Effects of Inflammation on the body organs

April 25, 2015

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs: Obesity and Depression are Symptoms of a Common Cause

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs can be very dangerous especially when the victim is also obese or overweight

Some of the health conditions affecting our life are known to us yet we often don’t notice them easily. Take for instance a problem of inflammation; many of us do not take notice of this until we experience an injury either by way of swellings, redness and pain flood that affects the area. But even with this indication, when we opted for treatment our focus is always on the pain and not the internal healing process. Inflammation can damage organs and cause disease, but its interference in the brain causes two common disorders. We are therefore going to be discussing the effects of inflammation on the body organs for better understanding of the body’s vulnerability to this complication. Doctor Dalal Akoury explains that ordinarily your body’s defense mechanism kicks in, and you don’t have to think too much about inflammation because it is always there when you need it.

However even though this is so, inflammation might also occur when you don’t need it, and if it does, it can cause problems. In some people, inflammation is present at very low levels. It is no wonder that many experts now believe that this type of low-grade, chronic inflammation is responsible for a litany of chronic conditions. Therefore when inflammation extents to the pancreas the affected person is at risk of getting diabetes. When it spreads to the immune system, you get cancer. And like cancer, this type of inflammation grows and spreads, damaging organs and causing all kinds of trouble.

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs: Weakened Signals

The speed with which inflammation spreads does not only cause damages to your organs, but also interferes with your brain’s signals and to the rest of your body systems. With such many conditions the trouble starts in the hypothalamus which is the command center of the brain. The command center then receives all these hormonal inputs that inform you when you’re tired or when to eat and what to do with those calories.

When you have inflammation, a protein called pro-inflammatory cytokines distorts those hormonal signals. As a result, inflammation might be causing conditions such as depression and obesity, which were correlated through research long before inflammation became a suspected culprit. Nonetheless when it comes to depression, those cytokines communicate with the brain to induce different depressive symptoms, such as sad mood, fatigue, altered sleep and social-behavioral withdrawal. Inflammation also drives obesity in a similar manner.

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs: Metabolic Syndrome

Inflammation has recently been linked with metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of symptoms that raise your risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Those symptoms include hypertension, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, above-normal blood glucose and triglyceride levels, and a large waist. Most people with metabolic syndrome are obese and inactive, so these symptoms have become associated with obesity. However, many obese people don’t have those symptoms. They fall into a category called metabolically healthy obese. It means they don’t look very good in a swimsuit, but if you look at their blood, they’re in pretty good shape. This is probably because they don’t have chronic inflammation. Therefore we can’t say that obesity causes inflammation, but we can comfortably say that inflammation drives obesity.

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs: Depression is No Simpler

Doctor Akoury says that inflammation may drive depression in a similar fashion. The links between inflammation and depression are complex and we are just beginning to understand how they affect each other. Though it is possible that depression may lead to changes that cause inflammation, experimental studies have shown that increases in inflammation can promote depression.

According to Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health findings, it was established that people suffering from depression had 30 percent higher levels of inflammation in the brain. This was one of the first studies to show concretely that inflammation is present in depression even when other conditions are absent. Moreover depression is still complex and unlikely to be caused by inflammation alone just like obesity.

When I started my career in the medical profession, and like many of my colleagues, I generally thought about depression as a psychiatric disorder or a mental health problem and I believe that many people still think of it that way. But nevertheless what I have come to realize is that depression is also a disorder with deep biological roots. It is as much of a physical issue as a mental one, and we should start talking about it that way. Like for instance, if you were to compare depression to a more physical illness. When you have the flu, your body’s immune system springs into action to fight it off, including increasing inflammation. In addition to the nausea and fever, you also have symptoms of depression: fatigue, aches, mental fog and an unwillingness to leave the house. In a contagious illness, those symptoms help us rest and avoid spreading the disease, but in depression they’re nothing but trouble.

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs: Reducing Inflammation

Tests that indicate your levels of inflammation are available, but they can be expensive and aren’t always conclusive. They almost certainly aren’t covered by insurance unless you have an autoimmune disorder. It therefore means that you may never know your true levels of inflammation; however you can still do your part to control it. Controlling inflammation is a balancing act. You need some, but not too much. By far, the best drug we have for this is diet.

Certain staples of the recent American diet promote high levels of inflammation. The two largest culprits are omega-6 fatty acids and insulin spikes brought on by consuming starchy carbs. The combination of insulin and omega-6 fatty acids is like a match and gasoline you get an explosion of this low-level inflammation.

