Inflammation & Diet

[healthybratt]

Could someone explain to me what inflammation diseases are? Is is skin rashes, joints hurting, arthritis, etc? I was wondering who should take these supplements.

Yes, yes, yes and everyone.

The recommended dosage for those not suffering from any of these infirmaties is half what is recommended for those suffering, but EVERYONE needs these EFAs in their diets.

The author's notes on inflammatory disease include the following:

Diseases Known to Be Caused by Inflammation:  Asthma, Allergies, and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Atopic Dermatitis, Eczema, Gout, Lupus, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD - including celiac disease, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis), Psoriasis, Scleroderma (hard skin), Obesity

Diseases Thought to Be Caused by Inflammation:  Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries, heart disease, stroke), Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Failure, Chronic Hepatitis (Inflammation of the Liver), Chronic Thyroid Disease, Chronic Pancreatitis, Osteoarthritis, Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema

Diseases in Which Overactive Inflammation is Suspected:  Alzheimer's Dementia & Cancer (including breast, liver, large bowel, urinary bladder, prostate, gastric mucosa, ovary, cervical and skin)

The author also says

Asthma.  Psoriasis.  Heart disease.  Lupus.  Eczema.  Diabetes.  Inflammatory bowel disease.  Arthritis.  It's an incredible variety of diseases that can be clustered under the single umbrella of inflammation.

Now I must send up a further alarm:  I personally believe that this seemingly random "laundry list" of inflammatory diseases is about to get much longer.

A few years ago, during a game of hospital, my young daughter, Sarah, diagnosed her beloved teddy bear, Little Lucy, with a bad case of "bearitis."  I've heard that old nursery chestnut a thousand times (I have four children), but for the first time, I really heard it.  Itis, in case you don't know, comes from the Greek word for inflammation.  My daughter's automatic use of "itis" as a suffix to diagnose her teddy bear made me realize just how synonymous--how closely joined, and inextricably linked--inflammation is with disease.

[makingchanges]

HB thanks so much for spelling out the diseases.

[YoopreMama]

HB, Yooper & Forever Girl, How long have you had skin problems?

I've had textbook eczema since elementary school (that puts it around 25+ years).  Things got worse after PG in 2001, and crazy-bad after MC in 2006.

[healthybratt]

HB,  How long have you had skin problems?

http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,2847.msg79523.html#msg79523
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,5949.msg83144.html#msg83144
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,8440.msg86851.html#msg86851
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,3120.msg88482.html#msg88482
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,5345.msg89287.html#msg89287

[likemanywaters]

My son's skin rashes best/worst times match the pattern for the body's natural diurnal variations in cortisol levels. His skin is inflammed & itchy when cortisol levels are lowest (evening) & best first thing in the morning when levels are the highest. The same with my hip pains that I used to have.  So I'm thinking boosting cortisol levels / adrenal glad support would help, especially in the evenings. What about a nice cup of licorice root tea? The compound in it acts as a cortisol of sorts (that's why it also is taken to raise blood sugar levels).

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/index/Concerns/Hormones

Functions of DHEA

Functions as an androgen (a male hormone) with anabolic activity. Anabolic refers to the building or synthesis of tissues.
Is a precursor that is converted to testosterone (a male hormone). Is a precursor to estrogen (a female anabolic hormone)
Reverses immune suppression caused by excess cortisol levels, thereby improving resistance against viruses, bacteria and Candida albicans, parasites, allergies, and cancer.
Stimulates bone deposition and remodeling to prevent osteoporosis.
Improves cardiovascular status by lowering total cholesterol and LDL levels, thereby lessening incidences of heart attack.
Increases muscle mass. Decreases percentage of body fat.
Involved in the thyroid gland's conversion of the less active T4 to the more active T3.
Reverses many of the unfavorable effects of excess cortisol, creating subsequent improvement in energy/ vitality, sleep, premenstrual symptoms, and mental clarity.
Accelerates recovery from any kind of acute stress (e.g., insufficient sleep, excessive exercise, mental strain, etc.).

