Part I

The Inflammation Cure Food Choices

Inflammation is an altered state of a body part that suggests a flame. Inflamed tissue is on fire. It ishot and red and painful. It can take many forms and have many causes. Sometimes inflammation isappropriate as part of the body's response to infection or injury. In these cases, inflammation takeshold of a body part, fights off the infection, repairs the damage, and subsides, returning the tissueto its normal state of health.

Inflammation can become a permanent fixture and cause diseases like rheumatoid arthritis andmultiple sclerosis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a pattern of inflammation that usually begins in the jointsbut can spill over into other parts of the body. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease thatresults when one's immune system starts attacking the sheaths that surround nerve fibers. A host ofother diseases can result from abnormal patterns of inflammation and will be discussed briefly.

Inflammation occurs when the body mistakes some harmless substance in the environment as athreat to life. Such inflammation is behind allergies, asthma, and skin rashes like that of poison ivy.When ragweed throws its microscopic pollen grains into the air, the noses and sinuses of millionsof people act as if they are breathing in dangerous germs and become inflamed in an effort to battlethe invasion. This leads not only to sneezing and wheezing, but can impair sleep, concentration,ability to think, and in some cases cause overwhelming generalized fatigue.

The body uses inflammation as part of the mechanism to beat us down as we age. The plannedobsolescence built into bodies is to a great extent the result of inflammation. In a magnificentexample of biological economy, the same system that protects us from germs when we are youngdoes us in when we get old. Though there is nothing we can do to prevent aging, we can do things toslow the process of aging. The flip side is that we can also make dangerous choices—from smoking tousing cocaine—that accelerate the aging process. Degenerative diseases of aging, such as hardeningof the arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes, can be forestalled by a healthy lifestyle, anti-inflammationfood choices, and other modalities discussed in Part IV of this book.

The Inflammation Connection refers to the fact that inflammation in one part of the bodyinfluences inflammation elsewhere. Evidence of this comes from research that shows correlationsbetween diseases related to inflammation. We now know that inflammation of the lining of theblood vessels is behind heart attacks and strokes. People with heart attacks and strokes are atincreased risk to have inflamed gums. People with inflamed gums are more like to have heart attacksand strokes. Inflammation is related to obesity, insomnia, depression, and diabetes. Allergies andasthma are related to insomnia and depression. Obese people are more likely to develop asthmathan people with normal weight. People with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to develop heartdisease. Inflammation connections are everywhere we look.

All sorts of things in our environment increase the risk of diseases associated with heart attacks.The small particulates in the air from burning fossil fuels can inflame the linings of our arteries andlead to heart attacks. So can cigarette smoke, whether from smoking or breathing someone else'ssmoke. Leaky furnaces can also play a role when we seal up our houses in winter and have roaringfires inside our homes.

The importance of food choices in reducing one's risk of inflammation, avoiding diseasesassociated with inflammation, and even slowing down the process of aging, is overwhelming. Thereare several ways that diet plays a role in the inflammatory process. Foods are complex mixtures ofa host of chemicals with diverse sizes and shapes. These can have profound positive and negativeeffects on the body. In addition to chemicals that occur naturally in foods, wild assortments ofchemicals are added to foods from farms to processing and distribution networks. Some of thesefood chemicals—both naturally occurring and added—are pro-inflammatory and increase our riskof diseases associated with inflammation. Other food chemicals reduce the risk of inflammationby providing essential nutrients or by providing potent antioxidants to counteract the dangerouseffects of oxidants that damage inflamed tissues.

Sometimes a single food or collection of foods drives inflammation in an individual's body.Identifying these highly individualized problem foods and eliminating them from the diet can resultin remission of chronic diseases. Techniques for identifying personal problem foods are presentedin Part III.

The Inflammation Cure recipes presented here are designed to be appealing, nutritious, andhealthful.

Nutrition Primer

Knowledge of the basics of nutrition is essential to eating properly and maintaining good health.Most have studied nutrition in school health and science courses. The nutrition primer given hereis presented as a refresher course for those who want to review the basics. Others may want to skipthis section. The basic chemistry classes of nutrients are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals,a group of bioactive organic chemicals that include vitamins and antioxidants, and water. Theenergy yielding nutrients, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, plus water are the major proportion ofmost foods. Vitamins and minerals, while they do not provide direct energy, aid in the process ofenergy production within our cells. Without the proper mix of the energy yielding and non-energyyielding nutrients our bodies cannot function properly. All are necessary for ideal nutrition butmust be consumed in an appropriate balance. Too much of a good thing, most importantly for themetals, can cause serious diseases. Further, there are preferable fats and carbohydrates and othersthat should be eaten in moderation or avoided.

