You’re Told Fluoridation Prevents Tooth Decay, but Science Proves Otherwise

Despite widespread public health adoption, water fluoridation has come under close scrutiny over the past quarter century. Time has stripped away fluoridation's rosy glow. Once touted as the magic solution to dental caries, fluoride's benefit for your teeth – IF there is any, which is still debatable – comes with overshadowing downsides. No matter which scientific studies you examine, or which population trends you view, the only rational conclusion is that fluoride's health dangers far outweigh the marginal dental benefits it might offer. The science is very clear about the following:

• Fluoride is a toxic industrial waste product that is a poison to your body and in no way a "nutrient," offering no benefits at all to the human body. The fluoride added to water supplies can be contaminated with lead, arsenic, radio nucleotides, aluminum and other industrial contaminants. Additionally, the fluoride added to municipal water supplies is not pharmaceutical grade.
• Fluoride exposure comes from tap water, most toothpaste and many antibiotics, including ones given to farm animals. There is a large variation in exposure levels, making it impossible to accurately predict these variables for any person, family or community.
• Fluoride exposure for many can easily reach toxic levels. For example, poison control should be called if you swallow a quarter milligram of fluoride from toothpaste
• Meanwhile just ONE glass of water can contain this amount of fluoride.
• Fluoride is a cumulative poison that has been proven to cause wide-ranging, serious health problems, such as damage to your bones, brain and endocrine system.
• Dental caries can be prevented with means other than fluoridation, thereby avoiding the adverse effects of fluoride.

Fluoride is Found in More than Just Your Drinking Water

Fluoride is found in all natural waters to some degree. It can be extremely high in groundwater, depending on a number of factors, such as the types of rocks and minerals of that region. Drinking water is the largest fluoride source, adding to your exposure from dental products. But you may not be aware that fluoride is also present in some surprising places:

• A variety of vegetables and fruits, grains, taro, yams, cassava, meat, poultry and fish (especially canned fish), milk and tea; most natural foods have only minor levels of fluoride, but there are a few exceptions. Tea leaves, for example, tend to concentrate fluoride from the soil; deboned meat and poultry can be very high in fluoride due to contamination from bone particles during processing.
• Processed foods and beverages such as sodas, juices, sports drinks, baby foods, etc., are often high in fluoride.
• Air can be tainted with fluoride, particularly in areas with greater industrial pollution from coal burning and phosphate fertilizer production
• Non-stick pans emit a fluoride gas when heated.

Top Ten Ways to Avoid Fluoride

We have reprinted their excellent recommendations on how to decrease your fluoride exposure below.

1) Stop Drinking Fluoridated Water:

Tap water consumption is, on average, the largest daily source of fluoride exposure for people who live in areas that add fluoride to the water. Avoiding consumption of fluoridated water is especially critical for infants.

1. Water Filters: One way of avoiding the fluoride from tap water is to purchase a water filter. Not all water filters, however, remove fluoride. The three types of filters that can remove fluoride are reverse osmosis, deionizers (which use ion-exchange resins), and activated alumina. Each of these filters should be able to remove about 90% of the fluoride. By contrast, "activated carbon" filters (e.g., Brita & Pur) do not remove fluoride. 
2. Spring Water: Another way to avoid fluoride from tap water is to purchase spring water. Most brands of spring water contain very low levels of fluoride. S Before consuming any bottled water on a consistent basis, therefore, you should verify that the fluoride content is less than 0.2 ppm, and ideally less than 0.1 ppm. 
3. Water Distillation: A third way to avoid fluoride from the tap is to purchase a distillation unit. Water distillation will remove most, if not all, of the fluoride. The price for a distillation units varies widely depending on the size.

2) Don't Let Your Child Swallow Fluoride Toothpaste

Fluoride toothpaste is often the largest single source of fluoride intake for young children, and is a major risk factor for disfiguring dental fluorosis. This is because children swallow a large amount of the paste that they put in their mouth. In fact, research has shown that it is not uncommon for young children to swallow more fluoride from toothpaste alone than is recommended as an entire day's ingestion from all sources.

