The Omegas & Inflammation

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The Omegas & Inflammation

JoAnn Guest Dec 24, 2004 18:08 PST

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The Omegas & Inflammation

 

Inflammation is a normal response of the body to injury and infection

and a major component of healing. The redness, warmth, swelling, and

pain that characterize inflammatory reactions are all evidence that the

immune, circulatory, and hormonal systems are actively working to boost

the efficiency of the body's defenses and speed the repair of damaged

tissue.

 

Inflammation creates illness when it continues beyond its normal limits

or serves no purpose.

 

It is often an unwelcome feature of autoimmunity, for example, and a

major component of musculo-skeletal disease.

 

Medical doctors treat inflammation with anti-inflammatory drugs, which

can injure the stomach, and with corticosteroids, which can suppress the

immune system.

 

There are natural alternatives.

 

Inflammation is regulated by a group of hormones called prostaglandins.

Some prostaglandins intensify the inflammatory response while others

reduce it.

 

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work

on the prostaglandin system.

 

You can also affect this system by diet, specifically by the kinds of

fats you do and don't eat, since the body makes prostaglandins from

fatty acids.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids tend to decrease inflammation while omega-6 fats and

trans-fats increase inflammation.

Botanical treatments for decreasing inflammation also include curcumin.

 

www.drweil.com

 

 

www.udoerasmus.com

 

www.spectrumnaturals.com

 

________________

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html