Lifestyle Choices

Many disease processes involve inflammation, often characterised by swelling, redness, pain and heat.

These include all the `itis’ diseases — arthritis, dermatitis, colitis, nephritis and hepatitis, as well as asthma and others not often associated with inflammation, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in which parts of the brain become inflamed. Inflammation also lies at the root of atherosclerosis, the common cause of thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes. In addition, it is an underlying cause of irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, now suffered by eight million people in Britain.

Inflammation is the body’s way of showing that a person’s intake from the environment, including diet, drugs and environmental chemicals, has exceeded their capacity to adapt. Several key areas need to be examined to discover what exactly is contributing to the inflammatory health problem. Often impaired liver detoxification needs to be redressed with diet, herbs and nutrients. Other considerations are disturbed blood sugar control or an imbalance of oxidants vs antioxidants. Food intolerances or allergies can also be a source of inflammation. Finally, a deficiency or imbalance in essential fatty acids may often lie at the root of inflammation and pain.

There are an increasing number of natural pain-killers and anti-inflammatory agents available, some of which have proved just as effective as drugs but without the side-effects.

Essential Fats

The essential fats (or essential fatty acids) effective in decreasing pain and inflammation are the Omega 3 oils EPA and DHA, as well as GLA, the pre-converted essential fat, which is high in evening primrose oil and borage oil.

Pain and inflammation are often triggered by an imbalance in prostaglandins (short-lived, hormone-like substances in the body, derived from essential fats found in the diet). However, not all prostaglandins trigger pain and inflammation. While one group of prostaglandins encourages inflammation (prostaglandin type 2), two other groups of prostaglandins (types 1 and 3) have been shown to reduce inflammation in animals in a variety of studies. Redressing any deficiencies in these essential fats and decreasing your dietary intake of the wrong kinds of fats (i.e. saturated or processed fats) will ensure that these prostaglandins are in the correct ratio, and this can greatly ease inflammation.

Evening Promise Oil

Evening primrose oil has proven at least as effective as non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in reducing inflammation. In a trial comparing the effects of essential fatty acids with NSAIDs, the results were definitely positive. Arthritic patients, stable on NSAIDs, were assigned to one of three groups. One received 100 per cent evening primrose oil, the other 80 per cent evening primrose oil and 20 per cent fish oil, and the third a placebo (dummy pill). After three months, patients were encouraged to reduce or discontinue their NSAID medication over the next nine months. At the end of this time, everyone was put on placebos. About 90 per cent of those taking essential fatty acids reported improvement and were able to stop, or at least considerably reduce, the NSAIDs, compared to 30 per cent in the placebo group. Almost all who had improved on essential fatty acids regressed when placed on the placebo.

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