Anti Inflammatory Supplements Archives

Break something? (Like a Bone) – You Have Natural Options to Help You Heal

October 23, 2015 by info Leave a Comment

One common health problem that most of us face over a lifetime is a broken bone. Kids fall off things, athletes of all ages break bones, and the elderly, especially those with osteoporosis (with loss of bone density), deal with bone fractures. What to do about them? Of course you should seek immediate medical help after any such event, including whatever the orthopedic surgeon has to offer. But then what? Are there any natural options to help speed healing along?

The possibilities – which you should always discuss first with your own doctor – include nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic options.

First, ask for a vitamin D blood test to check your levels. Millions of people in the US and worldwide are deficient in vitamin D (e.g., 32% of the population in the US), a necessary natural steroid hormone-like vitamin that we all need to get into a good level to keep bones strong and to help them heal. The recommended form of vitamin D is D3 (cholecalciferol). This versatile vitamin has many other functions in the body – some research suggests that it can lessen risk for certain types of infections like the flu, reduce risks for cancers and perhaps some types of heart disease.

Optimal vitamin D blood levels to aim for are claimed to run 50-70 ng/ml. Some doctors suggest levels closer to 70-80 ng/ml. You don’t risk toxicity from this fat-soluble vitamin until the level runs over 100 ng/ml. While your skin can make some vitamin D, cloudy weather, modern indoor lifestyles and sunscreen lotions make it very hard to make enough on your own.

Recommended daily doses for adults run around 800 IU/day, but many experts report that their patients can need 2000-5000 IU/day to achieve the desired blood levels. Since y0u can monitor the level with simple blood tests, it is worth taking what your individual body might need and re-checking periodically. Be aware that many people may also need vitamin K2 to direct the calcium that they take for bone healing into the bones rather than into the arteries of the cardiovascular system.

A good multivitamin is essential – including B complex vitamins and vitamin C. Be aware that adequate doses of good old vitamin C help you repair collagen, which will help connective tissue recover and do what you need to hold things in place. To help with inflammation, consider omega-3 fatty acids, quercetin, and enzymes such as bromelain.

Obviously take enough calcium (citrate form may be better absorbed, but hydroxyapatite is a great source of calcium and phosphorus needed for making new bone) to provide your bones with necessary building blocks (e.g., 1000 mg/day), along with magnesium in the widely-used ratio of 2 parts calcium to 1 part magnesium (sometimes the glycinate form is less rough on the GI tract), along with trace minerals like silicon. You can usually find products to support bone health nutrition in your local health food stores.

Make sure that your protein intake is good. To heal a fracture, you can need a 10-20 gram/day increase in the amount of protein that you eat. If necessary, supplement with protein powders or liquids. You need proteins to keep muscles strong, but poorer protein status at the time of a fracture can slow down the bone healing process and leave you susceptible to complications.

In the meantime, you broke a bone. How to help bring down tissue swelling and encourage the bone to knit together well (and as fast as possible). Homeopathic remedies may help. While the research on homeopathic Arnica montana is mixed, some people report significant benefit from the remedy for the soft tissue bruising, swelling, and pain. Positive studies have emerged from the plastic surgery research literature, but not for every type of surgery.

For bone fractures in specific, remedies that homeopaths often recommend including Symphytum officinale (e.g., 6C to 30C potencies), Calcarea Phosphorica in lower potencies (e.g. 3X, 6X, etc), and sometimes Eupatorium perfoliatum 30C (Boneset) for severe bone pain. There is a research basis for recommending some of these remedies, especially the Symphytum, for bone healing.

5 Natural Anti Inflammatory Supplements You Should Take

July 8, 2014 by info Leave a Comment

Unless you are blessed with the most remarkable genes and a lifelong supportive healthy environment, you probably can benefit from these 5 natural anti inflammatory supplements with anti inflammatory benefits. These can offset genetic vulnerabilities and environmental challenges (not just social and psychological, but also physical, chemical, and biological stressors) that can otherwise actualize disease potential into real diseases.