To reduce it, the best foods are those with omega-3 fatty acids and high levels of polyphenols, the compounds in fruits and vegetables that give them color. These good fats and colorful fruits and vegetables, along with lean protein, make up the majority of his anti-inflammatory meal plan. Along with diet, a healthy lifestyle and stress reduction techniques help reduce levels of inflammation, especially in the brain. It is also important to maintain a healthy diet, stay active, keep a regular sleep schedule and limit the psychological stress we experience. And in all these ensure to consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for professional advices from time to time.

Effects of Inflammation on the body organs: Effects of Inflammation

What are the functions of COX Enzyme inhibitors

March 4, 2015

What are the functions of COX Enzyme inhibitors: Inflammation Complications?

What are the functions of COX Enzyme inhibitors

Before we get down to business, I want to bring to your attention that this article may be loaded with some strong medical terms. For this reason we are going to be relying on the expertise of doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for clarification when it becomes necessary. I want therefore to take this earliest opportunity to advice that you can schedule for an appointment with the experts and you will be home and dry with the facts about what are the function of COX enzyme inhibitors. Therefore to start us off let us try understanding what COX-2 selective inhibitor is. This is a form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that directly targets COX-2 which is an enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain. The benefits of this selective targeting for COX-2 is that it helps in reduce the risk of peptic ulceration. Nevertheless it must be noted that besides these functions, the following are the main features of celecoxib, rofecoxib and other members of this drug class.

Just to make further emphasis on this medication, COX-2 inhibitors are a subclass of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs primarily work by reducing the production of prostaglandins, chemicals which promote inflammation, pain, and fever. Besides that the prostaglandins are also good at protecting the lining of the stomach and intestines from the damaging effects of excreted acid, promote blood clotting by activating platelets during injuries and also affect kidney function.

In our quest towards understanding what are the functions of COX enzyme inhibitors it would be very important that we get to know that the enzymes that produce prostaglandins are called cyclooxygenase (COX) and that has been the center of our discussion. There are two types of COX enzymes and they may include:

Cyclooxygenase – 1 (COX-1) and
Cyclooxygenase – 2 (COX-2)

Like we have said in the introduction both of these enzymes produce prostaglandins that promote inflammation, pain, and fever; however, it is only COX-1that produces prostaglandins which activate the blood platelets and protect the stomach and intestinal lining.

Doctor Dalal Akoury explains that NSAIDs blocks or obstructs the COX enzymes thereby reducing the normal production of prostaglandins. Therefore, the result of this action is that the inflammation, pain, and fever are reduced by all COX inhibitors. Since the prostaglandins that protect the stomach and promote blood clotting also are reduced, NSAIDs can cause ulcers in the stomach and intestines, and increase the risk of bleeding. Unlike older NSAIDs that block both COX-1 and COX-2, the newer COX-2 inhibitors only block the COX-2 enzyme. Since COX-2 inhibitors do not block COX-1 (which primarily produces prostaglandins that protect the stomach and promote blood clotting) they do not cause ulcers or increase the risk of bleeding as much as the older NSAIDs. Nevertheless, COX-2 inhibitors are as effective as the older NSAIDs for treating inflammation, pain and fever.

What are the functions of COX inhibitors: What are the side effects of COX-2 inhibitors?

Before we conclude this discussion, it will not be fear if we don’t highlight some of the possible demerits or the side effects of COX-E inhibitors. Such may include the following:

Abdominal pain,
Headache,
Nausea,
Diarrhea,
Flatulence, and
Insomnia

The above mentions are some of the most common side effects however, there are other side effects thought not very common and they include:

Fainting,
Kidney failure,
Aggravation of hypertension,
Ringing in the ears,
Bleeding,
Blurred vision,
Anxiety,
Light sensitivity,
Weight gain,
Water retention,
Drowsiness, and
Weakness.

For those who are allergic to various reactions, this is very important because with this kind of medication allergic reactions also can occur. Therefore if this describes your situation and you are one who can develops allergic reactions like rash, itching, difficulty breathing etc. from sulfonamides for example, trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole Bactrim, aspirin or other NSAIDs may experience an allergic reaction to celecoxib and should not take celecoxib.

