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Five Foods That Fight Inflammation

You've just tripped over the toy you told your child to put away a dozen times. Picking yourself up off the floor, you notice your forearm is beginning to swell and turn red - the imprint of the offending toy pressed into your skin.

Meanwhile, the surface of your arm is getting warmer by the minute.

The chemicals responsible for your sudden inflammation are called eicosanoids. Specifically, two sets of eicosanoids, prostaglandins and leukotrienes, trigger inflammation.

Despite popular opinion, inflammation is not necessarily a bad thing.

Doctors of chiropractic, like Dr. Borio, understand that inflammation is a purposeful part of recovery. It's a sign that the body is at work healing itself. However, severe inflammation can prolong rehabilitation and heighten discomfort.

The key is to prevent excessive inflammation. And the best way to do that is through chiropractic care. Proper posture and nutrition are critical when it comes to ending muscle and joint inflammation, which is why chiropractic is a powerful weapon in the battle against aches and pains.

Straighten Up

How is posture linked with muscular health? Muscles attach to the vertebrae of the spine. When vertebrae are out of alignment, muscles may also be affected. These areas of spinal misalignment are known as vertebral subluxations. Dr. Borio uses safe, gentle and effective maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments to eliminate vertebral subluxations, restoring alignment to the spine and preventing muscle ache (Spine 24;2: 146-52).

Chiropractic adjustments do more than prevent muscle injury by restoring proper alignment to the spine: They may also directly affect the muscles in your limbs. This is because muscle networks extend from the spine to the limbs. For example, adjustments to the lower back can reduce the muscle inhibition associated with knee inflammation (J Manip & Phys Ther 1999;22:149-53).

In addition to preventing muscular inflammation, chiropractic adjustments promote optimal joint motion, the secret to preventing osteoarthritis and the inflammation associated with it (J Manip & Phys Ther 1989;126:419-27). Cuttingedge research similarly demonstrates that chiropractic adjustments may modify the chemical interactions that cause inflammation (J Manip & Phys Ther 2000;30).

Dr. Borio also teaches patients how to suppress inflammation through nutrition. Read on to learn about five of the top inflammation-busting foods on the market - some of which are probably in your kitchen right now.

1. Holy Mackerel!

Mackerel, salmon, trout, sardines and other cold-water fish are delicious ways to combat inflammation. Arachidonic acid, an essential fatty acid found in dairy products, peanut oil, eggs, beef, meats and animal fats, is the major nutritional promoter of inflammation. Gamma linolenic acid (found in evening primrose oil, borage oil and black currant seed oil) and omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed oil and fish oils) displace arachidonic acid from the cell membrane, thus decreasing production of pro-inflammatory chemicals.

Over time, the human diet has experienced a shift in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids. The ratio is now 25: 1, but it should be closer to 5:1. Omega-3 dietary sources are flaxseed oil, green leafy vegetables, soybeans, cano1a oil, eicosapentenoic acid (EP A), docosahexenoic acid (DHA) and fish oils (from the abovementioned species).

2. Grapefruit is GREATfruit

Bioflavonoids, chemicals abundant in citrus fruits, are extremely effective in alleviating inflammation on a cellular level. They hamper the release of chemicals associated with inflammation, stabilize cell membranes and decrease contraction of smooth muscle (Planta Medica 1985;51:16-20). Citrus bioflavonoids inhibit arachidonic acid, while vitamin C - also plentiful in citrus fruits - speeds healing of collagen and connective tissue.

3. Pineapples & Papayas

Before reaching for one of the latest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), check out the produce aisle in your neighborhood grocery store or farmers' market. Proteolytic enzymes, which break down protein, are a much safer alternative. Proteolytic enzymes include brome1ain (from pineapple) and trypsin (from papaya).

Proteolytic enzymes inhibit inflammation by averting tissue damage. This results in accelerated healing - up to 50 percent faster!

They also break down the fibrin wall formed around a region of inflammation. This wall initiates swelling by blocking the body's blood and lymph vessels (Med Hypothesis 1980;6:99-104).

These enzymes should be eaten (or taken in pill form) on an empty stomach - or they will act only as digestive enzymes.

4. Rice Bran Boost

Although not very exotic, rice bran packs an anti-inflammatory punch. Scientific experiments reveal that several of the nutrients in this food inhibit inflammation on a cellular level (J Agric Food Chern 2000;48:2313-9).

5. Stir Up Some Indian Food

The next time you suffer from inflammatory pain, stir up a pot of curry. Many of the spices in Indian food inhibit a chemical process associated with inflammation called cyclooxygenase (Ind J Med Res 1971;59:1289-95). Curcumin (the major component of turmeric), ginger and capsicum (cayenne) are just three of the many tasty options. Boswellia, an Ayurvedic herb, has also been shown to quiet inflammation.

Optimal Health UniversityTM is a professional service of PreventiCare Publishing@. The information and recommendations appearing on these pages are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for consultation with a health-care provider. Optimal Health UniversityTM may be photocopied (NOT reprinted) exactly as it is published, noncommerdally by current subscribers ONLY to share with patients or potential patients, Optimal Health University may NOT be reprinted in any print or electronic publication including newsletters, newspapers, magazines or Web sites. Any other reproductions are subject to PreventiCare Publishing@ approval. Copyright, 2001.

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