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What Is Inflammation In The Body?

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What is inflammation in the body? Inflammation is a common root of many chronic diseases. Oxidative stress influences the beginnings of inflammation.

Types of inflammation

Types of inflammation are:

  • Normal inflammation
  • Abnormal inflammation

Normal inflammation

Healthy inflammation occurs when the body’s healing system reacts to a localized attack or injury. The process happens in one area. It starts here, is maintained, and is finished with healing here.

Inflammation could happen when a sudden injury to the skin from impact or burn affects a particular area.

Some changes occur together one by one. The heat and redness show the influx of blood to the affected area. The swelling happens because small blood vessels allow plasma to go to tissues. The pain follows. The immune system participates in the healing process. It takes time, but the inflammation disappears when the problem resolves. We can be disappointed when we have pain and redness or swelling. Fortunately, it takes a short time and a restricted area of inflammation.

Abnormal inflammation

Abnormal inflammation differs in space and time. When healthy inflammation starts in one place and ends simultaneously, abnormal inflammation can attack the whole body.

What is worst is that inflammation lets the immune system attack all cells. These powerful immune killer cells go after affected cells and healthy ones.

How do they work these killer cells?

The immune system has the best army in the world.  Immune cells have different tasks in the body and act according to the situation. Some enzymes could destroy cell walls and digest the vital components of cells and tissues.

Usually, when healthy inflammation occurs, the body is able to control the process. It deals with the consequences of impact or invasion in one place. When healing ends, the body stops control over the inflammation process because there is no need to take care of it.

What is wrong with abnormal inflammation?

The body does not control the abnormal inflammation. It spreads over all tissues and does not quit easily. The immune system participates in healing. Unfortunately, it could lead to autoimmune disorders when it does not get the command from the body on what to target and when to stop.

What does it mean?

Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system attacks cells without a difference. Sick or healthy cells suffer from powerful killer cells. It can lead to:

  •  Discomfort
  •  Disability
  •  Failure of organs
  •  Irreparable damage to essential structures

For example,  type I diabetes is autoimmune from the start:

  •   The immune system starts an abnormal attack triggered by an unknown cause
  •  The beginning is early in life
  • Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas  destroyed

Rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus are autoimmune disorders.

What does trigger autoimmune reactions?

There are some origins, such as:

  •  Infection
  •  Toxic injury
  •  Stress
  •  Environmental issues such as air, water, and food pollution

New findings are causes of disorders

Dr. Andrew Weil states that doctors have a consensus about the triggers of some diseases.  Asthma, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease have components of abnormal inflammation.

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) can start from microinflammation. It can be seen just with a microscope examining damage to the GI tract tissue.

Previously, other triggers were to blame. For example, cholesterol was responsible for atherosclerosis. Now doctors think that the damage was done at first by inflammation. Later on, cholesterol deposits can be a response to protect damaged areas covering defects.

First, abnormal inflammation occurs. Second, the body attempts to heal affected areas.

Regulation of inflammatory process

Before digging into this inflammation topic, I thought hormones are primarily for growth and fertility. Nope. Hormones take a respectable place in our body’s metabolism.

What do the control mechanisms of inflammation?

Prostaglandins and leukotrienes were responsible for the control of the inflammation process. Hormones work synergetically. Imagine a swinging pendulum. When you do not move it, the swing stays in one place. The balance was achieved.  Hormones work in the same way in the body. They interact and make sure that processes would not go wild.

Some of the hormones increase inflammatory activity; some of them dampen it. These hormones must be in equilibrium.

Interestingly, the same hormones which increase inflammation can trigger cells to proliferate. Other hormones that decrease inflammation can cease the abnormal division of cells.

What Does It Mean?

What does it mean?

It means that disrupted balance in hormonal activity can trigger inflammation and lead to nasty diseases.

Is there an escape from this misery?

Yes, it is. Education is the first thing that would help us make the right choices. Second, a fit lifestyle is a way to avoid significant problems and consequences from it.

Do you see a connection here?

According to Dr. Andrew Weil:

 food choices we make can determine whether we are in a pro-inflammatory state or an anti-inflammatory one.

Hormones are prostaglandins and leukotrienes synthesized in the body.  The body uses polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), essential nutrients. We do not make these vital nutrients. We must get them from food.

There are two types of PUFAs:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Omega-6 fatty acids

The demand for these fatty acids is a constant and vital one.

Hormones made from omega-6 acids intensify inflammation, and hormones produced from omega-3 fatty acids downregulate it.