Here are 5 important items that are not enough, but they are a great start:

1. Multivitamin/Multimineral supplement: Especially with the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in our modern population, a good MVI can cut the risk of infections. This just helps replace some of the nutrients lost in the urine from the high blood sugar effects.

2. Magnesium: Most of us do not get enough in our daily diet. Low or marginal magnesium is a problem for people prone to muscle cramping and spasms, insomnia, anxiety, and even some heart arrhythmias. Ask your doctor for a red blood cell magnesium level test, not just a serum test.

3. Vitamin D3: Most of us do not make enough or eat enough vitamin D in our daily outdoor activities (you need skin exposure without sun blocks) or diet. Low vitamin D has been linked in population studies to a wide range of health problem risks, from certain cancers to type 1 autoimmune diabetes to high blood pressure to osteoporosis to even autism. Demand a blood test for vitamin D levels. Just assuming that you are taking enough is risky – absorption varies a lot, especially if you have any condition that impairs gut function. And recheck the level after a couple of months if you change your diet, add medications or other supplements.

4. Probiotics: A growing amount of research tells us that the gut is a major player in immune system health. Mess up the flora of your gut with poor diet and/or antibiotics, and you are more likely to get all sorts of immune-system related problems. These conditions include autoimmune disorders like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohns disease, and cancers.

5. Fish oils: Omega 3 fatty acids from fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and others have powerful anti inflammatory effects. They can help your gut heal and support the benefits of the probiotics that you take. If you hate fish or can’t find a tolerable liquid or capsule form of fish oil or are a strict type of vegetarian, then at least use flax oil supplements. Omega 3 intake may help stabilize mood in higher doses for people susceptible to bipolar disorder or certain depressions.

Always give a nutritional program about 3 months to decide if it is helping you. Nutrients are not drugs, and they take time to repair your body rather than just suppressing symptoms the way drugs usually work. And, when available, get blood or other specialized tests to know if your supplements are doing a good job. Not taking enough and then deciding they don’t help is a waste of time and money. Taking too much is also dangerous – so work with a knowledgeable doctor to sort this out for your unique situation.

Want more? Check out the Inflammation Advisor’s book Inflammation 101 here. And pick up a copy of our popular anti inflammatory recipe book while you’re at it – get your copy of our companion book – Eating Clean Recipes for Inflammation.

Very Healthy Recipe – Asparagus Salad

Ulcerative Colitis and Probiotics

May 9, 2014 by info Leave a Comment

Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis have no known cures – but probiotics are fast becoming a natural remedy treatment option with a great deal of promise. Researchers have been studying probiotics, the “good” bacteria in the gut, for years. Could they help change the future for those suffering from IBD conditions like ulcerative colitis?

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are organisms like bacteria and also yeast that are used to promote good health. Have you ever eaten yogurt? Well, if you read the label, it will tell you that it contains “live cultures.” You might not know what those are but still not be keen on eating anything that might still be alive inside you. It might interest you to also know that the human body is alive with many such small organisms. Bacteria naturally live inside the body where they thrive and help with day-to-day functions, especially regulating your immune and inflammatory system.

These bacteria belong here. There are almost 500 different types residing and working inside of you like a little community. Many make their home in the intestinal tract, fueling absorption of vital nutrients, protecting the integrity of the tract and moving waste along to its excretion point. They all have a job to do and that is to create a delicate balance that keeps the immune system working as it should.

This balance is interrupted when a disease process occurs like an infection. The immune system kicks in to fight the bacterial or viral invaders and restore balance. When you have a fever brought on by this infection, antibiotics are taken to kill them off. Unfortunately, it can kill off the good bacteria too, creating an imbalance in your body. With an inflammatory bowel disease, damage to the intestines could be the catalyst for the abnormal response that results in the inflammation.

Probiotics are designed to challenge the immune system and make it stronger. In the age of “superbugs”, our immune systems can’t seem to cope since we have basically sanitized everything. The friendly bacteria in probiotic formulas may help reduce the incidence of some symptoms like diarrhea. They assist in the breakdown of food as well.

The Connection between Probiotics and IBD

From what we’ve reported above, research shows promising evidence that the introduction of more helpful and friendly bacteria into the body, into the digestive tract, may be a positive approach to treatment for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. It can help combat the disease process.