COX-2 inhibitors and other NSAIDs may increase the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and related conditions, which can be fatal. This risk may increase with duration of use and in patients who have underlying risk factors for disease of the heart and blood vessels. NSAIDs should not be used for the treatment of pain resulting from coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Other NSAIDs and, to a lesser extent, COX-2 inhibitors may increase the risk of serious and sometimes even fatal stomach and intestinal adverse reactions such as bleeding, ulcers, and perforation of the stomach or intestines. These events can occur at any time during treatment and without warning symptoms. Point to note is that the senior citizens or the elderly patients are at greater risk for these types of reactions.

What are the functions of COX inhibitors: The basic difference between traditional NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors?

COX-1 is an enzyme which is normally present in a variety of tissues in the body, including sites of inflammation and the stomach.
Some of the prostaglandins made by COX-1 protect the inner lining of the stomach.
Common NSAIDs such as aspirin block both COX-1 and COX-2.
When the COX-1 enzyme is blocked, inflammation is reduced, but the protection of the lining of the stomach also is lost.
This can cause stomach upset as well as ulceration and bleeding from the stomach and even the intestines.

On the other hand cyclooxygenase, COX-2, also produces prostaglandins, but the COX-2 enzyme is located specifically in areas of the body that commonly are involved in inflammation but not in the stomach.

When the COX-2 enzyme is blocked, inflammation is reduced; however, since the COX-2 enzyme does not play a role in protecting the stomach or intestine, COX-2 specific NSAIDs do not have the same risk of injuring the stomach or intestines.

Finally I mentioned in the introduction of the possible use of very strong medical terms which may not be very easy to understand. Now having read the article, it is our wish that you are able to make correct translation of the information we are passing to you. Therefore if you have any concern, something you need further clarity on, the doors of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are open for you at your convenience. You can schedule for that very important appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for more professional guidance today.

What are the functions of COX inhibitors: Inflammation Complications?

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation

February 25, 2015

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: Ways of Fight Inflammation

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation can originate from the food we eat can yet the same can be the problem or solution of inflammation

When you eat two things are likely to happen. It is either you are adding value to your health or destroying it in away. I don’t mean to scare you with this statement, but look at it from my point of view. When you over eat what I will call wrong food, you add weight and the implications of overweight are well known. Is that destruction to your health? On the other hand when you plan your food in a way that the diet is well balanced and you go for what I will call healthy food stuff, in this case what are you doing to your health? Definitely you are building it. Back to the discussion ideally what you eat can impact on your health more than you can ever imagine. If you have been on this link you must have read a lot about inflammation and how it affects your skin and beauty in general. There are those foods that promote inflammation which I will call the worst offenders. They are because they are robbing you of your vitality and vibrancy, and making you feels awful. They promote premature and general aging as well. It is in that spirit that we are persuaded to share with you the causes and solutions of inflammation as a means of locking out all the bad effects of such foods.

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is one of the body’s natural immune responses. When a foreign invader such is an infection or injury enters the body, your body responds with an inflammatory counter attack. While you may recognize inflammation when you injure your ankle and it swells, that type of inflammation is localized. However, it can also be systemic, affecting your organs and internal structures. We must not allow this to go beyond levels of comfortable management. That is why doctor Dalal Akoury made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. You can schedule for a one on one appointment with her any time any day for all your concerns about your health and she will be able to address them professionally and in confidence.

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: Effects of Chronic Inflammation

Studies have linked chronic low grade inflammation to heart disease.
Chronic early inflammation has been linked to dementia in older adults.
Some studies suggest inflammation may cause common age-related diseases that lead to disability in older adults.

Chronic inflammation can lead to chronic pain.
Many autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease are also linked to inflammation.

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: Causes of Chronic Inflammation

A number of lifestyle factors can cause chronic inflammation. These include:

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: Foods that Cause Inflammation

The good news is you can control a number of the factors that cause inflammation. Getting plenty of sleep, stopping smoking if you do, and engaging in regular exercise and proper diet will all make a positive impact. When you take part in the detoxifying for beauty and changing your lifestyle you will be introducing a powerful an anti-inflammatory diet with a cleansing component that helps you rid your body of the toxicity leading to inflammation. Therefore let’s take a closer look at the kinds of foods that do contribute to inflammation so that you can purpose to avoid them.