If you have a young child, therefore, we recommend that you use a non-fluoride toothpaste. If, however, you do use fluoride toothpaste, it's very important that you supervise your children while they brush to make sure they use no more than a "pea-sized amount" of paste, and that they fully rinse and spit and after they finish. And, lastly, do not purchase candy flavored toothpaste (e.g., bubble-gum and watermelon) as these toothpastes (which still contain adult-strength concentrations of fluoride) increase the risk that your children will swallow it (and actually want to swallow it).

3) Do NOT Get Fluoride Gel Treatments at the Dentist

Although dental researchers have stated on numerous occasions that fluoride gel treatment should ONLY be used for patients at highest risk of cavities, many dentists continue to apply fluoride gels irrespective of the patient's cavity risk. The fluoride gel procedure requires the patient to clamp down on a tray for 4 minutes and uses an extremely concentrated, acidic fluoride gel (12,300 ppm). Because of the fluoride gel's high acidity, the saliva glands produce a large amount of saliva during the treatment, which makes it extremely difficult (both for children and adults) to avoid swallowing the gel.

Even when dentists use precautionary measures such as suction devices, children and adults still ingest significant quantities of the paste, which can cause incredibly high spikes of fluoride in the blood (for up to 15 hours). These fluoride levels place patients, particularly children, at risk for stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, and places a person at risk for short-term kidney damage, harm to the reproductive system, and impairment to glucose metabolism. The next time your dentist asks you whether you want a fluoride gel treatment, say NO.

4) Eat More Fresh, Less Processed Food

When water is fluoridated, it is not just the water that is fluoridated, but all beverages and foods that are made with the water. As a general rule, therefore, the more processed a food is, the more fluoride it has. The good news is that the naturally occurring levels of fluoride in most fresh water (e.g., spring water) and most fresh food (e.g., fruits, vegetables, grain, eggs, milk) is very low. Use this fact to your advantage by trying to shift as much as you can from processed foods to fresh. Also, since processed beverages (e.g., sodas, reconstituted juices, sports drinks) contribute far more to fluoride intake than processed foods, it is most important to focus on reducing your consumption of processed beverages.

5) Buy Organic Grape Juice and Wine

In the United States, many vineyards use a fluoride pesticide called cryolite. As a result, the levels of fluoride in U.S. grape juice and wine (particularly white grape juice and white wine) are consistently elevated. Indeed, in 2005, the USDA reported that the average level of fluoride exceeded 2 ppm for both white wine and white grape. The levels of fluoride in red wine are also elevated (1 ppm), and so are raisins (2.3 ppm). If you buy grape juice and wine, or if you are a heavy consumer of raisins, buy organic. In the case of wine, if don't want to spend the extra money on organic, consider purchasing a European brand, as Europe uses far less cryolite than the U.S.

6) Reduce Your Tea Consumption (and/or Drink Tea with Younger Leaves)

Be careful of drinking too much tea, particularly bottled and instant varieties. The tea plant accumulates high levels of fluoride, and excess intake of tea is known to cause a painful bone disease called skeletal fluorosis. Some teas though contain high levels of health-boosting antioxidants. Not only are antioxidants good for health in general, they also help to protect you from fluoride toxicity.

In the ideal scenario, one could drink tea with high levels of antioxidants but low levels of fluoride. Recent research suggests that this might be a somewhat obtainable goal. It has recently been shown that the antioxidant levels in tea are far higher in young leaves, than old leaves. This is important because young leaves also happen to have lower levels of fluoride. Indeed, it has been proposed that the fluoride content of tea is an indicator of its quality: the higher the fluoride, the lower the quality, and vice versa.

If you love tea, therefore, try to purchase varieties that are made from young leaves (e.g., "White tea"). This will allow you to maximize tea's known benefits, while reducing its known harm.

Towards this end, avoid bottled and instant teas as they have been to contain low-quality leaves that have very low levels of antioxidants. With bottled and instant tea, therefore, you get the risk (fluoride) without the benefit (antioxidants).
Another option is to drink yerba matte – a caffeinated herbal tea from South America that contains very low levels of fluoride (< 0.2 ppm).