What Cortisol Does

Mobilizes and increases amino acids, the building blocks of protein, in the blood and liver.
Stimulates the liver to convert amino acids to glucose, the primary fuel for energy production.
Stimulates increased glycogen in the liver. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose.
Mobilizes and increases fatty acids in the blood (from fat cells) to be used as fuel for energy production.
Counteracts inflammation and allergies.
Prevents the loss of sodium in urine and thus helps maintain blood volume and blood pressure.
Maintains resistance to stress (e.g., infections, physical trauma, temperature extremes, emotional trauma, etc.).
Maintains mood and emotional stability.
Excess Cortisol
Diminishes cellular utilization of glucose.
Increases blood sugar levels.
Decreases protein synthesis.
Increases protein breakdown that can lead to muscle wasting.
Causes demineralization of bone that can lead to osteoporosis.
Interferes with skin regeneration and healing.
Causes shrinking of lymphatic tissue
Diminishes lymphocyte numbers and functions
Lessens SIgA (secretory antibody productions). This immune system suppression may lead to increased susceptibility to allergies, infections, and degenerative disease.

...An excessive ratio of carbohydrates to protein results in excess secretion of insulin, which often leads to intervals of hypoglycemia. The body, in an attempt to normalize blood sugar, initiates a counter- regulatory process during which the adrenals are stimulated to secrete increased levels of cortisol and adrenalin. It follows that an excessive intake of carbohydrates often leads to excessive secretion of cortisol. This contributes to chronic cortisol depletion and consequently, adrenal exhaustion. Reduced DHEA is an early sign of adrenal exhaustion.

...Protein in the diet induces the production of glucagon Carbohydrates in the diet induce the production of insulin.

When insulin is high and glucagon is low, the adrenals are called upon to produce excess cortisol (see later on in the document what cortisol is all about) as a back-up response to help raise blood sugar in the absence of adequate glucagon. This occurs at the expense of the adrenal glands, contributing to adrenal exhaustion.

[likemanywaters]

It's hard to understand the medical terminology in this link, but I think it could tell us something:

Physical stress-induced secretion of adrenal and pituitary hormones in patients with atopic eczema compared with normal controls

And here's another: http://www.eczema-natural-healing.com/causes-of-eczema.html

Based on the above information, when searching for the causes of eczema, you need to ask yourself questions beginning with the word "could." For example, with my eczema, I asked myself these questions "Could I have an essential fatty acid deficiency that may have contributed to my eczema?" "Could I have accumulated high levels of damaging cortisone compounds in my liver and kidney?"...

When one is faced with emotional or psychological stress on a daily basis, the body produces cortisol (a hormone) which affects the intestinal tract by destroying friendly bacteria. The digestive system becomes impaired. Most people under stress will say that they feel pain in their stomach (quite typical to my case). Long term stress can cause ulcers as the body continues to secret cortisol. Stress can also stimulate the adrenal glands and exhaust them, causing them to malfunction. A chain reaction can lead to a whole host of diseases including that of eczema.

[likemanywaters]

So does your "pattern of inflammation" match the diurnal variation of cortisol levels? (worse in evening, best in morning) This could be expressed in pain, itching, inflammation, redness.

(from Wikipedia)

The adrenal glands secrete steroids... Steroids are synthesized and secreted by the adrenal cortex...
The principal steroids are aldosterone (a mineralocorticoid) and cortisol (a glucocorticoid).
Aldosterone promotes sodium retention and potassium excretion and is therefore important in maintaining fluid balance and blood pressure.
Cortisol on the other hand has a wide range of metabolic effects such as protein and fat breakdown that aim to elevate blood glucose levels.

The amount of cortisol present in the serum undergoes diurnal variation, with the highest levels present in the early morning, and the lowest levels present around midnight, 3-5 hours after the onset of sleep. Information about the light/dark cycle is transmitted from the retina to the paired suprachiasmatic nuclei in the hypothalamus. The pattern is not present at birth (estimates of when it starts vary from two weeks to 9 months.[1]) Maybe when his eczema started!
Changed patterns of serum cortisol levels have been observed in connection with abnormal ACTH levels, clinical depression, psychological stress, and such physiological stressors as hypoglycemia, illness, fever, trauma, surgery, fear, pain, physical exertion or extremes of temperature...

Glucocorticoids have potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. This is particularly evident when they are administered at pharmacological doses, but also is important in normal immune responses. As a consequence, glucocorticoids are widely used as drugs to treat inflammatory conditions such as arthritis or dermatitis, and as adjunction therapy for conditions such as autoimmune diseases.

[healthyinOhio]

So does your "pattern of inflammation" match the diurnal variation of cortisol levels? (worse in evening, best in morning)

This makes total sense with my periodic rosacea.  It is always flesh colored when I wake up and then it gets more red as the day goes on. 