Proteins

This class of compounds consists of chemicals called amino acids hooked together like the boxcars ona train to make a long chain. Just as train cars have couplers that hook together to join two cars, theamino end (consisting of a nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms) of one amino acid hooks to the acidend (consisting of a carbon atom, two oxygen atoms, and a hydrogen atom) of another to couple them.Once the protein chain is complete, the long line folds to form a three dimensional structure. Differentproteins have different functions in the body. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen in the bloodstream, greatly increasing the amount of oxygen that can be carried to our tissues. Others are enzymesthat effectively speed up chemical reactions. Many proteins, including insulin, are hormones. Stillothers form receptors on the surface of our cells that when stimulated cause things to happen. Clearly,proteins are necessary for life. If even one amino acid in a protein is wrong, disease and even fatalitiescan result. Sickle cell anemia results from just one mistake in the amino acids that form hemoglobin.

There are 20 amino acids that the human body needs to form proteins. A deficiency of even oneamino acid can be fatal because proteins necessary for life cannot be manufactured. Non-essentialamino acids are those that most people can manufacture internally and do not need to obtain fromthe diet, though some people with genetic mutations may need to obtain these from their diets.Essential amino acids have to be obtained from the diet because humans do not have the enzymesrequired to manufacture them internally. The essential and non-essential amino acids are given inTable I-1. The non-essential amino acids marked with an asterisk are those that some individualsneed from the diet.

Some amino acids are essential building blocks for neurotransmitters, and some even functionas neurotransmitters. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is essential for proper functioning of thebrain. Depression is treated by drugs that increase the amount of serotonin in the synapses thatconnect our brain cells and allow our nerve cells to talk to each other. Too much serotonin or drugsthat mimic serotonin such as LSD can cause hallucinations. Schizophrenia is treated by giving drugsthat block the action of the neurotransmitters serotonin and/or dopamine. Our bodies manufactureserotonin by modifying the amino acid L-tryptophan.

The amino acid L-tyrosine is the starting molecule to manufacture the neurotransmittersdopamine, nor-epinephrine, and epinephrine that are found in systems of nerve cells that play vitalroles in our brains. Dopamine is involved in a wide range of activities, from memory, mood, thinking,learning, sleep, and regulation of movement. Toxins that damage the system of nerve cells that usedopamine to communicate disrupt regulation of movements, leading to a Parkinsonian syndrome.Nor-epinephrine and epinephrine are the major neurotransmitters and hormones involved in thesympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system which are essential to what are termed flightand fight responses. When we exercise vigorously or sense danger, nor-epinephrine is released fromthe adrenal glands to speed up body functions, with increased heart rate and metabolism of energy,to shunting blood away from the gut and to skeletal muscles.

Another amino acid essential to making neurotransmitters is glutamic acid, the starting pointfor manufacturing the neurotransmitter GABA (short for gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA is themajor inhibitory amino acid in the brain. The system of neurons that use GABA to talk to each othercalm down the firing activity of other systems of neurons. It is no surprise that drugs that increasethe action of GABA are used to treat seizures, depression, anxiety, and muscle spasms. Glutamicacid is itself an important excitatory neurotransmitter.

It is important to remember that just as with the carbohydrates and fats, it is possible to consumetoo much protein. Extra calories consumed from protein that are not utilized at that time by the bodyfor maintenance will be converted to triglycerides and stored for future energy use in our adiposetissues. So while it is important to consume enough protein, you do not want to consume too much.A simple formula for most people to calculate their protein needs is to take their healthy body weightin kilograms (kg) and to multiply it by 0.8. The example listed below is for a 150 pound person.

150 pounds divided by 2.2 = 68 kg

68 kg x 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight = 54.4 g of protein

The person in this example has a healthy body weight of 150 pounds. When the 150 pounds isconverted to kg, the person's body weight is then measured as 68 kg. The 68 kg of healthy body weightmultiplied by 0.8g indicates that this person needs about 54 grams of protein each day. Keep in mindthat individuals with certain conditions such as cancer, endurance athletes, those recovering fromsurgery, burn victims, or pregnant women will need more daily protein and more overall nutrition.But as a general guide this formula works well for the general population. Consuming extra proteinwill only result in an extra burden on the kidneys and other organs, increase the inflammatoryprocess and lead to excess weight stored in the adipose tissue.