7) Avoid Cooking with Non-Stick Pans

Some research has found that cooking with non-stick-coated pans can significantly increase the fluoride content of food. If you have non-stick pans, consider switching to ceramic or another type of safe pan.

8) Don't Take Cipro and Be Mindful of Other Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals

Many pharmaceuticals are fluorinated, which means they contain something called a "carbon-fluorine bond." Although the carbon-fluoride bond is strong enough to resist breaking down within the body, this is not always the case.
Some fluorinated drugs have been found to metabolize into fluoride within the body and this greatly increases a person's exposure to fluoride. The most notable example is Cipro. Other fluorinated chemicals that are currently known to break down into fluoride include fluorinated anesthetics (Isoflurane & Sevoflurane), Niflumic acid, Flecainide, and Voriconazole. If you are taking any of these drugs, find out if there are any safer alternatives available.

9) Minimize Consumption of Mechanically-Deboned Chicken:

Most meats that are pulverized into a pulp form (e.g., chicken fingers, chicken nuggets) are made using a mechanical deboning processes. This mechanical deboning process increases the quantity of bone particles in the meat. Since bone is the main site of fluoride accumulation in the body, the higher levels of bone particle in mechanically deboned meat results in significantly elevated fluoride levels. Of all the meats that are mechanically deboned, chicken meat has consistently been found to have the highest levels. Thus, minimize consumption of mechanically-deboned chicken.

10) Avoid Fluoridated Salt

If you live in a country which allows fluoridated salt to be sold, make sure that the salt you buy is unfluoridated. Consumption of fluoridated salt can greatly increase a person's fluoride exposure.

Detoxifying and Healing - My Autoimmune Disease and Beyond

I explained in previous blogs that the tests I had taken to assess my blood chemistries are extremely compressive. The findings were astonishing and what I had to do at this stage was life changing and challenging. From eating my standard 6-8 small/medium sized meals daily, I had to cut down to the 3 allocated meals suggested to me (based on my blood chemistries), which as mentioned in previous blogs each consisted of 100g (weight) animal protein, 80g grams added fats and 50g carbohydrates (from veggies). It was strongly suggested I start looking into and using organic and were possible certified organic products. I added digestive enzymes and a probiotic, avoid having liquids with meal times and adding lemon juice to my water 30 minutes prior meals. I was told to STOP weight training (only do light walking), use a sauna daily for 25 minutes and commence with a detailed detox plan.

So week one I started on my detox plan which consisted of the sauna, eating as mentioned above and ingesting ghee in specific increasing amounts over the 7 days until I got to day 7 which involved a combination of other natural products to encourage a purge. After day 7 I was to reintroduce cultured foods into my diet. I was adding things like a few tables spoons of organic full fat natural yogurt, full fat cottage cheese and I was fermenting my own vegetables to consume. Needless to say day 7 wasn't very pleasant but really what started happening to my body from week one which lasted up to 5 weeks wasn't very nice at all. The most noticeable things were the hives that I was breaking out in and feeling tiered. Hives were coming out at different times of the day; just red lumps on various parts of my body. The combination of using a sauna which is gentle on the organs and detoxifying as well as consuming quality fats which were binding toxins to them and flushing them out through the colon meant the balance within my body was going to be worse before getting better. Just like a hurricane slowly building up its strength and collecting houses, trees, rubbish etc until it settles down and everything is released and settled. There was a stage however I felt it was going to on forever. But it took me roughly 5 weeks until the hives stopped coming out.