One of the best known probiotic products to consider is called VSL #3. Odd name, but a high potency therapeutic product with a very high number of the beneficial bacteria. Certain doctors prescribe this (though you can get it over-the-counter) to help their patients with ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory bowel disorders. Like most of the better products, you will find a mixture of multiple types of bacteria, not just one or two. You will also find high numbers of each one. And, to be on the safe side, many manufacturers ship their probiotic products with cool packs to keep the bacteria alive.

Dead probiotic bacteria don’t really help you much. For that reason, as soon as you get a bottle of probiotics, you will want to refrigerate them (but NOT freeze them).

There is a word of caution here. While people have been eating bacteria in yogurt and cheese and other food for many, many years, the game is changed with you throw in a condition like inflammatory bowel disease. The immune system may be compromised or weakened by treatment drugs or the severity of the disease. Adding more bacteria in the form of probiotics at this point might do more harm than good in some people. However, most people with ulcerative colitis are likely to notice some benefit with the right probiotic supplement for them.

As always consult your doctor before trying any alternative treatments while under their care. Discuss your options and make an informed choice.

What Are Probiotics Good For – Reducing Gut and Whole Body Inflammation

March 30, 2014 by info Leave a Comment

What are probiotics good for? Are they good for gut inflammation? How about whole body inflammation? Probiotics are good microorganisms that you ingest in the form of food or supplements; they are also known as “friendly bacteria”.

Our bodies naturally produce “normal flora” which is good bacteria that protects you from yeast and fungal infections. Sometimes medications such as antibiotics, certain diets or environmental issues get rid the good bacteria in your body along with the bad bacteria, making you susceptible to fungal or yeast infections.

Certain diseases can also cause an imbalance of normal flora in your body. Ingesting probiotics either through food sources or supplements helps to keep a consistent amount of good bacteria in your body. Probiotics in Greek means “for life” or “pro-life.”

What Do Probiotics Do For Your Body? Why are Probiotics Good for You?

They support a healthy immune system.
Help to improves digestion, including “leaky gut” problems associated with autoimmune and food allergy problems
Helps to keep a balance between good and bad bacteria in your body.
Relieves diarrhea and constipation by regulating your system.
Studies show it helps to reduce bladder cancer recurrence.
Helps to balance your mind by relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression.

What are the best probiotics?

Lactobacillus
- Naturally found in the digestive, urinary and genital system.
- Found in yogurt, supplements and fermented foods.
- Used for treating yeast and fungal infections.
- It is also beneficial for urinary tract infections.
- Diarrhea related to antibiotics.
- Treats diarrhea related to C.difficile (a serious bacterial infection)
- Helps people who suffer from lactose intolerance.
- Helps to prevent respiratory infection.
- Wards off fever blisters and canker sores.
- Streptococcus thermophiles
  - Necessary for the production of the enzyme lactase in the body.
  - Helps with symptoms of lactose intolerance.
  - Lactobacillus acidophilus
    - Helps with yeast and fungal infections.
    - Helps to clear acne.
    - Helps with urinary tract infections.
    - Prevent and treat vaginal infections
    - Bifidobacteria
      - 90% healthy bacteria found in the colon
      - Supplements help symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome such as abdominal pain and bloating.
      - Helps to normalize glucose levels.
      - Lactobacillus casei
        
        Helps with anxiety and depression

What is a good probiotic?

Yogurt is a good probiotic. Live cultured yogurt made with goat’s milk that has added lactobacillus and acidophilus. Make sure to buy yogurt that doesn’t contain sugar since sugar feeds bad bacteria.
Kefir is a fermented dairy product made with goat’s milk and fermented kifir grains. This food is high in lactobacilli and bifidus bacteria.
Kombucha Tea is a fermented tea loaded with probiotics. Used for centuries in the east

What is the Best Probiotic?

Of all of the brands available, you will probably find that VSL #3 is the best probiotic for people with chronic inflammation. It has shown promise in treating people with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases. The amounts of bacteria are higher than in other products.

