How to reduce inflammation and decrease your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, certain cancers, and arthritis.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “you are what you eat.” And guess what, it is true. Unfortunately, many of us have habitually eaten foods that have caused our cells to become filled with unhealthy chemicals known as eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are associated with several common diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and chronic pain. All of these health problems have been linked to poor diet choices. These eicosanoid compounds come from arachidonic acid (AA), found in polyunsaturated fats.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)
Polyunsaturated fats are are further broken down into essential fatty acids (EFA). There are two groups of EFAs, Omega 6 and Omega 3. Both of these fatty acids are essential for optimal health.
Omega 3 rich foods, green leafy vegetables, flax seeds, and cold water fish, boost natural anti-inflammatory hormones. Omega 3 foods reduce inflammation and disease processes.
Omega 6 rich foods, whole grains, seeds, seed oils, and corn, are healthy in moderation. However, excess cosumption of these foods, leads to excess production of arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosanoids.
AA is derived from the Omega 6 essential fatty acid foods (grains, flour, seeds, seed oils, corn, and grain-fed livestock), excess sugar, and trans-fatty acids. AA and eicosanoids create chain reactions that produce inflammation. Research shows that inflammation is the driving cause of many diseases including heart attack, asthma, stroke, chronic pain, arthritis, ulcerative colitis, menstrual pain, and recurrent headaches. Therefore, reducing chronic inflammation is the key to preventing and eliminating these illnesses.
Eicosanoids, Prostaglandins, Throbaxanes, and Leukotrienes
The literature on eicosanoids can be complex and somewhat confusing. I’ll do my best to make this paper simple and as painless as possible (no pun intended). While there are numerous eicosanoids, we’re only concerned with three groups:
1. Prostaglandins (PG) regulate constriction or relaxation of blood vessels.
PG has positive effects including regulating kidney function, maintaining integrity of the stomach lining and initiating various aspects of childbirth. However, PG may also increase inflammation, pain, headaches, cramping, joint pain, and blood clotting (strokes). PG2 is the prostaglandin most associated with increased inflammation. PG2 comes from AA and Omega 6 foods.
2. Thromboxanes (TX) are produced by blood cells known as platelets. TX increase blood clotting, blood vessel and bronchiole constriction. TX contribute to strokes, heart attacks, as well as pulmonary disorders including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder (COPD). TX comes from AA and Omega 6 foods.
3. Leukotrienes (LT) are produced from immune system cells. LT stimulate the immune system to release interleukins (IL), interferon (IFN), and other chemicals involved in anaphylactic reactions. LT plays a major role in allergic (hayfever, asthma, and various autoimmune disorders. LT comes from AA and Omega 6 foods.
The average arachidonic acid ratio to Omega 3 fatty acids of Americans is approximately 11:1. In patients with inflammatory conditions and neurological disorders, the AA/Omega 3 ratio is 20:1 or more. An AA/Omega 3 ratio of 1.5:1 is considered ideal. This is the ratio found in Japanese populations, which have the highest life expectancy and the lowest rate of cardiovascular disease. Since most Americans are carrying around at least 10–20 pounds of excess fat, it is no wonder that arthritis and other inflammatory diseases are out of control in our country. The average adult weighs 150 pounds; 30% of this is fat. This means that on average a person is carrying around 45 pounds of inflammatory imbalanced fatty acids!
Stop the Inflammation
Reduce or eliminate the foods that cause inflammation. You can help prevent or reverse inflammation and the diseases associated with it by avoiding the following foods:
All grains and grain products, including whole wheat bread, white bread (all breads), pasta, pizza dough, cereal, pretzels, crackers, bagels, pastries, wheat thins, scones, and all flour goods.
Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) found in margarine, deep fried foods, and most prepackaged junk foods.
Sodas, dairy (unless grass-fed cattle), soy, and sugar.
Corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, peanuts, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and the foods made with these oils including corn chips, potato chips, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, some salad dressings, and an assortment of prepackaged foods.
Meat and eggs from grain-fed livestock.This includes cheese, cream, milk, ice-cream, eggs, meat (chicken, and beef).
Doctor, Researcher, and Author Says,
"Good Luck" to Treating Fibromyalgia
I recently had the opportunity to be speaking on treating and beating fibromyalgia at a doctors conference in Orlando, Florida. There were about a dozen speakers and over 3,000 attendees at this conference. I was excited to hear a leading researcher speak on ways to treat inflammatory diseases, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, herniated disc syndrome, and fibromyalgia. I thought lumping fibromyalgia in with these topics was a bit odd since fibromyalgia doesn’t originate from inflammatory processes like these other diseases. However, I was anxious to hear what this highly regarded researcher had to say.
His lecture was very informative until he got to fibromyalgia. He began by saying that fibromyalgia could be treated just like these others illnesses–through changes in diet (largely what we’ll discuss in this newsletter) and nutritional supplements to reduce inflammation. He went on to say that we (doctors) didn’t need to use 5HTP, SAMe or high doses of magnesium, etc. All we had to do was change our fibromyalgia patients diets add some antioxidants and that, along with "some luck," was all there was for fibromyalgia.