I am happy to say that after about 4-5 days of taking 2 tsp. of CLO my redness has almost completely disappeared!!! <clap, clap, clap>    Usually, I have to cleanse and do coffee enemas, but this is so much better.  Plus, I am finally getting some extra healthy fats in my system. 

[likemanywaters]

That's great, HIO!!!    My son is also doing much better after increasing the fats in his diet.

[4my3rascals]

Just thought I would mention, the book that Beka mentioned earlier states that omega 3s from vegetables and seeds are not easily converted into the essential fatty acids that we need to fight inflammation and therefore are not the best choice for supplementation.  Fish or oil from fish is considered by this author the best source for these.  The one exception he mentions is borage oil (not familiar with this one).

This information is also stated in Traditional Foods are Your Best Medicine by Ron Schmid.  He gives a great explanation about the many prostoglandins in Chapter 7.  He confirms that though healthy individuals may be able to convert alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into EPA, that the best source is to get EPA from fish or oil. 

Ron Schmid also confirms that the meat of grain-fed animals is fatty and contains almost no EPA and that arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acids are dominant.  In contrast, grazing animals that consume fresh greens supply alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in chloroplasts, and it can be converted into EPA.   Schmid feels that minimizing sources of excessive linoleic (vegetable, nut, and seed oils) and AA (grain fed animal fats) while emphasizing sources of EPA, DHA, and ALA (fish, grass fed animal fats, and green vegetables) will especially favor those with the inflammation diseases mentioned above.

[morningglory]

Okay , I've read this entire thread and every link and PDF.  Rebekah, you said you thought that the blood-clotting and auto-immune problem that caused my baby to die could be controlled through diet.  My book won't be here for about a week, so can somebody help me out?  What does the book say about things like this? 

[ForeverGirl]

Okay , I've read this entire thread and every link and PDF.  Rebekah, you said you thought that the blood-clotting and auto-immune problem that caused my baby to die could be controlled through diet.  My book won't be here for about a week, so can somebody help me out?  What does the book say about things like this? 

Hi morningglory, for the sake of everyone else reading this, I'm going to paste in the missing information...

You posted this in the Prayer thread:

I just heard back from the doctor with my test results.  Recapping for everyone who might not remember, I lost my 36 week old unborn baby 2 months ago .  There was a clot behind the placenta, clots in Caleb's umbilical cord, and my blood pressure went through the roof, causing a placental abruption, and I came uncomfortably close to bleeding to death.  My first pregnancy was completely untroubled. 

The results show that I have a genetic mutation that puts me at high risk for heart attack, stroke, etc., which explains the blood clots.  The other disorder I tested positive for is a lupus coagulent (I think ) which is an autoimmune problem.  My doctor says this doesn't mean that I have lupus, but it is something that could cross the placenta and hurt the baby if I don't have sufficient Vitamin B and folic acid.  Whatever this is causes a need for more Vit. B and folic acid than a normal pregnancy requires.  She believes this is also a genetics issue.  I may have gotten some of the details mixed up, because I could barely hear her on the phone.  In a few weeks, I have an appointment with a hematologist, and he'll explain in greater detail what all of this means.  After that, I'll go to a university hospital and talk to a genetics counselor, I think.

My doctor says both of these things can be helped.  I'll probably have to be on a blood thinner, and I'll get killer doses of Vitamin B and folic acid next time around.  If there is one thing I've learned, I've learned that nothing is certain but God.  Hearing this news brings it all back .  I appreciate your prayers.  If any of you have ever had similar problems diagnosed, or know anything that would be helpful, please send me a PM.  I'd like to know what to expect.

I responded thus in an email:

Hello,

In regards to your health update on the prayer thread... I've been researching all this autoimmune, need for blood thinners...etc, stuff lately. Before your next appointment, I recommend that you start taking Omega 3's and 6s in large amounts every day. Read the inflammation and diet thread to know more about this. Omega 3 and 6 oils thin the blood  naturally, without causing long term dependence on blood thinners. They also correct the inflammation problem which leads to "auto immune disease."

Read up on the Inflammation and diet thread as soon as possible!

My, medically-unqualified recommendation is that you take the oils before being given perscription meds to thin your blood. The oils might negate the need for meds. I don't know what caused your baby to die, but if the doctor is perscribing blood thinners , and mentioned lupus and/or autoimmune, my guess is that your are having inflammation problems, and that taking the Omega 3 and 6 oils will help correct this.

I would recommend following the Omega Oil daily supplement guide that HB posted and see if this helps with the blood thinning, inflammation problem.