Sources of fatty acids

Omega-6 fatty acids come from the fat of grass-fed animals, oil-rich seeds, and vegetable oils extracted from them.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in :

  • Leafy greens
  • Walnuts
  • Flax seeds
  • Hemp
  • Soy oils
  • Canola oils
  • Sea vegetables
  • Salmon
  • Sardines
  • Herring
  • Mackerel
  • Black Cod
  • Bluefish
  • Fat from grass-fed animals

Nutritionists think that the balance between the consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 was stable in the past. When processed food takes over, especially in Western countries, this balance is disrupted.

You know about the fattening of animals and birds with hormones and antibiotics, keeping them in confined places. Vegetable oils heated. Snack foods provide omega-6 fatty acids. There is no place for omega-3. So what, you would ask?

Omega-3 fatty acids dampen inflammation. Period. If you do not get enough of these acids, your body cannot produce the right hormones that regulate inflammation. Do you see how it goes? It is a chain reaction. One thing leads to another.

Processed food disrupts the balance of hormones. It leads to inflammation. Inflammation is the root of diseases. No fun? Yes, I agree.

Again, there are words from Dr.Andrew Weil:

 In a nutshell: you can reduce the risks of abnormal inflammation and diseases associated with it and shift your body from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state by increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, decreasing your intake of omega-6 fatty acids, and excluding from your diet the kinds of fat known to promote inflammation.

Are fats only to blame for inflammation?

I am sorry, but carbohydrates are responsible for inflammation too.

The chemical reaction’s name is glycation when proteins and sugar react. Glycation produces pro-inflammatory compounds. They are called advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

For me, it correlates with aging. AGEs promote inflammation through the deformation of proteins, cross-linking them.

The glycation could be measured. Doctors check blood levels looking for hemoglobin AIC. It is a form of glycated hemoglobin.

Knowing the numbers of glycation is essential. This process affects proteins and generates AGEs.

 Do We Need To Be Afraid Of Glycation?

Typically people have low levels because the body’s defense mechanisms protect us.

How to choose wisely carbohydrate sources?

Learn about the glycemic index and glycemic load

  • Eat foods with a low glycemic index and glycemic load. Change snack foods with whole grains, beans, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables. Eat more temperate fruits compared with tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango, or papaya.
  • Consume less processed food
  • Avoid fast food
  • Eat fewer products made with flour of any kind
  • Skip products made with high-fructose syrup.

Conclusion

Healthy inflammation benefits the body. At the time of impact, the body pulls all helpers and starts to take care of the confined area at a particular time. When the consequences of injury or invasion are removed, inflammation disappears.

Abnormal inflammation occurs when the body can not control the immune system, and defense mechanisms start to attack its cells.

The quality and origin of diet have a strong influence on inflammation evolution.  Watching the menu and changing lifestyles could enormously impact the quality of our lives.

If you have questions or would like to leave a comment, I would be glad to answer it.

Disclaimer

Are the Best Antioxidant Supplements?

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Are Best Antioxidant Supplements

Are the best antioxidant supplements on the market? Yes, doctors recommend antioxidants as the prevention against free radicals, avoiding sudden aging and deterioration of body systems. Some of the antioxidants come with diet.

Antioxidants help with aging, inflammation, and chronic diseases. Antioxidants help the body to repair after attacks of free radicals that cause premature aging and inflammation.

Before talking about antioxidants, it would be good to start with oxidation.

What is the heck the oxidation?

You know that atoms or molecules have electrons that spin in orbit around the nucleus. It is a natural process. Unfortunately, some agents, such as oxygen or chlorine, can strip an electron from the atom. These molecules or atoms become defective and useless. Cells die and vanish. It is the reason why aging occurs. It does not matter what it is: the human or metal.

You see how iron rusts. It does not take a long time to turn metal into corroded metal.

Oxidative stress happens when natural and artificial radiation affects cells. Free radicals begin to form when electrons are stripped from atoms. These free electrons search for prey because they cannot be unattached. They bombard new molecules ,taking the next particle. This process starts the chain reaction. Without defense systems such as antioxidants, the body would suffer intensely

Antioxidants: What is it?

Nature has natural defense mechanisms against oxidation. Photosynthesis is one of the protective ways. However, it counts just for plants. How about humans?

We are lucky that we have these barriers:

  •  Physical barriers that contain free radicals in their places of production within cells
  •   Enzymes that neutralize reactive oxygen species(ROS)
  •   Substances from the diet such as vitamins C and E. These vitamins can donate electrons to free radicals, stopping them from harming cells.
  •  Repair mechanisms that help fix  damage from the oxidation  of DNA, proteins, and membranes
  •  Master control genes which are activated when the body is in need.