That said, you can find an excellent probiotic in the Nutri-West Probiotic Supplement

Total Probiotics.
Helps to balance normal flora to support a healthy immune system while decreasing harmful bacteria.
Maintains normal flora when taking antibiotic.
Free of gluten, corn and soy; and other allergy prone products.

Reviews

Average ratings of 4.6 out of a five-star review on Amazon:

Customer reported taking product for 2 years and has less bloating and gas; and stays regular.
A customer living in a foreign country reports that he takes this product and it helps his stomach out.
Customer comments that she had constipation issues for years and has been taking this product for two years now and does not have any more problems with constipation.
Customer reported that product enhances her mind.
A customer with celiac disease reports that it works well for her.
A customer notices a difference when she doesn’t take it; her abdomen feels better when she takes it.

The following list contains non-dairy probiotics, just make sure the containers state live and active cultures:

Rice, coconut and soy yogurt
Miso
Brewer’s yeast
Sauerkraut
Micro algae

Where can I buy probiotics?

You can buy probiotics can be purchased at a health food store or a whole foods market. Your local grocery store may have a health food section where probiotics can be purchased. Probiotics can also be bought online at Amazon.com and other ecommerce sites.

The following are a list of the best probiotic brands:

Renew-Life
Nutri-West
Garden of Life Raw Probiotics
Florastor
Culturelle
Yakult
Jarrow
Dr. Mercola’s Complete Probiotics
Bio K Probiotics
Udo’s Choice Probiotics

Side effects are rare but it’s best to consult with your doctor before taking probiotics. If you have a special GI problem, you may want to see a functional medicine doctor who is an expert in which probiotics work best for complicated health issues.

As mentioned above, you can buy probiotics useful for chronic inflammatory diseases at local health food stores. Some of the brands advertised on TV may not have enough good bacteria in them to make it worth your while. It is also important to realize that probiotics are living bacteria – they need to be refrigerated to stay helpful for you.

So, if a store does not store their probiotic products in a refrigerator case, they may not do much to help reduce inflammation in the body. You can buy probiotics online. Many companies will ship them with special packaging to keep them cool until they arrive. Other companies have tested their products and can get them to you by mail or shipping services without chilling them during transit – but then you are strongly advised to get them into your refrigerator once they get to you.

Finally, you can certainly get some probiotics from yogurt (avoid the sweetened ones that negate the value of the yogurt and the probiotic cultures). However, if you already have an inflammatory disease, you probably need a lot more of the good bacteria than you can get from eating yogurt, even daily. In addition, many people with chronic inflammation also have multiple food intolerances, which will take dairy products like yogurt out of the picture. Bottom line – take a close look at your natural probiotic supplement options.

5 Steps to a Healthier Inflammatory Response

January 25, 2014 by info Leave a Comment

Many people think that their chronic health problems are fixable with a simple magic bullet. While there is no such easy-button way to get to a healthier inflammation response, there are basic steps that you can take if your suffering motivates you enough. Let’s look at what causes inflammation and talk about action steps to take care of these issues. And, if you don’t tolerate a lot of medications or the drugs make you feel even worse, your body is telling you to pay attention. With that reality check in mind, here are 5 steps to healthier inflammatory response:

1. Clean up your personal environmental act.

Drink filtered water, eliminate major chemical exposures such as pesticides, toxic cleaners and solvents, and synthetic materials from your home and work environments, use air filters, buy organic cotton clothes and bedding. Many people with inflammatory conditions have chemical sensitivities and allergies. If you want relief, you are likely to have to look at not only dusts, molds, pollens, and grasses, but also pollutants in and around your home and workspace. Not sure where to start? Discover how to replace toxic products and medications in your life with over 215 healthier natural alternatives with this living natural plan.

Stop having routine pesticide treatment of your home. Find natural nontoxic alternatives to herbicides for dealing with keeping your yard in good shape. Buy real wood, glass, or metal furniture, not pressed board. Install tile rather than carpet. Do you commute on a congested freeway for hours every day? Live near a freeway? These kinds of things can make a big difference in your long term health.