One of my biggest issues from years back was the lack of digestion and gut problems I had. My chemistries that were now explained to me clearly indicated these issues but what I could now begin to understand is the other effects these digestive issues play with the body and how this effectively over time placed a huge toxic overload in my body. The 7 day detox I had to do was to actually flush my gallbladder/liver and slowly rebuild a healthy gut by utilizing foods and eliminating toxins. I needed to just stick to the exact amounts everyday and not stray. Believe me, I was more than sceptical in this working but I would be the type to rely on laxatives and have colonic cleanses otherwise I could go easily one week to two weeks without using my bowls. Slowly something remarkable was happening. Roughly the same time my hives stopped appearing, I was actually beginning to use my bowls. Slowly every third day turned to the second and then everyday....NATURALLY just through the foods I mentioned, ditching my chemical/toxic loaded body creams, toothpaste/mouthwash, deodorants etc and being selective in chemical free or making my own products and detoxifying with the sauna. For those who understand the frustration in lack of bowl movements and being clogged, hear me when I say every time I visited the toilet, it was a HALLELUIAH moment. I had never been so excited to tell my husband what my body was doing. You can guess he didn't really want to know, but he was happy for me! LOL

From this point I really started to connect the dots. Having a health gut really is what determines how the rest of the body functions. Fundamentally, the gut IS your immune system. I gradually came off my digestive enzymes and probiotic as I was now making my own foods which give me the bacteria I need. It wasn’t only until I started to talk about my lack of digestion that I realized this was an issue from way back. To make it even worse, it would be even more clogged going into competitions. I had always relied on a higher protein diet, low carbohydrate and low essential fatty acid diets. When I think about post competitions, I never replenished my body with what I now as ‘nourishing’ foods. I had sweet cravings so I would eat high sugar treats and then move into what I thought was a healthy diet. This is imperative for all to know and understand that ‘healthy’ is NOT the same as ‘nourishing’. The body is made up of fats and proteins. Straying away from this too much for too long (and everybody’s effects will be different) will result in some kind of malfunction(s).

When I commenced my first year of competing I had already had an underactive thyroid. I never took prescription drugs but tried to manage this alone. Now looking back I see there were so many other issues that would gradually take over or replace the existing. From 2005 I went from thyroid issues, to adrenal fatigue, surgery for cervix T4 cancer cells, breaking in and out hives, cortisol problems, back to thyroid etc etc etc which I was in some way self-managing with foods, but now looking back at my issues I see there was one issue that was there the whole time…… my digestion (or lack of). I really cannot express enough how any digestive issues will eventually result in one or much other health (mainly labeled autoimmune) diseases/issues. Which brings me to this point – If  you have any of the following (to name a few) Lupus, Celiac, Thyroid, Sjrogen’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid or organ issues (to name a few) such as kidney, gallbladder, liver or hormone problems/depression, IBS or again even more extreme CANCER….. it all depends on your gut, how your body metabolizes and  detoxifies, what you are eating and how your body is utilizing it. Can you see how taking prescribed medications, relying on laxatives or even relying probiotics  will not cure any of these and 100’s of other health issues OR putting the body through extreme treatments such as chemotherapy will only result in malfunctioning organs/damaged tissues in other areas? If you don’t believe this or have at least the desire to do your own research, I strongly suggest you start exploring the hidden truths and facts behind my information and experiences. But this is still the beginning.....

By Georgia Holton

Understanding My Results- My Autoimmune Disease and Beyond

I had already received the medical diagnosis of Lupus and no other support from doctors to heal this condition. Now I had received a report from Helena (Holistic & Clinical Nutritionist) in a 200 page book which in it contains a full analysis of my personal blood chemistries, what they mean and how I can heal. The first thing I needed, was to get an understanding of the Health Model VS the Disease Model.

[The Disease Model is based on the assumption that the health is simply the absence of disease and established risk factors. When medicine is practiced this way, a doctor is expected to assume that disease is mostly the result of flaws in the genetic pool. As a result, the focus of treatment is on making a diagnosis, putting a label on that diagnosis, and then treating the label. This approach works well in crisis situation, such as heart attack, but fails miserably when used to handle chronic disease toxicities and infections. The flaw rests in the fact that symptoms and risk factors are less often the cause (and more often a reflection) of underlying defects. As a result, treating the symptom by dictating to the body what you would like to have happen (rather than supporting natural mechanisms) does little more than hide the underlying defect.

The Health Model begins, instead, with the premise that it is necessary to know how something works in order to repair or improve it. It further proposes that health changes must be addressed from the perspective of their impact on total health, rather than just focusing on how a procedure impacts a specific symptom. The Health Model addresses health from a broader framework than the conventional approach.]

