Dr. Roger Seheult

Lee Hunt said, “The groundwork of all happiness is health,” and Deepak Chopra said, “The way you think, the way you behave, and the way you eat can influence your life.”

Habits are important because they provide insight into who you are as a person. It’s not just what to do with your time that matters, but also how you use it. You don’t have to be perfect — all that matters is that you’re moving forward in a positive and healthy way every day. The key is figuring out what kind of effort will work best for you, whether this means going on a strict diet or working on being more mindful about your food choices.

My guest today is Dr. Roger Sehuelt,  a critical care physician, pulmonologist, and sleep physician at Beaver Medical Group. I know you guys enjoyed it so much the first time we had Roger a year ago, so we wanted to have him back on and talk even more about the concepts that we dove into during that episode.

Our conversation was so jam-packed with valuable information that we had to break it up into two parts! In this first part, we discuss why people suffer from inflammation, what steps you can take to prevent diseases, the effects of vitamin D on inflammation, and so much more. It’s an exciting episode, so buckle up, and let the class begin.

Who Is Dr. Roger Seheult?

Dr. Roger Seheult is a successful medical practitioner with quadruple board-certification in Internal Medicine, Sleep Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Pulmonary Diseases through the American Board of Internal Medicine. Currently, he is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine and Allied Health at Loma Linda University and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.

He is the co-founder of MedCram, a medical education company whose mission is to demystify medical concepts for people around the world. Dr. Roger’s teaching experience goes back to his college days at the University of California, Riverside where he was a tutor in chemistry and physics, graduating Magna Cum Laude with majors in both fields. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine with a chief residency role at the Riverside County Regional Medical Center, and completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Loma Linda University.

He was formerly the Director for Intensive Care Services at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital, former Medical Director for the Physician Assistant Sciences Program at Loma Linda University, the Medical Director for the Crafton Hills College Respiratory Care Program, and the Medical Director for a sleep laboratory. 

Dr. Roger regularly lectures at several conferences across the country for various medical societies, including Physician Assistant and Respiratory Therapist societies. His passion is in demystifying medical concepts and offering clear explanations for all, and in this episode, he explained why people suffer from inflammation.

Why People Suffer From Inflammation

Inflammation is at the core of every chronic condition such as asthma, arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. According to a report in the journal of Nature Medicine, inflammation is the root cause of disease, and it contributes to 50% of deaths in the United States of America. So, I’m curious why so many people suffer from inflammation and how it’s contributing to so much loss that’s happening right now.

“What happens if you hit your finger on the door? It swells up. So that’s basically inflammation, and … the Romans had a way of describing this — everything in medicine is described in the Latin language. There’s ‘calor,’ which is hot. … There’s ‘rubor,’ which appears red. [If] it’s swollen, that’s a tumor. … And if you speak Spanish you know what ‘dolor’ is — that’s pain.

So those are the four Cardinal things that you see with inflammation.” – Dr. Roger Seheult

Inflammation is a natural and necessary process that helps our body heal. When we experience an injury, the inflammatory response kicks in to help us recover by breaking down the cells and damaged tissues and removing them from our system. However, sometimes inflammation can go too far and become chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been linked to many diseases including asthma, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes type 2, and heart disease. 

“Heart disease and cardiovascular disease … is almost completely from inflammation. … If you were to see angiograms, … the ones that we are particularly concerned about are the blood vessels that actually supply the heart muscle. They have to beat continuously every day for the rest of your life, and so they need a good supply of oxygen, which they get from the blood. If those blood vessels become diseased because of inflammation, … cholesterol starts to break and they get clots forming. … What happens when you get a heart attack is that those blood vessels close off, and the heart muscle, which still needs to beat, is now being strangled to death.” – Dr. Roger Seheult

You may not know it, but you are always fighting a battle against chronic inflammation. Your body is constantly trying to heal itself and keep your immune system strong. When your cells become too inflamed for too long, the result can be a heart attack or stroke. This happens when blood vessels in the heart are damaged by inflammatory substances called cytokines that cause plaque buildup on the artery walls. The good news is that there are steps you can take to heal these tissues and reduce inflammation.

The Best Steps You Can Take to Prevent Inflammation

It’s true! Inflammation can be a bad thing, but sometimes it’s good. Inflammation is your body fighting against harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses to protect you and keep you healthy. So next time you feel some inflammation, don’t worry about it too much — just give those immune cells some space to do their job!

“Inflammation by itself is actually not that bad. It’s useful when you need it. … For instance, how does the body get rid of a virus? It gets rid of it by finding those cells that are infected with the virus and calling all their friends in to destroy that cell, and part of that is inflammation. The problem is when the inflammation goes out of control — chronic inflammation.” – Dr. Roger Seheult

Do you suffer from pain or fatigue? Do your joints ache, and does it seem like nothing makes the symptoms better? If so, you may have chronic inflammation, which is a silent killer that can cause many health problems, such as heart disease and cancer. The good news is that there are simple steps to take to reduce inflammation in your body. You should start by identifying foods that increase inflammation and then work on gradually removing them from your diet if possible. You can also take supplements like vitamin D.

“We certainly have good evidence from going back to 2018 published in the British Medical Journal that steady supplementation on a daily basis, or a weekly basis, with vitamin D can reduce the incidence of acute chest infections.” – Dr. Roger Seheult

In the winter months, we tend to get a little more under the weather. This is because there is less sunlight and less vitamin D production in our bodies. Vitamin D has been shown to fight inflammation that can lead to illnesses such as bronchitis or even asthma. It’s never too late for a daily dose of vitamin D.

“Who are the people that are susceptible to vitamin D deficiency? It would be people who are older because as you get older, it’s harder to make vitamin D in your skin. Number two — people who have darker skin. This vitamin D is made literally from the ultraviolet light from the sun. … So if you’ve got a lot of pigmentation, … it’s going to be harder. You may have to spend more time out in the sun.” – Dr. Roger Seheult

We all know we should be taking care of our health, but sometimes this can seem difficult and overwhelming. The best thing you can do is to take small steps every day that eventually add up to big changes in your life. You don’t have to make radical changes or overhaul your entire diet overnight, just make gradual adjustments by trying one healthy habit at a time, such as going out for a few minutes under the sun every day to get your daily dose of vitamin D and making small adjustments to your diet to prevent disease.