Antioxidants help the body to repair and detoxify after attacks of free radicals. The speed of metabolism plays a role in the number of free radicals and oxidative stress. When slow metabolism, slow is the production of free radicals.

We can help ourselves take an appropriate diet full of antioxidants such as enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

The best antioxidant supplements

The market is full of claims that this or this supplement will make miracles. I prefer advice from scientists and doctors. Let’s check out what do they offer for us :

  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Beta-carotene
  • Green tea extracts
  • Curcumin
  • Pycnogenol
  • Indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C)
  • Juvenon
  • Co-Q-10 (coenzyme Q or ubiquinone)
  • Alpha-lipoic acid
  • Resveratrol

These antioxidants are supported by science and are used to protect from free radicals and oxidative stress.

Okay, let’s start to check closer to these antioxidant supplements.

Vitamin C

What does vitamin C?

  •  Strengthens blood vessels
  •  Helps heal wounds
  •  Increases resistance to invaders
  •  Helps maintain the production of collagen
  • Aids for healthy gums

Vitamin C is famous and is praised as an effective antioxidant. Unfortunately, our bodies do not produce vitamin C. We must get it from the diet. However, how much vegetables and fruits can you consume during the day? Vitamin C supplements would solve this problem.

There is some history about vitamin C. The scientist, who discovered vitamin C and got the Nobel prize, was Albert Szent Gyorgii. He finds out that ascorbic acid or vitamin C does not have the same active properties when it is stripped to the one formula. Proteins, enzymes, and minerals surround ascorbic acid in nature. Think about citrus fruit. You do not consume just ascorbic acid. You eat the whole fruit, which is full of various nutrients. This composition gives us benefits.

Unfortunately, the discovery of Albert Szent was adopted by companies. They started to produce vitamin C synthetically. The difference between vitamin C from whole food and synthesized vitamin C is enormous.

Decide for yourself. Pharma companies use hydrogenated corn sugar, usually from GMO plants, affected with acetone. As I know, acetone is used for the removal of nail polish.

The company Grown By Nature produces vitamin C from organic citrus fruit concentrate.

Do you see a difference? Organic components are friendly to our bodies. Chemicals are chemicals, nothing more.

Vitamin E

How does vitamin E work?

  •  Protects red cells from oxidation
  •  Participates in the immune system
  •  Protects cell membranes from free radicals

Vitamin E does stop the attack on reactive oxygen species. Without protection, oxygen could go inside the cell through membrane or fat. You would ask, what is about fat? Lipid molecules react with reactive lipid radicals to form stable products.

Interestingly, vitamin E has many forms. Vitamin E belongs to a group of compounds. They include both tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Dr. Andrew Weil recommends the dose of vitamin E to be 80 to 160 milligrams of the whole complex.

Vitamin E must consist of tocopherols and tocotrienols because it provides the benefits from Nature. In nature, you can find the complex of vitamin E. It includes eight molecules: alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta tocotrienols.

Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is a precursor for vitamin A. However, it is not advisable to use it alone because it can work as a pro-oxidant and increase cancer risks for some people, such as smokers and ex-smokers.

Beta-carotene must be in a multivitamin of high quality together with alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, lycopene, and others.

Green tea extracts

Green tea is known thousands of years ago. It originated in China but now green tea spread in the whole world. Asia produces green tea too.

Are Best Antioxidants Supplements?

Green tea contains phytochemicals. They consist of polyphenols and caffeine.

Polyphenols contain:

  • Epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG)
  • Epicatechin gallate
  • Epicatechins
  • Flavanols

These constituents act as antioxidants, anticarcinogens, anti-inflammatory, and anti-radiation agents.

Green tea contains flavonoids. They are:

  • Kaempferol
  • Quercetin
  • Myricetin

Active ingredients in green tea act as antioxidants.

Curcumin

Curcumin is the main constituent of turmeric in the ginger family. It is widely used in Asia kitchens, but now, starting with Timothy Ferris’s morning habits, continents enjoy the benefits of turmeric tea and turmeric supplements.

Turmeric has a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s. Individuals who live in rural India have one of the lowest rates of this disease globally.

When looking for turmeric supplements, pick organic because fresh products without chemicals work best.

Pycnogenol

Pycnogenol is the product of the bark of the pine tree. It is a French maritime pine bark extract. Pycnogenol is a combination of natural and robust antioxidants.

Pycnogenol contains active bioflavonoids. According to manufacturers, Pycnogenol fights free radicals, which are a reason for deterioration and aging.

Bioflavonoids help the immune system stay strong.

Indole-3-carbinol

Indole-3- carbinol or I-3-C  is found in cabbage family vegetables. I-3-C is a phytonutrient. This antioxidant can help reduce breast cancer risk. It happens by influencing estrogen metabolism.