To get started I was required to begin with a 7 day detox. Believe me, it’s nothing like what you would expect or even heard of.  From the day I begin my detox, I would also be commencing a specific eating regime for my blood chemistries and to heal.  I needed to be completely free of coffee, all dairies, no fish, no soft drinks (which I don’t consume anyway), no fruits, no sugar free anything, but follow my new 3 meal a day diet which was high in fats (from butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts) totaling 250g , protein from animal sources totaling (70g)and carbohydrates from vegetables totaling 150g. The ‘tonic’ that assisted my detox was also made up of pure fat from butter.  I needed to keep drinking water (lots of it), stop weight training, only do a gentle walk in the mornings and use a sauna daily for 25 minutes.

Needless to say that having been in the health industry for many years and knowing essential fats were good, I really didn’t believe consuming 250g of it a day would be. Furthermore, my protein intake was literally cut down to half as well as my veggie intake.  To top this off, I was meant to STOP weight training for a minimum 3 months? Geez…… But I made the fundamental choice to give this a go! Now the difference between seeing your GP or medical specialist is that they would not completely explain your results, nor would they do the type of testing I had, nor would they know how to help you in a natural way. They prescribe medications that are riddled with chemicals which cause toxic parties in your body and realistically only treat symptoms, not causes. My journey could only begin by flushing out toxic build up (which we all have in various amounts) and this was by far the hardest part….

Food for your face!

You can’t just shove junk food in your face and expect to have smooth, supple skin. But swap those cheese puffs for a cup of cottage cheese and you’ll get glowing results. Read on for 10 nourishing foods...
 
When it comes to your health, the outside reflects the inside. A dull, dry complexion is a blinking neon sign that you’re not eating right.  Lucky for you, you can put your best face forward with a better diet. Here’s how:

Face Food #1: Avocados This creamy, green fruit is abundant in essential oils and B-complex vitamins that nourish your skin, inside and out. Niacin (vitamin B3) is especially important for healthy skin, and avocados contain lots of it. Niacin, an anti-inflammatory, soothes irritated skin and red, blotchy skin. One avocado has 3.8 mg niacin – 27% of your daily need.

Face Food #2: Mangoes Mangoes have more than 80% of your daily requirements for vitamin A, which is why they’re such a great face food. Vitamin A maintains and repairs skin cells; a deficiency will result in a dry, flaky complexion.  As an antioxidant, vitamin A also fights free radical damage that can prematurely age the skin. And with fewer than 70 calories per serving, this succulent fruit is the perfect pick for your figure, not just your face.

Face Food #3: Almonds Not only is it a gorgeous shape for your eyes, almonds are also great for your complexion. With 150% of your daily need for vitamin E, it’s no wonder that getting a bit nutty is good for you. Vitamin E's rich oils moisturize dry skin, and its antioxidants protect against skin damage and premature aging.

Face Food #4: Cottage Cheese Dairy is good for your bones and face. But it’s the selenium in cottage cheese, not the calcium, that makes us wild for the creamy curds.  Selenium, an essential mineral, teams up with vitamin E as a powerful free radical-fighting antioxidant duo. Plus, it’ll protect against skin cancer and fight dandruff.

Face Food #5: Acerola Cherries Your average cherry doesn’t supply a lot of vitamin C, but that’s not true for Acerolas. One of these cherries supplies 100% of your daily allowance for vitamin C, which is great news for your skin. As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights skin damage and wrinkles.  It also plays a central role in the production of collagen, the structural protein in your skin.

Face Food #6: Oysters Whether they’re an aphrodisiac or not, oysters are a love fest for skin. They fight pimples because they’re rich in zinc.  The mineral affects sebum production, a deficiency may contribute to acne.  Zinc also helps boost elastin (the skin's elastic protein) production with the help of vitamin C.

Face Food #7: Baked Potatoes Set aside the greasy French fries.  A plump, steaming baked potato is good for your skin. Eat one baked potato (with the skin) to get 75% of your daily copper need.  This essential mineral works with vitamin C and zinc to produce the elastin fibers that support skin structure.  Too little copper in your diet can reduce your skin’s ability to heal and cause it to become rigid and lifeless.