Ask your medical doctor or naturopathic doctor to test you for heavy metal toxicity. If your levels of lead, mercury, cadmium or others are too high, find a health care provider who is experienced in helping people detox heavy metals safely with natural approaches. You may want to add in a program of bentonite clay or zeolite in water or cranberry juice to catch the toxins in your gut and carry them out of your system.

If you do not do this and hope that supplements alone will be enough, you are sadly wrong. It would be like not bathing for a month and expecting a high quality cologne or perfume to make you smell OK.

2. Revamp your daily diet.

This is not a crash diet. You have to find out which foods are your personal triggers and get them out of your diet. And you want to replace them with healthier foods that promote a healthier pH in your system that will countact the inflammation-causing effects of the junk foods and pollution that you do encounter. It will probably mean a gluten-free, sugar-free existence, but if you check things out, you are likely to discover many good alternatives to these types of foods. In the end, you will not feel deprived – you will just feel healthier. And if you happen to need to lose some weight, it will happen as a delightful “side effect” of eating healthier.

3. Boost your vitamin C levels.

While there are many outstanding antioxidants out there these days, vitamin C is a fundamental building block. If you have trouble with diarrhea if you try to take enough to matter, then look for either of two different forms of vitamin C that are easier on your GI tract. Those include buffered vitamin C (Ester-C is one good brand) and a special form that lets you get in thousands of milligrams per day – Bio Energ C. People who want to support their system with vitamin C every day through the challenges of a bout with cancer may need to try the special form.

4. Add a multi-herb antioxidant-antiinflammatory supplement.

Many companies offer products of from one to a dozen different herbs that have both antioxidant and anti inflammatory effects on many different tissues of the body. You want whole herbs when possible to take advantage of the fact that herbs are different from drugs in many ways. A key difference is that herbs can gently modulate the function of more than one biochemical function at a time. In other words, you get a bigger bang for your buck. One of the best such combination herbal supplements for inflammation is a brand called Zyflamend. You will find all of its ingredients in lists of beneficial antiinflammatory herbs. This is a natural supplement by a well-established company that has a commitment to putting out a good product. Another option is also based on a combination of several well-known herbs in a natural anti inflammatory product – it is called Defense Anti-Inflammatory Support Dietary Supplement.

5. Support your gut health with probiotic supplements.

Even mainstream doctors are beginning to recognize the importance of the good bacteria in our guts for maintaining immune and inflammation health. Most of the better products need to be refrigerated to keep the bacteria alive until you take them. There are many different good products on the market for this purpose, but likely you will want to take over 20 billion live good bacteria in a mix per day. Some are formulated specifically for children, seniors, pets, or people with certain types of GI disorders. If you have a serious inflammatory condition such as inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn’s disease, you may want to look into the medical probiotic supplement called VSL #3. Odd name, but a solid product with research related to its effects — and it delivers one of the highest amounts of good bacteria found in these types of products. This may be particularly important if you have any of a number of GI and related health problems associated with a “leaky gut” because of the losses of nutrients and beneficial bacteria that your health problems may cause.

Concluding Thoughts

If you think this is all optional, then the program is not for you. But if you are suffering from chronic pain, GI problems, fuzzy thinking, low energy, allergies and/or autoimmune conditions, including hypothyroidism, then your body has already made the choice for you. You can take more drugs and burden your liver and kidneys with the drugs themselves, or you can work through a drug-free program at your own pace – and notice the difference.

Given yourself 3-4 weeks and see how you feel. Then ask yourself what price you pay for saying that changing your daily habits is “just too hard.” It is up to you. You can do this. Get started today.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids from Fish Oil in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis

January 11, 2014 by info Leave a Comment

Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil are widely considered to be a useful way to help reduce inflammation in the body. Usually we think of omega 3’s (mainly ALA, DHA, EPA) in terms of preventing inflammation-related health problems, joint conditions, depression and bipolar disorder, and more. But inflammation can get out of control in acute health situations as well. One serious acute problem is sepsis, potentially including septic shock and death.

Ten percent of patients who end up in an intensive care unit can suffer from sepsis. Even more patients can have some lesser but still serious form of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Now a study on patients in an intensive care unit who went into a life-threatening acute complication of infection, that is, sepsis, had better outcomes when treated with fish oils (Hall et al JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2014). Sepsis can lead to failure of multiple key organs in the body and death. It is something that needs everything Western medicine can bring to bear on the problem to keep the person alive and survive the crisis.

