Anti-Inflammatory drugs act to reduce inflammation and the
pain that is caused by it. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
relieve pain by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. COX enzymes produce
prostaglandins that cause inflammation. By inhibiting prostaglandin (PG)
production there is a reduced level of inflammation and pain. NSAIDs are
commonly used to treat diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Pleuropericarditis (inflammation of the
pericardium). However, adverse reactions to NSAIDs include (but are not limited
to) damage to the esophagus and stomach lining. These drugs can also be
dangerous in hemophiliacs that have trouble with blood coagulation/clotting.
While researching
anti-inflammatories, I came across some information regarding anti-inflammatory
diets. One specific article caught my attention.
According to the article, chronic inflammation will lead to
poor health. By avoiding foods that lead to inflammation we might be able to
prevent the development of many diseases. Advocates for the diet suggest that
it can reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce blood pressure/triglycerides,
and soothe arthritic pains. According to Dr. Russell Greenfield, the American
diet consists of too many omega-6 fatty acids from processed food and too few
omega-3 fatty acids from fish. So what does an anti-inflammatory diet consist
of? Many suggest that a Mediterranean or Asian-style diet might also be good
anti-inflammatory regimen. Some of the recommended food for these diets include
fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, reduced carbohydrates, increased whole
grains, chicken, and spices.
Experts say that the possibilities for an anti-inflammatory diet
may be preventative for some diseases more than others. We also cannot actually
prove that an anti-inflammatory diet will work and will reduce the risk of
diseases like Coronary Heart Disease. Another downside is that if anti-inflammatory
diets were used they would also take longer to work than anti-inflammatory
drugs. Specialists say that food should not be the only focus for reducing
inflammation, but maintaining a healthy body weight is also important.
Given the information above, what is your opinion on the
trend towards anti-inflammatory diets? Do you believe these diets will work? If
these diets do work, should everyone be on one?
ReplyDeleteI needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
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The diet sounds okay to me. I don't know whether it will actually decrease inflammation, but the diet itself sounds like a healthy diet, noninflammatory effects included or not. Even though there is not much research whether the diet could really decrease risks for coronary heart disease, I wouldn't be too surprised if it did. Omega-3 fatty acids/fish oil pills are sometimes prescribed by physicians to patients who have hyperlipidemia or hypertension, and in this diet, they increase the intake of omega-3. Meanwhile, they decrease the intake of omega-6 foods, and omega-6 has been thought to be linked to heart diseases. When they talked about body weight, it reminded me a bit of our discussion of diabetes/obesity. Because obesity can cause inflammation, it makes sense that by keeping one's weight in check, it will decrease the potential inflammation. All in all, whether this diet does decrease inflammation or not, I think it is safe to follow it because it is a healthy type of diet; it's the type of diet that a physician would tell her/his patient to eat. There's more fruits, vegies, and lean meat.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree. This diet seems safe, and a lot of other cultures follow similar diets. The article suggests that there is a decreased amount of heart disease in countries that follow these asian or mediterranean style diets. I liked your point about Omega-3 fatty acids being prescribed for those with hyperlipidemia and hypertension. This seems to be the strongest evidence that a diet like this one could decrease heart disease. I also like the point the article makes regarding weight and how it seems to be the most protective against inflammation. My only concern about this diet is if it could dangerous to hemophiliacs or if the anti-inflammatory effects would not be strong enough to pose any danger.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this diet seems to be similar to any other healthy diet. Despite the emphasis placed on inflammation, essentially, this is just a healthy diet. For example: it is common knowledge that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you. Though many don’t understand the reason why, most people do know that fruits and vegetables are healthy. The same can be said for minimizing saturated and trans-fats, eating whole grains, increasing protein intake, and avoiding refined foods. These tips provided by the article are preached everywhere and almost everyone has heard of them, however, what this article does is elaborate on the reason why these foods can be beneficial. I am a true believer that living a healthy lifestyle is the best preventative medicine and this article focuses primarily and how to prevent certain diseases, although the recommendations of what to eat and what not to eat are relatively common knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Richard. I did not really understand the difference between the "anti-inflammatory diet" and standard healthy eating diets. It was interesting how many advocates of anti-inflammatory diets have written books about them also. The article suggests that we don't know if they even work to reduce inflammation, and i find it interesting that there are already books being published about the benefits of such a diet.
ReplyDeleteI do believe this anti-inflammatory diet will work well for patients in need, but like everything we consume in life, we need to do it in moderation and not limit ourselves from other important nutritional properties. I was reading an article stating all the great nutritional benefits you can receive from this diet, but as I scrolled down there was a link regarding supplements you should take with the diet. As the article puts it “there is a whole bevy of them.” Not surprisingly there is, so I believe with any diet people should work with their doctors or nutritionist to regulate their food intake and outtake. With proper monitoring I do believe this diet could be of service to many people suffering from inflammation.
ReplyDeleteI agree that moderation is important for any type of eating habits we adopt. One thing that I really liked about this article was that they referred to this "anti-inflammatory diet" as less of a diet and more of an eating habit for life. I think that in the end developing a healthier and more well rounded diet will help with all the chronic conditions we looked at since they are all related in one way or another. One thing that I would worry about with this anti-inflammatory diet is people eliminating certain "inflammatory" foods and becoming deficient in a certain type of nutrient. For example, there are a lot of people that propose gluten to be an inflammatory food and will eliminate it from their diet. In return there is the risk that they may lack B vitamins, fiber, and iron in their diets if they are not getting it from another source. Overall I think that following an eating plan like this has many positive aspects such as increasing fruit and vegetable consumption that are generally known to have positive health benefits whether it has been proven through research or not.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of an anti-inflammatory diet is an interesting one. On the other hand what these diets are really advocating is eating healthfully and figuring out any food allergies and sensitivities in order to feel as good as possible. I think in many ways these diets are a gimmick to get people on board with healthy eating rather than really reducing inflammation. Additionally as we discussed in class I find the name anti-inflammatory diet to be problematic as we know that inflammation is necessary for good health. It would be interesting to see research showing significantly lower levels of inflammation in people on this diet as opposed to people not on this diet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Nicole and April had to say. I think it is critical that this diet should be in moderation and that it can be dangerous to completely restrict certain types of foods and vitamins. I think April alluded to this in her comment about gluten free diets and the lack of B vitamins, fiber and iron.
ReplyDeleteI thought Julia's comment was interesting. I was reading this article and I noticed how some of the doctors are writing books about an anti-inflammatory diet. However, the article says there really is not proof these diets have extreme anti-inflammatory effects either. I think it is possible that some of these writers are trying to capitalize on something new and are trying to turn a profit. In all reality these diets are pretty similar to ones we have already seen before. If these diets do work, I am also wondering if this diet would target certain areas of inflammation more than others.