Face Food #8: Mushrooms  This fungus isn’t just for soup; it’s rich in riboflavin, a B vitamin that’s vital to your skin. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is involved in tissue maintenance and repair, and improves skin blemishes caused by rosacea.  This vitamin is so important for skin repair that the body uses large amounts after sustaining a burn or wound, or undergoing surgery.

Face Food #9: Flaxseed Oil It’s no secret that omega 3s are great for your skin, but did you know that flaxseed oil is one of the best sources of this essential fatty acid? That’s great news if you’re not a fish-lover. Just one teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day provides 2.5 grams of omega 3s, which, in turn, hydrate the skin. Essential fatty acids also dilute sebum and unclog pores that otherwise leads to acne.

Face Food #10: Wheat Germ Don’t let the “germ” scare you – it’s actually just the embryo within a grain of wheat, and it’s nutritious. Wheat germ is a good source of biotin, a B vitamin that's crucial to skin health.  A mild biotin deficiency can cause dermatitis, a condition characterized by itchy, scaly skin.  Sprinkle wheat germ on yogurt for a tasty way to get more biotin in your diet.

3 Very Important Ingredients

Thinking of getting the flu vaccine? Think again.....

So the 'experts' are telling us we MUST get the flu vaccination. Every year the mainstream media war drum beats for you to get vaccinated against the flu. They rarely discuss anything but the benefits of the vaccine.  Why? Maybe it is because many people are already skeptical about the flu vaccine.

You  rarely hear about the adverse reactions or about the toxic chemicals being injected into you. Do your own research and you will find out that every year the flu vaccination is just a guess as what the 'experts' think you need to be protected against, creating vials of vaccinations containing flu like strains and filled with toxins such as mercury. 

They say most that need it are children, elderly and pregnant women! Are you kidding? So doctors are even giving pregnant women double doses! Have you ever asked yourself why the pharmaceutical industry is giving this out for free? You must believe (like many) that they must 'really' care about us all!

The long terms effects are not published....... Children can develop autism, adults narcolepsy, elderly can die and your body becomes more and more toxic! Not to mention soon after being injected you run a high risk of actually getting the flu because your immune system weakens more, as well as becoming a walking virus infecting other people your cross. 

The best medicine to combat flu's & colds is FOOD! Try and stick to ORGANIC or start to grow your own. Avoid refined sugars, avoid processed foods, avoid refined salts, avoid artificial flavours and colours..... Just stick with fresh and seasonal produce along with complete proteins and essential fats, drink filtered  water and  exercise!

Georgia

Inflammation and Autoimmune Disease- Things you may not know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inflammation controls our lives. Have you or a loved one dealt with pain, obesity, ADD/ADHD, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, migraines, thyroid issues, dental issues, celiac or cancer?

If you answered yes to any of these disorders you are dealing with inflammation. Sadly, most of us are suffering from one or more of these disorders but have no idea how to eliminate inflammation. Most doctors are utilizing pharmaceuticals in lieu of getting to the root cause.

It often seems extremely foreign to most people when they realize the majority of inflammatory diseases start in the gut with an autoimmune reaction which progresses into systemic inflammation. To truly be effective at managing or hopefully overcome a disease it needs to be addressed on all levels. Taking a look at where this process starts is the key.

Where Does Inflammation Begin?

Your gut is made of an incredibly large and intricate semi-permeable lining. The surface area of your gut can cover two tennis courts when stretched out flat.
Its degree of permeability fluctuates in response to a variety of chemically mediated conditions. For example when your cortisol is elevated due to the stress of an argument or your thyroid hormone levels fluctuate due to burning the midnight oil your intestinal lining becomes more permeable in real time.

Then you sit down to eat and partially undigested food, toxins, viruses, yeast, and bacteria have the opportunity to pass through the intestine and access the bloodstream, this is known as leaky gut syndrome, or LGS. When the intestinal lining is repeatedly damaged due to reoccurring leaky gut syndrome, damaged cells called microvilli become unable to do their job properly.