God bless,
Rebekah

[DHW]

I would also like to suggest looking into nattokinase for blood disorders, and in cases where a pharmeceutical is indicated, heparin rather than warfarin (coumadin).

Also, I just read an interesting article by Robert J. Rowen about a new study which shows that using a slightly higher dose of warfarin together with vitamin K achieves a much more consistent blood-thinning action, plus it allows the inclusion of dark leafy greens and other vit K sources in the diet.  Usually all sources of vit K are severely restricted when warfarin is prescribed, to the detriment of the patient since vit K is vital for health.

[likemanywaters]

For no apparant reason DS' skin has flared up crazy bad this afternoon.  He's been itching & scratching terribly. Really inflammed & red & oozing.  I'm not sure why. Getting really discouraged.  Pray for him please.

[skelliott2]

Oh, poor little guy.  We'll be praying for him.  Hope he feels better soon.  My son has never had eczema as bad as your son, but he does get have exzema, along with a lot of digestive problems.  If it makes you feel any better, he seemed to always take a step back before he got much better.  It could be so discouraging sometimes, but he alway improved after that, and was even better than before.  I hope this happens for you too. 

[likemanywaters]

I re-read this article & it had some useful information on inflammation & diet, especially as it relates to health problems related to leaky gut: http://www.mdheal.org/leakygut.htm

CYCLE ONE: ALLERGY
The relationship between food sensitivities and the leaky gut is complex and circular. Children and adults with eczema, urticaria or asthma triggered by atopic food allergy have baseline permeability measurements that are higher than control levels [57-59]. Following exposure to allergenic foods, permeability sharply increases. Most of this increase can be averted by pre-treatment with sodium cromoglycate [32, 34, 57-59], indicating that release from mast cells of atopic mediators like histamine and serotonin is responsible for the increase in permeability. It appears that an increase in intestinal permeability is important in the pathogenesis of food allergy and is also a result of food allergy...

Patients with chronic arthritis may have difficulty stopping NSAIDs. Alternative anti-inflammatory therapy should be instituted, including essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants or mucopolysaccharides[121-125]...

Flavonoids are potent, phenolic anti-oxidants and enzyme inhibitors with varied effects depending on the tissues in which they act. Quercetin and related flavonoids inhibit the release of histamine and inflammatory mediators. Taken before eating, they may block allergic reactions which increase permeability. Catechins have been used in Europe to treat gastric ulcerations. The flavonoids in milk thistle (silymarin) and in dandelion root (taraxacum) protect the liver against reactive oxygen species[145].

(7) Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are the substrates for prostaglandin synthesis. Differential feeding of EFAs can profoundly affect prostanoid synthesis and the systemic response to endotoxin. In experimental animals, fish oil feeding ameliorates the intestinal mucosal injury produced by methotrexate and, additionally, blunts the systemic circulatory response to endotoxin[146]. The feeding of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), promotes the synthesis of E-series prostaglandins, which decrease permeability. EFAs should be consumed in the most concentrated and physiologically active form to avoid exposure to large quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids from dietary oils. Consumption of vegetable oils tends to increase the free radical content of bile and to exacerbate the effects of endotoxin[147].

  Perhaps this is why some use Borage Oil instead of EPO? It has a higher GLA concentration.

HB, I thought of you and your study on mast cells. So maybe sodium cromoglycate or Quercetin can be a pre-treatment for exposure to whatever is your trigger and inhibit inflammation response.

[healthybratt]

HB, I thought of you and your study on mast cells. So maybe sodium cromoglycate or Quercetin can be a pre-treatment for exposure to whatever is your trigger and inhibit inflammation response.

Thanks, it's very interesting.

[likemanywaters]

For no apparant reason DS' skin has flared up crazy bad this afternoon.  He's been itching & scratching terribly. Really inflammed & red & oozing.  I'm not sure why. Getting really discouraged.  Pray for him please.

Son is doing much better! After a bad skin week, we finally took him to a chiropractor I had met & he has been adjusting his spine several times now. And all his rashes are healing!    He said something about malabsorption of nutrients & slow digestion being linked to the spine/neurological system & the signals were not getting through. That his own metabolism was very toxic to himself (I didn't totally understand him). He also told me to go easier on any supplements for him (no probiotics), only 1 CLO a day, and his multi-vit.... Possibly it was from birth - cord wrapped around his neck & then suction tube. I think, also maybe from falling off of a changing table when he was several mo. old. I would have never linked those things together. So far, it's helping. AND this is despite the fact that I added back a bunch of foods to his diet that I had taken out, like wheat, rice, bananas, etc. And he is pooping every day now.