In this type of crisis, patients are not able to eat – they are too sick. But the doctors who performed this study gave the fatty acids by a means other than oral, i.e., parenterally. They looks at the extent of organ failure in persons who got standard conventional care versus those who got the same standard care with omega 3 fatty acids added.

They found that the severity of the sepsis and organ failure was signfiicantly less, with lower rates of death in comparison with standard care alone. This is very encouraging. They found the treatment to be safe and potentially able to save lives. Of course if someone had a history of severe allergic reactions to fish, this is not an option. While not tested, perhaps flax oil is an option for such people. It is important to note, however, that the relative proportion of fatty acids like ALA are higher in flax oil than in fish oil, so it would remain to be seen if this might help in sepsis.

Still, if you were ever to end up in this type of bad medical crisis, making sure that you started off supported over the long term by good anti inflammatory diet and natural supplements like fish oil before a problem like sepsis might ever become an issue for your health. Bacterial infections most often lead to sepsis. In a relatively younger and healthier person, sepsis may be relatively less likely, but not impossible, e.g., if you had a “burst appendix” or an infected wound in a diabetic that led to a huge immune response to the infection.

And, if you are diabetic, by all means optimize your nutritional status to reduce your risk of ever having to deal with a sepsis crisis in the hospital. Zinc status is key – if you don’t know if your zinc levels are OK, ask your doctor to get a simple blood test to check them. You probably need daily supplementation, as poorly controlled diabetes by itself can cause the body to lose zinc, making infections more likely in the first place.

Another natural remedy strategy in patients with sepsis is homeopathically prepared remedies. Researchers did a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of appropriate homeopathic remedies added to standard care. Over the long-term, people with sepsis had better survival rates 180 days after treatment began if they had homeopathic remedies added to standard care (Frass et al Homeopathy 94(2):75-80, 2005).

Bottom line – take care of yourself with an anti inflammatory preventive approach to health care. But, if you get into trouble, you and your family should ask about other natural supplements like omega 3 fatty acids to add to standard care. This just might give you an edge against life threatening inflammation.

Astaxanthin: Natural Anti Inflammatory Supplement

December 15, 2013 by info Leave a Comment

Astaxanthin benefits are impressive. This is a natural anti inflammatory and antioxidant supplement that comes from seafood such as shrimp, crab, lobster, or salmon. It is a type of carotenoid or red-colored pigment.

As an anti inflammatory supplement, astaxanthin can change multiple biochemical functions for the better in a whole cascade of pathways involved in causing inflammation. The pathways include COX2, which the more toxic nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs also affect. Over time, this remarkable carotenoid substance can even lower CRP (C reactive protein) levels in your system, the marker that doctors use to test for generalized inflammation in your system.

Of course if you are allergic or intolerant to the source of the astaxanthin (or any other natural anti inflammatory supplement), you will need to find alternatives for regulating your inflammatory response in a healthier direction. The good news is that you have many such options, as we discuss here on this website and in our educational materials. Other than allergy, to date, this supplement appears to have a good safety track record. But always do your own due diligence in checking out how it would interact with your own medications, other supplements, and health issues.

Your best food source would be wild salmon, especially sockeye type. As always, it is best to get wild salmon rather than farmed or Atlantic salmon to avoid eating a food that was not itself fed optimally and was exposed to toxic pollutants and additives. The farmed version of salmon usually has to have carotenoid added for color because of the lack of natural foods and exercise to help the fish develop into a truly healthy specimen.

In healthy dogs, one study showed that astaxanthin can improve mitochondrial function (J Anim Sci 2013 91:268-75) in white cells in the blood. Other research shows that it can avoid becoming a pro-oxidant while it works its effects – something that better-known anti oxidants such as vitamin C cannot claim. Some people report some additional benefits toward anti aging effects and supporting cardiovascular health.

In short, astaxanthin is worth a close look as part of your anti inflammatory tool kit for health benefits with lower side effect risks.

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