They become unable to process and utilize the nutrients and enzymes that are vital to proper digestion. Eventually, digestion is impaired and absorption of nutrients is negatively affected. As more exposure occurs, your body initiates an attack on these foreign invaders. It responds with inflammation, allergic reactions, and other symptoms we relate to a variety of diseases.
So you might ask, what’s the harm of inflammation and ongoing allergic reactions?

It may sound relatively harmless, but this situation can and often does lead to numerous serious and debilitating diseases. Since your immune system can become overburdened, these inflammatory triggers are cycled continuously through your blood where they affect nerves, organs, connective tissues, joints, and muscles. You can probably begin to see how diseases develop.

Inflammation Triggers the Symptoms of Disease

The presence of inflammation is what makes most disease perceptible to an individual. It can and often does occur for years before it exists at levels sufficient to be apparent or clinically significant. How long it has been smoldering really determines the degree of severity of a disease and often the prognosis assuming the inflammation can be controlled. One could also argue that without inflammation most disease would not even exist. Take a look at this list of diseases and their relationship with inflammation:

Disease	Mechanism
Allergy	4 Immune Mediated Types + Sensitivities, all of which cause inflammation
Alzheimer's	Chronic inflammation destroys brain cells
Anemia	Inflammatory cytokines attack erythropoietin production
Ankylosing Spondylitis	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against joint surfaces
Asthma	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against airway lining
Autism	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions in the brain arresting right hemisphere development
Arthritis	Inflammatory cytokines destroy joint cartilage and synovial fluid
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome	Chronic inflammation causes excessive muscle tension shortening tendons in the forearm and wrist compressing the nerves.
Celiac	Chronic immune mediated inflammation damages intestinal lining
Crohn's Disease	Chronic immune mediated inflammation damages intestinal lining
Congestive heart failure	Chronic inflammation contributes to heart muscle wasting
Eczema	Chronic inflammation of the gut and liver with poor detoxification and often antibodies against Transglutaminase-3.
Fibromyalgia	Inflamed connective tissue often food allergy related and exacerbated by secondary nutritional and neurological imbalances.
Fibrosis	Inflammatory cytokines attack traumatized tissue
Gall Bladder Disease	Inflammation of the bile duct or excess cholesterol produced in response to gut inflammation
GERD	Inflammation of the esophagus and digestive tract nearly always food sensitivity and pH driven
Guillain-Barre	Autoimmune attack of the nervous system often triggered by autoimmune response to external stressors such as vaccinations.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis	Autoimmune reaction originating in the gut triggered by antibodies against thyroid enzymes and proteins
Heart attack	Chronic inflammation contributes to coronary atherosclerosis
Kidney failure	Inflammatory cytokines restrict circulation and damage nephrons and tubules in the kidneys
Lupus	Inflammatory cytokines induce an autoimmune attack against connective tissue
Multiple Sclerosis	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against myelin
Neuropathy	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against myelin and vascular and connective tissues which irritate nerves.
Pancreatitis	Inflammatory cytokines induce pancreatic cell injury
Psoriasis	Chronic inflammation of the gut and liver with poor detoxification
Polymyalgia Rheumatica	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against muscles and connective tissue
Rheumatoid Arthritis	Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against joints
Scleroderma	Inflammatory cytokines induce an autoimmune attack against connective tissue
Stroke	Chronic inflammation promoted thromboembolic events
Surgical complications	Inflammatory cytokines (often pre-dating the surgery) slow or prevent healing

Why Inflammation Must Be Addressed at its Root...

The fact that your immune system drives the inflammatory process in disease is well established. Unfortunately Western medicine offers little in the way of actual answers as to managing or overcoming the Autoimmune process. The typical approach to therapy is generally to suppress the immune response with Immune suppressive agents or sometimes steroids. Both approaches are designed to reduce inflammation but neither stops the underlying disease processes or allows for damaged tissues to regenerate.

Unless you turn off the actual cause of fire (inflammation), all you have done is postponed the inevitable and potentially destroyed more of the building (your body) in the process, by allowing the fire to smolder in a subclinical fashion.