[healthyinOhio]

I think, also maybe from falling off of a changing table when he was several mo. old. I would have never linked those things together.

WOW, really?  That is an interesting correlation.  My son fell off the kitchen counter at a couple months old, too.  It dented his head and he had a small fracture.  Wondering if an adjustment would help him, too?  Thanks for the testimony.

[likemanywaters]

The thing is, I guess there's no way to prevent mishaps like that w/ kids. Just in the last week, after I've gotten him adjusted a few times, he falls backwards off the swing & today tumbles off the play equipment & lands flat on his back.    I'm thinking for kids & also I've heard after a few pregnancies it would be good for a check for moms too. I think some people just take their newborns in for a check shortly after birth. In fact I know of one chiro in our town that does newborns free! I'm thinking if my hip ever starts hurting again I will go in for myself too.

[InEverything]

So far, it's helping. AND this is despite the fact that I added back a bunch of foods to his diet that I had taken out, like wheat, rice, bananas, etc. And he is pooping every day now. [/color]

Keep us posted on his progress  

[morningglory]

So has anyone established whether or not the EPAs have to be in perfect balance to work against inflammation?  For example, if you're getting more than the recommended amount of EPA, but exactly the recommended amount of GLA, does that throw the whole thing off?  Or does your body just get rid of the extra?  I have Super Omega 3-6-9 from NOW, and taking 10 gelcaps a day puts me at 720 mg EPA and 800 mg GLA.  Recommended EPA is 400 mg daily, and recommended GLA is 650-950 daily.  So I would be getting way more EPA than recommended, but exactly the GLA recommended.  I'm also going to be gradually putting more Category 1 and 2 fish in our diets, and that will give me more EPA as well.  It's really important that I get this right, so my body will shut off it's autoimmune response and stop trying to kill my babies. 

[healthyinOhio]

So has anyone established whether or not the EPAs have to be in perfect balance to work against inflammation? 

That is a really good question and I believe everyone needs to find the right balance for their own situation.  For me, when I started taking 2 tsp of CLO a day, I had excellent results.  So, I thought more must be better and upped it to 4 tsp a day.  When I upped my dosage, my symptoms came back??  But when I went back down to 2 tsp. a day, it improved.  Sound like a balance issue to you?

[morningglory]

It does, but my symptoms are not tangible.  The only way we knew anything was wrong was when my baby died, which was the result of an autoimmune response my body is having to some unknown factor.  I don't have the print-off my doctor gave me handy, but it has something to do with phospholipids, and that makes me suspicious that it does have something to do with my EPA intake and inflammation.  According to my doctor, no one knows what causes this, and sometimes the body just stops creating the antibody that's doing the damage.  Anyway, the only way I have to know if I've gotten it right is to carry a baby full-term without the baby dying.  So I really need to figure this out before we get pregnant again.

[healthyinOhio]

  Anyway, the only way I have to know if I've gotten it right is to carry a baby full-term without the baby dying.  So I really need to figure this out before we get pregnant again.

Oh, goodness, morningglory.  That does seem tough.    If anything comes to mind, I will share, but I do hope you come to the bottom of the situation.   

[healthybratt]

If I understood the author correctly, it's okay to get too much Omega 3's, but not OK to get too much GLA (without the other fats, it converts to AA).

[Maria/NHM]

I know I must be dense but after reading this thread 3 times I still don't know what contains GLA. Could somebody please explain it to me.

[Whiterock]

Um.. Actually I buy that too, & I just noticed recently that it says Wild Alaska Pink Salmon. In other words, it doesn't say "wild caught" just Wild Alaska.... So I wonder if it is wild caught or not. Packaging can be so sneaky that way.

Yeah, that's what I see on most cans and I'm suspicious of it too. But the one I buy at Kroger actually says, in small print on the side (like an ingredients list), wild caught. I was thrilled to find it. I haven't bought any in over a month so I hope they still carry it.

WR

Hey, I found the canned wild caught salmon at Publix the other day. It's the Chicken of the Sea brand.

WR

[healthybratt]

I know I must be dense but after reading this thread 3 times I still don't know what contains GLA. Could somebody please explain it to me.

Anything which contains omega 6s.  Sources include range fed beef and evening primrose oil.

[grocerygetter]

What's the book The War Within mean by an inflamatory illness? Thanks