Measuring Inflammation in the Body

There are many possible measures of low grade inflammation, at least 20.

The most commonly used are the following six
Total white blood cell count
Absolute granulocyte count
C-reactive protein
Interleukin-6
Fibrinogen
Serum amyloid A

Dr Phinney says; "The only tool in my list of medications for reducing inflammation, is one of the newer statins. The best solution for this problem is to find ways to reduce or avoid the creation of inflammation in the first place."

Fighting Inflammation with Nutrition

The following foods reduce inflammation: Fruits and vegetables, especially the colourful ones with flavanoids. Omega 3 oils, like fish oil. Moderate use of alcohol. If you want an anti-inflammatory supplement use gamma-topopherol

The following foods are inflammatory. Omega-6 fats are essential, but our diet is flooded with them, and in excess they are highly inflammatory. Iron in excess too, and Dr Phinney thinks Iron is over prescribed, when the real problem is carbohydrate intolerance. Trans-fats, are highly inflammatory, but in NZ there is no requirement to label products containing trans-fats, and no ban on their use (The argument is made that they are rarely used in NZ food products). Sugar, but particularly fructose is inflammatory. Alpha-topopherol is sold as an anti-inflammatory, but in the body it blocks gamma-topopherol, the bodies natural inflammatory defence, defeating our objective.

So Phinney recommends eating fish three times a week, using gamma-topopherol (Sometimes sold as Gamma-E), drinking wine in moderation, eating lots of fat or olive oil, and eating a very low carbohydrate diet.

John Stephen Veitch