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6 BALANCE O3, O6
O -3 and O - 6. THE CRITICAL BALANCE
This is a concept developed by Dr Barry Sears described in his book The Anti-Inflammation Zone, HarperCollins, Paperback Edition, 2006. He describes what causes this problem and why we so often ignore it until it develops into really debilitating diseases. One of the recommended nutrient supplements is Ultra-refined fish oil. However, this is not a silver bullet; it is one of the key nutrients to enable our bodies to start balancing the bad effects of too much Omega-6 in our diet. Dr Sears’ book is difficult to obtain here so the following quote will introduce his ideas on Silent Inflammation to you.
Silent Inflammation
“Wellness is ultimately dependent on the levels of inflammation and especially silent inflammation in your body. If you have screaming pain or an existing chronic disease, you know, of course, that you aren't well. Having type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or Alzheimer's means you have inflammation. Having an autoimmune condition such as multiple sclerosis or lupus also indicates that inflammation is present. Any chronic pain condition, (those that end with "itis") means you have inflammation in the area that is causing you pain. But silent inflammation is different. It is ongoing inflammation that is below the perception of pain. Until recently there was no way to test for it. Now that there is, you can find out if you have it and begin to mount a lifelong anti-inflammatory program to keep it at bay. You can also have periodic clinical testing to determine whether your efforts have been successful.
The first step you need to take to reach the Anti-Inflammation Zone is to determine whether you have silent inflammation and, if so, the extent of it. Silent inflammation is hard to detect, and it's impossible to determine by sight alone. You might have it if you're obese, or you might not. In fact, you can be overweight and still be in a state of wellness if your insulin levels are in the healthy range (good news for millions of Americans). On the flip side, you might have significant silent inflammation if you're at your ideal weight.
So how can you figure all this out? A clinical assessment of your blood to determine your degree of silent inflammation is the only definitive answer. [As yet I have been unable to source of testing in South Africa at a reasonable price. However, there are subjective ways to help give you a clue. Many years ago, I developed what I call a Silent Inflammation Report to help both heart disease patients and world-class athletes make the necessary dietary changes to combat this type of inflammation.
The questionnaire is purely based on observations, but it is an easy way to give you a general indication of whether you're likely to have silent inflammation.
Silent Inflammation Profile (SIP)
(Each question requires a Yes or No answer.
Are you overweight?
Are you always craving carbohydrates?
Are you constantly hungry?
Are you tired, especially after exercise?
Are your fingernails brittle?
Is your hair limp with little texture?
Are you constipated?
Do you sleep excessively?
Are you groggy upon waking?
Do you have a lack of mental concentration?
Do you lack a sense of well-being?
Do you have headaches?
Are you constantly fatigued?
Do you have dry skin?
If you answer yes to more than three questions, you probably have elevated levels of silent inflammation. Admittedly, this is not a very scientific way of determining the levels of silent inflammation in your body, but it does tell you whether you're a likely candidate. If you are, your next step should be to test your blood to determine the true extent of the inflammation, and thus your current state of wellness.
Primary biomarkers for the anti-inflammation zone
It is only within the past few years that blood tests have been developed to measure silent inflammation. These tests look for specific biomarkers of silent inflammation and the levels that indicate that significant inflammation is already under way. These biomarkers are the best indication that you need to start taking immediate action because real trouble is brewing. Think of silent inflammation as kindling. Try to light a log with a match, and nothing happens. On the other hand, light the kindling with a match, and the log is soon engulfed by flames. Now consider the log to be your body, the flames are screaming pain or chronic disease. Those are the symptoms that you see, but the first step was the lighting of the kindling.
High Dose Fish Oil.
Your ultimate defense against silent inflammation is high dose fish oil.
[Note that this HAS to be Ultra-refined oil, ordinary fish oil may be contaminated.]
The single most important thing you can do to keep silent inflammation under control is this: take a daily supplement of high-dose fish oil. The Zone Diet helps to ward off silent inflammation by reducing excess insulin levels. High-dose fish oil, however, provides the ultimate boost you need to dampen down silent inflammation. It will also be your best defense against any dietary lapses you may have, such as going overboard on your Glycemic load.
When I say high-dose fish oil, I mean it. You simply can't get enough fish oil from eating fatty fish like salmon, tuna, or mackerel, even if it's on a daily basis. Eating tuna salad for lunch or salmon steak for dinner will give you some benefits but not enough to truly control silent inflammation. The Japanese do manage to maintain a state of wellness, relatively free from silent inflammation, just from consuming copious amounts of fish. Unfortunately, the massive amounts of fish, sea vegetables, and other marine creatures that the Japanese eat could never be matched by the paltry amounts of fish that Americans consume. In fact, Tufts Medical School tried to do a dietary study providing volunteers the same amount of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (from fish and sea vegetables) as normally consumed by the Japanese. Even though the volunteers were paid and had all their meals prepared for them, the experiment lasted a total of three days. The volunteers quit the study because they couldn't tolerate those hefty amounts of fish in their diet.
Fish oil is ultimately the healthiest fat around because it has profound anti-inflammatory properties. It might even be the healthiest medicine around, since it packs a wallop of benefits without any of the long-term side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs (such as death). In fact, the only side effect of fish oil may be that it makes you smarter. But like any drug, you have to use enough of it to gain its therapeutic benefits. The reason that high-dose fish oil is so effective in reducing silent inflammation is that it reduces arachidonic acid (AA), the building block of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, in less than thirty days. It has the added benefit of simultaneously increasing the levels of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the building block of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. I can guarantee you that you will see a dramatic improvement in your SIP, and that you'll be back on your path to wellness. [End of Dr Sears’ quote.]
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