Silent Immflamation















Click here for Time Magazine article


Material from Dr. Barry Sears:

Inflammation is becoming recognized as a primary factor in the development of a wide number of chronic disease conditions. A certain level of inflammatory response is needed to protect us from invading organisms (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) and to treat traumatic injuries. However, left unchecked, it can continue to wear down every organ in the body. This can lead to chronic diseases especially in the heart, brain, and immune system. There are two types of inflammation. The first is classic inflammation that is associated with pain, swelling, and redness. This can be characterized as screaming pain since it is very obvious and calls for immediate intervention. The other type of inflammation is silent inflammation or silent pain that is far more insidious. It doesn't generate the pain associated with classic inflammation and therefore goes untreated for years. We now know that this silent inflammation is the underlying cause of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Virtually every type of chronic disease has a significant inflammatory component as its underlying cause. A primary focus of modern medical research remains the reduction of both classic and silent inflammation. If silent inflammation is the underlying cause of chronic diseases that take years, if not decades to develop, then why not simply take anti-inflammatory drugs on a lifetime basis to quell excess inflammation? The obvious problems are the side effects (osteoporosis, immune suppression, and death) that these drugs generate. In fact, deaths in the United States from prescribed use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exceed the number of deaths from AIDS. What is required is a new approach to reducing inflammation without the side effects created by anti-inflammatory drugs. This can be achieved by the combined used of a low glycemic-load diet and ultra-refined EPA/DHA concentrates. The combined use of these two dietary interventions can keep silent inflammation under control for a lifetime without side effects. It is the mission of the Inflammation Research Foundation to determine the extent that this dietary anti-inflammatory approach can be applied to the treatment of a wide number of chronic disease conditions. Read More...