Are there any good long term diet changes that I could make that would reduce inflammation?
I eat everything in moderation as it is, so don’t give me that advice. I already follow a diabetic diet because its the only one I’ve found that has good guidelines of what foods go together and are low in fat and sugar. Now it appears that I might need to find some that are lower in sodium? I also need to find some that are know to actually reduce inflammation. I tried the Schwarzbein diet, but I couldn’t stay on that forever!
Chosen Answer:
I started something new that focuses on one of the main chemicals that causes inflammation, called prostaglandins. These are known as “local hormones” that get made in various parts of the body, and start acting where they were made (instead of more active hormones that are released in the bloodstream and go everywhere). They are formed by ingesting various types of fats, and their purpose is related to what kind of fat they were made from. Some prostaglandins stimulate inflammation (these are what inspired COX2 inhibitors/antiarthritis drugs; they prevent formation of prostaglandins) while others signal the need for reduced inflammation. The process of forming proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory prostaglandins seems to be competitive between the presence of Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 are found in most vegetable oil (corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, etc) and are converted to pro-inflammatory prostaglandins… while Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in fish, flax seed oil, etc. The ratio of more Omega-3 to less Omega-6 seems to be the most important in controlling which type of prostaglandin is produced. Good luck!
Blueberries and CoQ10 are anti-inflamatories. Don’t eat white bread, and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
I started something new that focuses on one of the main chemicals that causes inflammation, called prostaglandins. These are known as “local hormones” that get made in various parts of the body, and start acting where they were made (instead of more active hormones that are released in the bloodstream and go everywhere). They are formed by ingesting various types of fats, and their purpose is related to what kind of fat they were made from. Some prostaglandins stimulate inflammation (these are what inspired COX2 inhibitors/antiarthritis drugs; they prevent formation of prostaglandins) while others signal the need for reduced inflammation. The process of forming proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory prostaglandins seems to be competitive between the presence of Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 are found in most vegetable oil (corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, etc) and are converted to pro-inflammatory prostaglandins… while Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in fish, flax seed oil, etc. The ratio of more Omega-3 to less Omega-6 seems to be the most important in controlling which type of prostaglandin is produced. Good luck!