Cabbages, kale, or Brussels sprouts are tasty. However, it is better to take supplements. We can not eat so many vegetables and get the required amount of I-3-C to prevent cancer.

Supplements from health stores can help solve it. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends I-3-C for women to use as a dietary supplement.

Juvenon

     Juvenon is a product created by Bruce Ames, a professor of biochemistry and microbiology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is an expert on the causes and prevention of cancer.

Bruce Ames discovered that rats fed with dietary supplements such as alpha-lipoic acid(ALA) and acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) become energetic, and their brain functioned better. Rats looked like young animals.

You would think that the fountain of youth was discovered. Who knows, but Bruce Ames established his company, and the product is called Juvenon.

The secret is in the enzymes which help mitochondria produce energy. Besides it, it decreases insulin resistance and helps to deal with complications of diabetes, such as peripheral neuropathy.

Co-Q-10

The body produces coenzyme Q. It acts as an antioxidant and can increase oxygen usage at the cellular level.

Coenzyme Q increases the function of heart muscle cells.

Dr. Andrew Weil recommends it for cancer, diabetes, and gum disease patients. Sixty milligrams per day of the newest coenzyme Q is the recommended dose from Dr. Andrew Weil.

Caution: when you look for the supplement, you need to see how much active ingredient is in it. Bioavailability is essential because when the active ingredient is absorbed by 99 percent, we get most of the benefits.

I would compare it with juice. Would you like to have a glass of 100 percent orange juice or diluted with water and full of artificial sugar?

Alpha-lipoic acid

Alpha-lipoic acid has few benefits. It helps:

  •  Decrease insulin resistance
  •  Increase the body’s antioxidant defenses

Individuals can benefit from alpha-lipoic acid if they complain about metabolic syndromes such as HDL cholesterol, the tendency to get fat around the abdomen area, or high blood pressure.

ALA is a dietary supplement. Starting from 100 milligrams a day and taking up to 400 milligrams a day is the recommended dose by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant found in the skin of grapes. Researchers found out that grapes produce more resveratrol when they grow under stressful conditions. Cold, rain, lack of nutrients, and attacks of fungi create an unpleasant environment for grapes. Luckily, grapes survive and have significant amounts of resveratrol in their skins.

Researchers discovered a gene called daf-2. This gene seems to be a master regulator of many other genes that deal with metabolism and defense.

Later on, the gene called sir-2, which mediates the response to restrictions of calories, was discovered.  When living beings eat less, they live longer and have increased body defense. Scientists looked for a substance that could activate gene sir-2 without starvation. This material is resveratrol, the component of grape skins in red wine. Resveratrol was responsible for the health benefits of red wine.

My recommended antioxidants

Conclusion

Antioxidants play a role in our well-being. Being healthy is not a privilege; it is a necessity. We must be robust to enjoy life, help others, and create a better environment for ourselves and our children.

Antioxidants do not harm. They protect us from toxins, pollution, stress, and invaders such as bacteria. The immune system does not mind if we help her deal with the burden of civilization, such as radiation, inadequate nutrition, and stress.

Taking antioxidants for our well-being will provide the body with nutrients vital for the metabolism, defense, and immune systems.

Importance Of Leafy Vegetables

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The importance of leafy vegetables is enormous, especially when obesity reaches the heights of the Swiss Alps. Nutrients in vegetables are vital because most individuals do not eat food rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It leads to chronic disorders.

The importance of antioxidants

You can imagine what oxygen does to the iron. After some time, the piece of iron becomes rusty, and from the substantial portion of the metal, just a remembrance is left of what it was before. It is the same with our bodies.

Leafy vegetables have active ingredients that help to deal with oxidative stress. During oxidation, cells can die. Antioxidants in leafy vegetables prevent that

We are affected continuously by pollution, radiation, exposure to sun rays, acid rain, etc. Besides it, when we eat empty calories, so-called junk food, we do not get any protection against chemicals, additives, and preservatives.

Thankfully, leafy vegetables could be a real help, especially if we would drink smoothies. Eating vegetables as rabbits do takes plenty of time. Besides, it is not tasty. When we use the blender, we can add the banana or shredded coconut to improve the taste.  The blenders make the drink easy to digest and get vital nutrients.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, people do not eat enough leafy vegetables. Plant-based foods must be changed over time. Variety counts and gives an array of different nutrients.

Importance of leafy vegetables

Leafy vegetables help fight against oxidative stress. The oxidation can harm cells by taking electrons. When the cell is not complete, it ceases to function correctly and dies.