Sugar and refined starch – Every time you eat refined carbohydrates (any type of sugar including HFCS, sucrose, lactose, and others, as well as white foods such as white bread), it results in a rapid rise in blood sugar. This, in turn, causes insulin levels to rise, triggering an immune response. When blood sugar levels or insulin levels are high, the result is a pro-inflammatory response. This occurs every time you eat foods containing refined sugars and starches, which can lead to chronic inflammation.

Vegetable oil – Many vegetable oils are high in omega-6 fats, reducing your body’s critical balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. While omega-6 fatty acids are not bad in and of themselves, when your body gets out of balance, inflammation can result. That’s why I recommend cooking with just a tiny amount of coconut oil, which contains medium chain fatty acids. Olive oil is okay in small amounts as it is mono-unsaturated oil.

Dairy products – Dairy can cause inflammation because your body recognizes it as a foreign invader and fights it with an inflammatory response. That’s because the human body does not process the high levels of protein (casein) or sugar (lactose) in dairy products well.

Red meat – Eating red meat produces a chemical called Neu5gc. The body produces an inflammatory immune response to it.

Wheat, rye, and barley – These grains all contain the common allergen, gluten. When an allergen enters the body, the result is an immediate inflammatory immune response.

Foods high in Trans fats – When you eat Trans fats (hydrogenated oils found in many processed foods), they create low-density lipoproteins. LDLs feed inflammation.

Processed Corn – You will be shocked at just how much corn there is in processed foods. The food processing industry uses a number of corn derivatives such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn oil because it is cheap and plentiful. In its refined form, corn spikes blood sugar, leading to an increased insulin and inflammatory response.

Peanuts – Peanuts are one of the most common food allergens. There are naturally occurring molds found on peanuts. Even if you don’t have an anaphylactic response to peanuts, your body may recognize them as foreign invaders and create an inflammatory response.

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: Anti-inflammatory foods

The good news is that you can quiet inflammation with the foods you choose, as well. Let us consider the following for that purpose.

Dark, leafy greens – Spinach, kale, and romaine, etc. are all terrific inflammation fighters because they’re rich in antioxidants and other natural anti-inflammatory agents.

Turmeric – This pungent spice often found in curry has been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory properties besides its being delicious.

Flaxseed – Flax contains omega-3 fats, which are anti-inflammatory. Try sprinkling a little freshly ground flax on your salad.

Blueberries – High in anti-oxidants, blueberries are healthy and delicious anti-inflammatory food.

Broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous veggies – These foods are high in anti-oxidants, and they have a natural detoxifying effect. Therefore, you can eat them and cleanse your body of any harmful chemicals that are contributing to inflammation.

Probiotic and Enzyme Salad – This salad promotes better digestion and healthier gut flora, a potent mix for detoxification and fighting inflammation.

Chia seeds – Chia is high in inflammation fighting omega-3 fatty acids.

Avocados – These luscious fruits are high in carotenoids, which fight inflammation. They contain easily digestible monounsaturated fat, but don’t overdo it. 1/2 of a medium one in a day is a good maximum daily amount- and skip the oil on a salad if you are eating the avocados with it.

The Causes and Solutions of Inflammation: Ways of Fight Inflammation

Leaky gut Syndrome and Inflammation will make weight loss impossible

February 19, 2014

With leaky gut not only is the digestive lining more porous and less selective about what can get in, but normal absorption can also be affected Leaky gut Syndrome and Inflammation will make weight loss impossible-How? With leaky gut not only is the digestive lining more porous and less selective about what can get in, but normal absorption can also be affected

Leaky gut Inflammation can be a difficult diagnosis to establish for a number of reasons: It’s associated with a wide range of seemingly unconnected symptoms; it has a lot of different causes; there’s no specific test to confirm it; and evidence tying it to other conditions can be murky. As a result, there’s a fair amount of skepticism in the mainstream medical community about the legitimacy of leaky gut as a diagnosis. But as the evidence that this is indeed a real and recognizable condition grows, opinions are slowly changing. That’s a good thing, because leaky gut is likely to emerge as one of the most significant medical concepts of our time.

Leaky gut Syndrome and Inflammation-How Leaky Gut Affects You

The digestive lining serves is an important barrier function. It’s like a sieve with very tiny holes allowing only small substances to go through, while keeping out larger undesirable particles. With leaky gut, also known as increased intestinal permeability, the net becomes damaged, resulting in bigger holes that allow more things to pass through that ordinarily couldn’t.

