Inflammatory Response

What has become known as the "inflammatory response" is linked scientifically to a wide range of modern afflictions and diseases. These include Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, chronic pain, inflammatory bowel disease, gastritis, ulcers, yeast/fungal/Candida overgrowth, allergies, obesity, autoimmune diseases and more. 

95% of all autoimmune diseases have inflammation as a primary or major component. Interestingly, 30  years ago, there were just four autoimmune diseases identified. Today there are 90 and the list is growing. 

In addition, more than seventy million Americans experience chronic pain linked to inflammation. Moreover,  C-Reactive Protein is an inflammatory marker far more reliable than cholesterol in predicting heart disease (along with triglyceride levels, leptin levels, homocysteine levels AND sugar fasting glucose levels.)

Elevated insulin - even that which arises from intermittent but excessive "insulin stimulant" or sugar/flour splurges - will increase inflammatory response over the long term.  And both elevated insulin and long standing insulin/blood sugar imbalances are implicated in the same diseases as those connected to "inflammatory response" and mycotoxins, not to mention yeast/fungal/Candida overgrowth.

This connection is due to the fact that both "insulin stimulants" and elevated insulin makes EXTREME demands on your body's nutrient stores, which are the very things your body needs most to both maintain it's biological terrain and  to manage the inflammatory response. This alterred and depleted situation often leads to acid/alkaline imbalance (most often an overly acid system) which can best be described as a compromised biological terrain. This compromised terrain provides an environment in which mycotoxins are able to wreak their havoc, and can eventually overwhelm the system.

Authors Christian B. Allan, PhD and Wolfgang Lutz, M.D. explain in their book Life without Bread  the manner in which high glucose (or blood sugar) levels damage the body through various chemical and biochemical interactions of glucose with proteins and lipids (fats) in the body:

"Proteins . . . make up a large part of the functional biochemical reactions in your body. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze, or speed up, biochemical reactions in your body. Without enzymes, all of the chemical reactions in animals (and all life-forms) would take too long to be useful to sustain life. . . One of the main problems associated with too much glucose in the blood and tissues is that glucose can react chemically with proteins and destroy their ability to function. These reactions – called glycation reactions – don’t need enzymes to take place. The only requirements are that the protein and glucose molecules must collide with each other, and there must be enough energy for the reaction to take place once they collide. . . As in all nonenzymatic chemical reactions, the higher the concentration of the two species that are reacting, the faster they will react. Also, more reactions will take place if concentrations are higher. Thus, the high levels of glucose in the blood create more of these harmful glycation reactions. . . Sugars that react in this way, such as glucose, are called reducing sugars. They also can react with lipids (fats) that make up cellular membranes. The higher the levels of these sugars in our blood tissues, the greater the chance that the destructive reactions between proteins, lipids, and reducing sugars will take place. The process can eventually lead to the destruction of cellular function. Thus, it is very important to keep sugar levels in the blood at relatively low levels throughout your life.” p45

What can help reduce "inflammatory response?"

1. A diet similar to the "healing plate", in which a heavy emphasis is placed on non-starchy vegetables, plus  digestable protein and good fats.  An "overly acid" condition is also associated with inflammatory response, and vegetables are extremely valuable as a short term remedy for reversing an "over-acid" system.
2.  Adding to your diet some well-chosen anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, such as curcumin (from turmeric and in curry), ginger, garlic, mint, fennel,  thyme, rosemary, cayenne, saffron strands, etc.
3.  Supplemental fatty acids, especially fish oil or cod liver oil and GLA item #1844-5
4. Supplemental, and temporary "targeted remedies" which might include protease enzymes, probiotics, and herbs such as wood betony and white willow bark or herb combinations such as ALJ all available from our BEST HERBS.
5.  A high quality, high potency multi-vitamin/mineral formula - which together with improved diet - provides many of  the basic building blocks of a healthy biological terrain.