Plants contain phytonutrients. They are protective compounds. People must have a habit of eating plant-based food, especially leafy green vegetables. We would defend ourselves against the ravages of oxidative stress.

Our grandparents knew that they talked about telling us: eat your vegetables.

Magnesium And Angina

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Angina is a pain in the area of the chest. It can happen in short periods. It feels like the pressure or the sense of fullness. Sometimes the pain can go down the left arm.

Why does it happen?

Angina can happen; the lack of oxygen creates the buildup of carbon dioxide in the heart’s muscles. It is a  frightening situation. The pain can be mild or acute. People can experience it after or during exercise, especially in the cold, having intense emotional stress or vivid dreams.

Angina passes after a few minutes or after taking nitroglycerine.

The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to organs in the body. The heart needs supplies too. If blood vessels constrict and oxygen does not reach the heart fully, people experience angina.

If this situation happens often, the angina is called unstable. Angina can lead to a heart attack.

Magnesium helps relax the muscles of the heart and relieve inflammation.

The importance of magnesium

Dr. James B. Pierce, Ph.D., states that almost fifty percent of sudden heart attacks happen when the body lacks magnesium. If you think about magnesium’s ability to relax muscles everywhere, you will see that the blood rich with oxygen can easily reach the heart when magnesium is sufficient.

The prevention is the best aid

Most of us start to think about health after something scary happens, such as a heart attack or high blood pressure.

We can prevent disorders by taking measures and changing bad habits. The elimination of sugar, alcohol, and junk food could help prevent heart disease. Taking absorbable magnesium supplements will provide the body with minerals vital for the body’s metabolism.

Conclusion

Angina is a scary situation. We can prevent it by taking dietary supplements such as magnesium, and ReMag, having plenty of rest, and looking after our diet. It is nothing complicated. We must remember that health is the most crucial asset besides time.

Why Are Organic Products More Expensive?

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Why are organic products more expensive if compared with conventional production? Processed food stays on the shelves for a few months or longer.  Organic food has vital nutrients but spoils faster because it is chemical-free. Most people do not choose natural products because they are afraid that the money spent will not bring any results.

Why are organic products more expensive?

Organic products are no exception when it comes to higher prices. Quality products cost more. Why?

  • Materials are expensive, such as fertilizers or clean water.
  • The time to produce is long
  • Quality products cannot be created in significant quantities
  • Organic and quality products require plenty of  human resources

Everything adds up. The price goes up. Imagine what you want: strawberries without chemicals. You need to mineralize the soil. You cannot use pesticides. Somebody needs to pull weeds out, pick them, then place them in boxes without crushing them. Farmers have enormous expenses, and the price of products goes up.

It is different from strawberries, which grow in significant fields. Pesticides sprayed from airplanes, water quality questionable, automated picking saves time and money.

Organic products require constant supervision, lab checking, and avoiding the usage of chemicals. It increases costs.

What do you get in the end?

Organic strawberries melt in the mouth, smell sweet, and do not last long.

Conventional strawberries are hard to bite. Most people use a knife to cut them and put some white sugar on the top. The warning sign about washing a few times the production reminds us that berries still contain chemicals.

The impact of chemicals

Chemicals from production reach bodies. It does not matter how well we would wash them. Why? The plant or fruit gets chemicals from the soil. The soil got pesticides when plants were sprayed. Farmers want to grow produce that is pleasing to the eye and does not spoil so fast.

Toxins are not suitable for us. They interfere with the body’s metabolism and can impact the next generations.

Bodies recognize and use minerals for building replenishment minerals. Absorption is a big deal. Toxins which are foes and not natural, can deposit in tissues and organs.

When you have toxins in your body, you need to have detoxification. Who does perform it? Some people do not have time; some of them do not care; some of us do not know about the importance of cleaning the body from toxins.

Scientist and doctor Samuel Epstein stated that cancer is the consequence of environmental pollution.  When we get chemicals with products, we increase the chance of catching horrific diseases.

The bright side of organic

I see a few good things happen if people choose organic production.

People would eat less because organic products cost more.

People would be conscious of what they eat. When you pay the price, you are more attentive about what you choose and why.

People would lose weight. There are no fillers, preservatives, or additives.

People would be energized and happier.

People would save money in the long run. Why? Organic food keeps you in shape and gives you more needed nutrients. You will skip medication because you will be in better condition.

From the community perspective, you will support farmers and the environment.

Conclusion

  • Organic food is a lot more expensive because it requires more taking care of it.
  • Organic food brings benefits and does not harm humans
  • Ecological food benefits the environment and growers.

How about you? What would you like to choose: organic food or conventional? I would be glad to hear from you.