Well, I didn’t won’t to be rude, but I knew I had to say something. Here
were 400-500 doctors listening to this presentation who were about to leave without knowing that this doctor, like a lot of doctors, just didn't know what he was talking about. Sure, a healthy diet is important, very important, but it won’t correct fibromyalgia. So I raised my hand and asked if he treated fibromyalgia patients? No, he didn’t. Not since he was teaching and writing and doing research full time. I see, I said. I shared with him that in my experience, which involved over 10 years and 4 books on treating fibromyalgia, dietary changes alone were ineffective. I went on to highlight the research studies and biochemistry involved with low serotonin, norepinephrine, 5HTP, magnesium, adrenal glandulars, and SAMe. I also summarized the problem of HPA-axis dyfunction (dysautonomia and bankrupted stress-coping chemicals) and how low adrenal and thyroid hormones were involved in fatigue, pain and mood disorders.
Now all the doctors in the room were nodding their heads. They knew from working with fibromyalgia patients that dietary changes alone didn’t work. They also knew that what I was saying made a lot of sense. The professor just kept asking if there was research to support all this. I was happy to direct the professor and doctors to a supplement manufacturer display booth selling my books. I heard they sold out in a couple of hours.
I read some two dozen research journals a month. I appreciate the hard work that goes into them but most researchers don’t know anything about real live patients. Research is great, but a physician with experience is ALWAYS your best bet.
Ok, having shared this, I would like to outline how diet does in fact affect our health.
Dietary changes alone won’t reverse fibromyalgia, but when combined with optimal neutraceutical therapy, the results can be impressive.
What Can I Eat?
I know the list above can seem a bit overwhelming. Here are some guidelines.
First prioritize. Try to eliminate all chips (prepackaged snack foods), sodas, sugar, breads, and pasta from your daily diet. Losing weight is an an added benefit to reducing pro-inflammatory chemicals. Rice is fine. We’ve all been conditioned to eat bread at each meal; cereal or bagel for breakfast, sandwhich for lunch, pasta for dinner. Cutting bread can be hard, but the rewards are worth it. There are several options for avoiding sodas including tea, juice, and my favorite, water.
Avoid partially hydrogenated foods like the plague. A 2% increase in trans-fatty acid intake increases the risk of developing diabetes by 39 percent.
Individuals increase their risk of developing coronary heart disease by a whopping 25% for every 2% increase in trans-fatty acids.
Try to eat DHA eggs, grass fed beef, wild game, or free-range chickens when possible. I know this can be hard to do. You won't be able to be 100% compliant here, so do your best. Ask your grocer if they carry grass-fed livestock like Laura’s Lean Beef, which can be found in many high end grocery and health food stores. Go online and see if you can find farms or vendors in your area, eatwild.com is a good starting resource.
I know this diet will not be easy. But only you can decide how much pain and poor health you’re willing to suffer. To prevent or reverse inflammatory diseases you must find the right balance for you. You can accelerate the process of deflaming by adding nutritional supplements, especially Omega 3 fish oils. It generally takes one to three months before you change your inflammatory chemicals to anti-inflammatory chemicals.
Another Option is Drug Therapy for Managing Pain and Inflammation
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) including the newer COX2 blocking drugs (Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra) attempt to block eicosanoids after AA has already been formed. It has been shown that COX2 inhibiting NSAIDS reduce inflammation. However, as you probably know from the removal of Vioxx and Bextra (and I predict Celebrex will soon follow) from the market, these drugs increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Dr. David Eddy of the FDA testified before congress that these drugs were the cause of 27,000 deaths. Fortunately there are several natural alternatives to potentially dangerous drugs; NSAIDS, cortisone, and pain medications.
Nutritional Therapeutics
Fish Oils Research
Some studies have shown that supplementing with fish oils results in a dramatic reduction in leukotriens in your body (one of the chemicals implicated in asthma and other allergic reactions) by 65%. This correlates with a 75% decrease in their clinical symptoms. Another fish oil study, involving rheumatoid arthritis sufferers (often treated with incredibly toxic and life threatening prescription drugs) who took 1.8 grams of EPA fish oil and reduced their saturated fats (land animal foods), showed significant improvement over and above a placebo.
I personally take 6 grams of fish oil a day. For prevention I’d recommend taking a minimum of 2 grams, preferably 4 grams of fish oil a day. For reversal of chronic inflammation and pain states I recommend taking up to 9 grams a day. It is best to take with food. To reduce the fishy taste place store your fish oil capsules in the freezer.
Sixty percent of the US population is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids!
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S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe)
Several studies involving SAMe and fibromyalgia patients yielded substantial improvement in overall pain levels (as well as depression).
Dosage is up to 1,200 mg. daily on an empty stomach.
