern disease? The swelling and soreness of inflammation are caused by the gathering of immune cells to defend and heal our bodies. But as our environments and diets have rapidly changed, new science suggests that our immune systems are increasingly turning against us. Low-level inflammation, simmering quietly and undetected, has recently been identified behind everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions. Hidden inflammation even weakens our immunity and increases the likelihood that our immune system will mount an overwhelming, inappropriate attack against infections. Shilpa Ravella is a specialist doctor at the forefront of this field, working on rare inflammatory disorders, gut transplants, nutrition and the microbiome. In A Silent Fire she interweaves the latest research with unusual case studies from her own practice and the history of immunology to explain what we know about this elusive phenomenon. She also debunks common myths about 'anti-inflammatory' lifestyles and reveals how we can reform our relationships with food and our microbiomes to benefit our own health and the planet's. In the eyes of many experts, inflammation is emerging as a common root of the diseases of modernity. This captivating narrative of scientific discovery explains why - and how we might control it.

Inflammation is the body’s ancestral response to its greatest threats, the first line of defense it deploys against injury and foreign pathogens. But as the threats we face have evolved, new science is uncovering how inflammation may also turn against us, simmering underneath the surface of leading killers from heart disease and cancer to depression, aging, and mysterious autoimmune conditions. In A Silent Fire, gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella investigates hidden inflammation’s emerging role as a common root of modern disease—and how we can control it. We meet the visionary nineteenth-century pathologist who laid the foundation for our modern understanding of inflammation, the eccentric Russian zoologist who discovered one of the cells central to our immune system, and the dedicated researchers advancing the frontiers of medical and nutritional science today. With fascinating case studies, Ravella reveals how we can reform our relationships with food and our microbiomes to benefit our own health and the planet’s. Synthesizing medical history, cutting-edge research, and innovative clinical practice, Ravella unveils inflammation as one potential basis for a unifying theory of disease. A paradigm-shifting understanding of one of the most mysterious, buzzed-about topics in medicine and nutrition, A Silent Fire shows us how to live not only long but well.