Fast Diet Recipes For Vegetarians

Suffering from Inflammation

How do you know if your symptoms result from inflammation?

My interest is the molecular basis of inflammation, how inflammation is triggered and how inflammation contributes to numerous diseases. I try to expose the inflammatory underpinnings of various diseases by initially linking a disease to inflammation and then unraveling the molecular events that lead to and make up the disease.

How Do I Link a Disease to Inflammation?

My first task is to check the biomedical literature to see if there are research articles that support anti-inflammatory interventions that prevent or limit the disease. I just do a PubMed search the disease name plus anti-inflammatory treatments, e.g. omega-3 fish oils, vitamin D, NSAIDs, etc. It is also possible to see if a disease, such as diabetes, that produces chronic inflammation is a risk factor for the new disease being examined. It is shocking to me that omega-3 fish oils (EPA/DHA) or even flax seed oil, have been found to be effective treatments for numerous diseases that range from allergies, arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, depression and even septic shock and multiple organ failure. Aspirin has been used to treat infertility and post partum depression, and at high levels to treat cancer.

Dietary Suppression as Prima Fascia Evidence of Inflammatory Cause

If I find that omega-3 oils have been used successfully to treat a disease, then I attempt to link inflammation to the molecular events that initiate the disease. The biomedical literature is of minimal help here. [Biomedical research is usually limited to assessing the impact of drugs on the symptoms of diseases, so the biomedical literature typically does not provide information on the cause of diseases or ways to cure diseases. Causes and cures do not receive research funding.] I have to learn the basic workings of the organs involved and the alterations of function associated with the disease. I have also found by long experience, that major molecular components are systematically missing from typical explanations of function.

Heparan sulfate/heparin Is Missing in Action

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) dominate the extracellular environment and yet they are systematically excluded from biomedical research. On this blog, I have provided dozens of examples of the essential role played by HSPGs and disruption of these roles by heparin. The majority of cytokines, growth factors, clotting events, complement cascades and even lipid transport (LDL) act via HSPGs. Leaking of proteins into the urine, across the intestines or the blood brain barrier is controlled by HSPGs, is reduced by inflammation and can be partially repaired by heparin. Autoimmune and allergic diseases are initiated by disruptions in HSPG metabolism. Viral and bacterial pathogens bind to human cells via HSPGs. Cancer cells reduce their HSPGs and start to secrete heparanase in order to metastasize. Mast cells secrete heparin! HSPGs and heparin are major players in tissue function and yet the major cell biology text book does not even discuss them. HSPGs are not mentioned in medical school training even though heparin is the most commonly administered drug.

One of the insights that I bring to my conceptualization of diseases is the role of heparan/heparin in cellular physiology. It explains a lot.

Check for Inflammatory Symptoms by Trying the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

If your symptoms are due to inflammation, there is an easy way to find out. Since diet is the biggest source of inflammation and most of the cells of the immune system congregate in your intestines, it makes sense to check to see your health problems are rooted in inflammation by making simple changes in your diet. Since this is just a test, don’t worry about whether or not this is diet for the rest of your life. Just stick to it for a week and see if it changes your life.

The Basic Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Lifestyle Guidelines are here.

(Vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil amounts are minimal levels. More severe examples of inflammation will require higher levels. Vitamin D up to 10,000 IU per day has been found safe. Some individuals require up to 12 fish oil capsule per day to experience relief from symptoms. Increases should be gradual over weeks of time.)

Try it for a week and let me know if your symptoms disappear. The prevalence of diet-based inflammation, makes me confident that you will be glad that you tried these simple, healthy changes. For immediate relief of pain, see my articles on capsaicin, castor oil and menthol/Vicks.

This is not medical advice and is used only in appropriate support of primary medical care. for details click below