Silent Inflammation

The following is a summary of an excellent article written by Dr. Barry Sears, called Silent Inflammation. Dr. Barry Sears is President of the Inflammation Research Foundation and the most recognized spokesperson and advocate for Omega-3 long chain fatty acids, which includes both fish and seal oil.

Supplements and diet modifications can put silent inflammation to rest! The root cause of many of the major chronic diseases is inflammation and there are many nutraceuticals that can play a role in curbing this risk factor.

Classical inflammation differs from its silent counterpart. Inflammation serves us; it is a beacon for toxic foods, microbial attack, and injury. It is the cellular signature of a stressed immune system. Our bodies are typically resilient therefore making the continuation of harmful actions easy until their cumulative affects take hold. They are silent only until the internal threshold is reached. Silent inflammation results in disease conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. There is no true perception of pain when damage occurs at a deep cellular level although it continues to occur. This deep inflammation is only an indication of the potential for injury within.

Eicosanoids are a group of hormones derived from long-chain essential fatty acids and are easily changed by diet modifications. Very little progress has been made in the search for anti-inflammatory medications since the beginning of modern medicine. It is only in recent years that clinical markers have been put in place to measure degrees of sensitivity to inflammatory conditions. The fact remains that few supplements or drugs are able to halt damage from inflammation at a cellular level.

Failure of Inflammatory Drugs

More people die each day using the correct dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs than die from AIDS. Drugs may temporarily intercept the acute inflammation but on a deeper level they are inhibiting the eicosanoids, which are natural anti-inflammatories. Drugs have not proven to be the answer and further impede our natural internal processes.

Dietary Approaches for Reducing Silent Inflammation

One of the primary causes of increased silent inflammation is body fat. Stored fat is very active as it produces excess insulin, which results in more inflammation in the adipose tissue. The current obesity epidemic is in reality an epidemic of silent inflammation. The only solution to decrease excess body fat is to reduce caloric intake and insulin. When the correct glycemic load is combined with the corresponding protein balance then inflammation diminishes. Supplements targeted at pain and inflammation are extremely beneficial to assist the process.

Supplements for Reducing Inflammation

There are two highly effective supplements to target and eradicate pain and silent inflammation. The first one is Essential Fatty Acids rich in long-chain omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and DPA. The second supplement is Amino Acids that enable efficient protein digestion. Many people have impaired protein digestion, even though most eat too much meat

Consequences of Ignoring Silent Inflammation

The major underlying cause of chronic disease is deep silent inflammation. As a nation, more money is spent per capita on healthcare with extremely disappointing results. The ever increasing obesity population is reaching a crisis point and is already taxing the medical system beyond its ability to provide. The American diet is the number one contributing factor towards inflammation therefore attention to both foods and proper supplementation is critical to reverse and halt cellular damage. The urgency to invest in ourselves through diet modifications and the proper use of exceptional and specific supplementation is the opportunity for each and every one of us.