I also recommend SAMe when other therapies fail. S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) comes from the amino acid methionine and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and blocks pain without the side effects associated with NSAIDs. SAMe helps boost serotonin and epinephrine levels. It also helps increase the production of endorphins. Endorphins are the bodies natural pain blocking chemicals and are more powerful than morphine. SAMe helps manufacture and repair cartilage components. A study of osteoarthritis patients compared SAMe with NSAID drugs in its ability to reduce pain. One double-blind study showed SAMe was superior to ibuprofen in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
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DL-Phenylalanine
DL-Phenylalanine is a combination of the D and L form of the amino acid phenylalanine. This form of phenylalanine acts as a natural pain-reliever. DL-phenylalanine blocks the enzymes responsible for the breakdown of endorphins and enkephlins, substances within the body that help relieve pain.
Endorphins are actually far more powerful than the drug morphine. Small cells throughout the nervous system, brain, spinal cord, and nerve endings are able to produce these morphine-like proteins that act as an appetite suppressant and mild stimulant.
Although caution is advised for individuals with high blood pressure, DL-phenylalanine is an effective supplement in treating musculoskeletal pains, including those associated with FMS. Many of my fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients have benefited from DL-phenylalanine. A clinical study shows subjects taking DL-phenylalanine had a remarkable improvement in their condition. Improvements were seen in 73% of low back pain suffers, 67% with migraines, 81% with osteoarthritis, and 81% with RA.
For pain control, or as an antidepressant, take 1,000–4,000 mg. twice a day on an empty stomach. Phenylalanine can elevate blood pressure, and very high doses can cause rapid heart beat. Start with a low dose and increase to higher doses only as needed—and only if no side effects are noticed.
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Dr. Murphree’s Arthro/Arthritis Formula
This is the product I use for my arthritis patients:
Glucosamine sulfate is an excellent approach to eliminating the destruction of osteoarthritis. A growing body of research supports the use of this natural supplement. Studies in Italy showed that glucosamine reduced arthritis symptoms by one half in 73% of the group, and 20% enjoyed total symptom relief. 17
A Portugal study involving 1,208 patients and 252 physicians showed glucosamine to be quite effective in eliminating pain and stiffness caused by the disease.18
Chondroiten sulfate is composed of a large number of sugar molecules. It attracts fluid into the proteoglygan molecules, and this fluid acts as a shock absorber. Chondroiten inhibits certain enzymes that can damage cartilage, while stimulating the production of proteoglycans and other molecules needed for healthy new cartilage growth.
A study conducted in France, showed patients who received three months of chondroiten therapy had actually repaired a significant portion of their degenerated joint tissues.
Boswelia: one of the oldest herbs in Indian ayurvedic medicine. Studies show it to be a potent pain-relieving anti-inflammatory. Boswellia helps shrink inflamed tissue, build cartilage, increase blood supply, and repair damaged blood vessels.
Bromelain: a protein-digesting enzyme derived from pineapple. There is considerable research (over 200 medical journal articles) on its effectiveness in treating such conditions as inflammation, pancreatic insufficiency, and respiratory diseases. It blocks inflammatory chemicals called kinins. It also digests excess fibren, a chemical implicated in osteoarthritis, sciatica, ankylosing spondylitis, and scleroderma. As an anti-inflammatory, bromelain needs to be taken on an empty stomach. If taken with food, it acts as a digestive enzyme.
Curcumin: a perennial plant found in eastern Asia and parts of India. It is a popular arthritis remedy in India and a powerful pain-relieving anti-inflammatory. It is as strong as hydrocortisone without the side effects.
Devil’s Claw: a perennial vine native to South Africa. It is a potent anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. Studies in Germany have shown this herbal medication to be very effective in relieving lower back pain and associated sciatica.
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Dr. Murphree’s Inflammation Formula
Great for allergies (asthma, hayfever, sinusitis, etc.), general inflammatory conditions including cardiovascular (arterisclerosis, elevated C-reactive protein levels, etc.), and gastrointestinal (Chrohn’s, ulcerative colitis, IBS, etc.).
Tumeric Root Extract - Inhibits enzymes associated with arachidonic acid PG2 inflammatory hormones ("The bad guys").
Rosemary Leaf Extract - Helps block synthesis of leukotriens (a cause of allergic inflammation) and AA. Stimulates phase II liver detoxification.
Holy Basil Leaf Extract - Helps boost natural anti-inflammatory chemicals especially Omega 3 fatty acids.
Green Tea Leaf Extract - Is a potent antioxidant and increases the body’s own anti-inflammatory activity.
Ginger Root Extract - reduces inflamation and helps regulate inflammatory systems, including those associated with eicosanoids.
Chinese Goldenthread Root - Helps regulate prostaglandins; reduces activity of the "bad guys, " AA and boosts function of "good guys," Omega 3 fatty acids.
Barberry Root Extract - Helps regulate prostaglandins and reduce AA.
Baikal Skullcap Root Extract - Reduces inflammatory chemicals AA and Leukotrienes, including prostaglandin
Protykin Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract - Reduces inflammatory chemicals including AA and is a potent antioxidant.