When the barrier function becomes compromised, then bacteria, viruses, undigested food particles and toxic waste products can leak from the inside of your intestines through the damaged digestive lining into your bloodstream, where they’re transported throughout your body and can trigger your immune system to react. The end result is inflammation in various parts of your body, leading to a wide variety of symptoms of Inflammation like bloating, cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, flushing, achy joints, headache and rashes.

With leaky gut not only is the digestive lining more porous and less selective about what can get in, but normal absorption can also be affected. Nutritional deficiencies may develop as a result of damage to the villi – the finger-like projections in the small intestine that are responsible for absorbing nutrients.

Multiple food sensitivities are another hallmark of leaky gut, because partially digested particles of protein and fat may leak through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream and cause an allergic response as a result of inflammation. Increased intestinal permeability may potentially cause or worsen a number of other conditions, including Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), arthritis, psoriasis, eczema and asthma.

Leaky gut Syndrome and Inflammation –Causes

So what causes increased intestinal permeability? There’s still much to be learned, but diet, chronic stress, certain medications and bacterial imbalance seem to play important roles. Eating a diet high in refined sugar can lead to overgrowth of yeast species, which has been associated with leaky gut. Preservatives and chemicals in processed foods can damage the lining, and so can consumption of gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

Chronic stress can lead to a weakened immune system, affecting your ability to fight off invading bacteria and viruses and worsening the symptoms of leaky gut. Medications like aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) that can damage the lining of your gut, as well as antibiotics that kill off your essential good bacteria are also associated with increased intestinal permeability. In fact, an imbalance between beneficial and harmful species in your gut called dysbiosis is one of the leading theories about what causes increased intestinal permeability. Excessive alcohol consumption, infection with parasites, radiation and chemotherapy can damage the lining of the intestine and are also risk factors.

In addition to bloating and digestive distress, a lot of the patients I see with leaky gut have a combination of other symptoms like food allergies, chronic sinus infections, achy joints, fatigue, brain fog or unexplained rashes. Typically they’ve been to multiple doctors trying to make sense of their symptoms, and conventional tests and imaging studies have been unrevealing. There can be a feeling of hopelessness and despair, because the symptoms seem so unrelated. With all these infections cropping in it becomes clear that the body becomes sick and as a result weight loss becomes practically impossible.

When you think of leaky gut not so much as a disease, but as a mechanism by which a number of different conditions can develop, it starts to make sense. A leaky gut is the pathway for how toxins enter the body through the GI tract and create all kinds of mayhem once they’re in, sort of like party crashers who slip through security and proceed to make a mess of the venue.

Leaky gut Syndrome and Inflammation-Solutions?

There’s no miracle cure for treating leaky gut, but there are things you can do if you’re suffering from it that can help heal inflammation and restore the integrity of your gut lining.

An anti-inflammatory diet that eliminates refined sugars, dairy, gluten, alcohol and artificial sweeteners – some of the biggest offenders when it comes to inflammation – can be very helpful. Consuming lots of anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids in fish and nuts, and filling up on green leafy vegetables, high-fiber and fermented foods that help to promote the growth of good bacteria is also crucial.

A robust probiotic that contains large amounts of good bacteria can help heal a damaged intestinal lining by restoring balance in the gut flora.

Supplements like glutamine have been shown in some studies to help with intestinal injury after chemotherapy and radiation and may be beneficial in leaky gut.

Most people will notice improvement within 6 weeks, although it may take several months and even years to heal a damaged intestinal lining in extreme cases of leaky gut. Because we’re still learning about leaky gut, many of the treatment guidelines are drawn more from anecdotal observation than from rigorous scientific studies. But they’re sensible recommendations that can lead to improvements in your overall health, whether or not you have increased intestinal permeability.

Leaky gut is one of those diagnoses that bridges the gap between conventional and alternative medicine, between what we can see and touch and what we can feel in our bodies. I refuse to believe that the hundreds of patients I see in my office with unusual and seemingly unrelated complaints are crazy, or just stressed out.

I believe them when they say they feel like they’re being poisoned, or that they think there’s a connection between all their symptoms, even though they don’t know what it is. My hunch is that as our knowledge grows, the theories behind leaky gut will become the foundation for lots of diseases that are widely prevalent in our society, and millions of people will be in a better position to find relief from their suffering.

Leaky gut Syndrome and Inflammation will make weight loss impossible-How?

Tag Archives: inflammation and weight loss