Fats

Dietary lipids and fats are high energy compounds consisting of carbon atom chains that alsocontain hydrogen atoms. The human body can extract more energy from fat than any other class ofnutrient. While a gram of fat provides 9 calories of energy, a gram of protein or carbohydrate canonly provide 4 calories of energy. The American Heart Association recommends that your totalfat intake should be 30% or less of your total calories for a day. Of that 30%, only 7% should comefrom saturated fats and none should come from trans fats. We must recognize there are healthy fats,unhealthy fats, and essential fats that must be obtained from the diet. Let's explore the structureand types of fats a little more.

Each carbon atom in a fat can be thought of as having four arms to grab onto other atoms. Toproduce a fat, two arms have to be used to join other carbon atoms to form the chain. The othertwo can join two hydrogen atoms to produce a saturated fat. If one or both of the remaining armsproduce a double bond to a neighboring carbon atom, the fat is unsaturated. A fat with all singlebonds between the carbon atoms is said to be saturated because it has grabbed as many hydrogenatoms as possible. A fat with double bonds between carbon atoms is called unsaturated. Animalfats tend to be saturated while vegetable oils are unsaturated. This difference is why animal fats aregenerally solids (such as lard and butter) and vegetable oils tend to be liquid.

There is an abundance of scientific evidence that suggests unsaturated fats are healthier thansaturated fats. Vegetarians have a lower risk of heart attacks than meat eaters, and the types of fat inmeat is one of the main reasons, though the anti-oxidants, fiber, and other beneficial effects of fruits,vegetables and whole grains also play a role. A study comparing groups in southern and northernEurope found that both groups consumed 40% of their calories as fat. The northern Europeans atesaturated fats from meat and butter while the southern Europeans got their fat from olive oil. Thesouthern Europeans had half the risk of heart attacks of the northern Europeans. The USDA andthe American Heart Association recommend that one should limit the consumption of animal fatsand use vegetable oil, such as canola oil or olive oil, instead. Meat eaters should stick to lean cutsthat are mostly protein and limit their portions to 4 ounce servings.

One of the great travesties of the last century was the industrial process of hydrogenatingvegetable oils to produce margarine. This process increases the shelf life of baked goods whileproducing a spreadable solid similar to butter. These so-called trans fats turned out to be at leasttwo times worse than saturated fats.

Another pitfall with fats is what happens to them during cooking. Whether in frying, baking,or grilling, high heat changes the composition of cooking oils by oxidizing them. The oxidation offatt y acids leads to the production of free radicals and makes the dietary fat less healthy. This effectis most pronounced in frying. Though fried foods acquire a tasty character and pleasing appearance,we recommend limited fried foods because healthy vegetable oils decrease their advantage throughthe oxidation that takes place with frying. Fried food vendors that advertise, Fried with Canola Oil,may be misleading the public into believing that frying with these oils is healthy. While frying foodsin healthier fats such as canola and olive oil is believed to be healthier than frying foods in saturatedfats such as lard, we recommend limiting or even avoiding the consumption of fried foods.

Essential Dietary Fatty Acids

There are dietary fatty acids necessary for proper functioning of the human body that we cannotmanufacture internally. They must be obtained from the diet or from supplements. Pills or capsulescontaining essential fatty acids are truly nutritional supplements. Linoleic acid (an omega-6 fattyacid) and alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) are essential polyunsaturated fatty acidsthat humans need for their well-being. These fatty acids are modified in our bodies to make ahost of important molecules that control inflammation while also affecting mood and behavior.These are omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, which refers to the fact that the chain ofcarbon atoms has a double bond in the sixth and third bonds from the omega end of the chain,respectively. Good health requires a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Essential fattyacids can be obtained from fish, vegetable oils, linseed (flax seed) and canola oil, walnuts, leafyvegetables, pumpkin seed, and sunflower seeds. A typical Western Diet is high in n-6 fatty acidsdue to the high consumption of processed foods prepared with inexpensive vegetable oils and islow in n-3 fatty acids due to low consumption of fish. It is important to consume enough n-3 fattyacids from the longer chain n-3s, which are found in fish, blue-green algae, and functional foodssuch as omega-3 enriched eggs and omega-3 fortified soymilk, since our bodies are not capable toelongate the shorter alpha-linolenic acid into the longer chain fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in sufficient amounts.