Beating Inflammation - Taming the Flame - Part 3. This is Part 3 of a 3-Part series.
Three important determinants of an anti-inflammatory diet include the edible oils that you choose and your level of consumption of both fish and refined carbohydrates. An important step is to drop the solvent-extracted, partially hydrogenated omega 6 oils (like canola, sunflower and safflower oils) in favour of healthier oils like cold pressed olive oil, avocado oil and macadamia oil.
These oils are rich in oleic acid, an omega 9 fat that reduces the activity of “adhesion molecules”, which promote inflammation. Flaxseed oil contains 57% omega 3 and is the ideal salad oil to help you reclaim your EFA balance. However, it can never be used for cooking as fragile omega 3 oils are so easily oxidized. Most of us should probably eat more fish as fish oil contains the powerful protectants, EPA and DHA.
Excess insulin is very inflammatory so cut back on refined carbohydrates. 4) Flavonoids – over 5000 of these plant chemicals have been identified to date. Beating Inflammation - Taming the Flame - Part 2. This is Part 2 of a 3-Part series.
The Western diet contains 30 times more pro-inflammatory foods than a century ago and this is largely linked to food processing, fatty acid manipulation and a massive change in the ratio of the essential fatty acids in our diet. The ratio between omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids should be 2:1, although it was actually 1:1 in the caveman diet. The current ratio in Australia is around 20:1, in favour of omega 6, while it is 26:1 in the US. This imbalance has a major pro-inflammatory effect.
There are ten times more building blocks (omega 6 fats) for the inflammatory phase of the two-stage repair process, than there should be. How did We Mess Up The Balance? One man can change the world and not always for the better. 1) Butter was demonised and margarine was promoted as a healthier alternative. 2) Super-healthy coconut oil was removed from cakes and biscuits and replaced with omega 6-dominated, hydrogenated vegetable oils. What's Wrong With Excess Omega 6? Beating Inflammation - Taming the Flame - Part 1.
This is Part 1 of a 3-Part series.
Inflammation is no longer seen as just the painful symptom of infection or physical trauma. It is increasingly recognised as a leading cause of a wide range of diseases. In fact, research has revealed a potent inflammation link to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke and Alzheimer's. The entire aging process is marked by increasing levels of inflammation and associated free radical damage. In many cases atherosclerosis, arthritis, neurological degeneration and prostate problems have almost become seen as "acceptable"- as the unavoidable trials of advancing age. 30 billion NSAIDs are sold in the US each year (100 each per man, woman and child) and seventy million prescriptions are filled for more powerful anti-inflammatory drugs. 60 million suffer from cardiovascular disease, 44 million from arthritis, 39 million from rhinitis and 17 million from asthma.
What Is Inflammation? When the Solution Becomes the Problem Understanding the Flame Drivers.