Every day on TV you can see professional athletes and others acting as spokespeople for Methotrexate, Orencia, Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, and other drugs which largely are designed to mask inflammation or suppress the immune response. None of these drugs actually have the capacity to correct the underlying condition and yet the imagery the ads leave the viewer with is that you will have your life back.

The Link Between Gut Dysfunction and Inflammatory Diseases

The term inflammation rarely elicits a truly accurate image in the mind of someone unless they are experiencing it. Then it begins to make sense because of the pain and dysfunction associated with inflammation. The ability to be inflamed is absolutely necessary for normal repair processes to occur. It is when the regulation of inflammation is not tempered or controlled that we begin to have a problem with inflammation.

It has been shown that many of the inflammatory diseases we suffer from are gut mediated but not presenting as gut issues. Dr. Maios Hadjivassiliou of the United Kingdom, a world authority on gluten sensitivity, has reported in The Lancet, that "gluten sensitivity can be primarily and at times, exclusively a neurological disease." This means that people show gluten sensitivity by having problems with brain function despite having no gastrointestinal problems whatsoever. Dr. Hadjivassiliou indicates that the antibodies that a person has when they are gluten sensitive can be directly and uniquely toxic to the brain. For this there are specialty tests that have been developed.

Another author, published in a recent issue of Pediatrics, stated, "This study suggests that the variability of neurologic disorders that occur in celiac disease is broader than previously reported and includes softer and more common neurologic disorders including chronic headache, developmental delay, hypotonia and learning disorders or ADHD." Clearly we have to broaden our evaluation criteria and perhaps definition of disease when a patient presents with complaints that do not fit into a typical clinical box.

How to Evaluate Inflammatory Diseases

Since inflammation is commonly mediated by the gut it is a logical starting point in the evaluation process of any patient. There are seven common areas that should be considered when looking at causative factors for gastrointestinal dysfunction that create the environment for chronic inflammation. They are listed below along with key triggers within the category of evaluation:

• Diet: Alcohol, Gluten, Casein, Processed Foods, Sugar, Fast Food
• Medications: Corticosteroids, Antibiotics, Antacids, Xenobiotics
• Infections: Such as H-Pylori, Yeast or Bacterial Overgrowth, Viral or Parasite Infection
• Stress: Increased Cortisol, Increased Catecholamines
• Hormonal: Thyroid, Progesterone, Estradiol, Testosterone
• Neurological: Brain Trauma, Stroke, Neuro-degeneration
• Metabolic: Glycosylated End Products (inflammatory end products of sugar metabolism), Intestinal Inflammation, Autoimmune

Illustration from www.TxFibro.com - a private online neuro-metabolic physician study group

Inflammation and Autoimmune Disease

The truth of the situation is that FOOD MATTERS. That’s right, it’s not just a movie (which by the way you should all watch!). Hyper-permeability of the gut, regardless of whether you can feel it or not is often a significant cause of an extremely long and ever growing list of conditions. The inflammatory cascade that takes place by any inflammatory trigger (diet, medications, infections, stress, hormonal, neurological, or metabolic) can break down the intestinal permeability and allows for the leaky gut mechanism to initiate.

Due to the variety of triggers, it is often possible to reduce an individual’s immune reactivity but not cure it if leaky gut is not the primary trigger for the inflammatory process. There are multiple models of autoimmunity although it is becoming more well accepted that once you develop autoimmunity you will have increased Intestinal Permeability also.

Autoimmunity can be put into remission and this can have profound improved life consequences but it can also be turned on again if life circumstances change. It is considered "Incurable". You may be able to change the expression of it but to think that you are going to be able to take a boat load of supplements and change your diet and cure the condition you are generally going to be let down.

Waxing and waning responses are par for autoimmunity. When stress picks up despite dietary intake a person will be expected to flare up. This inflammation is initiated by increased levels of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide) which causes an immediate increase in intestinal permeability much like elevated cortisol levels from stress. Once this occurs serum protein particles leak through and become extremely reactive. Gluten is an extremely common serum protein in a situation of increased permeability simply due to the commonality of daily exposure.

If you take on too many projects, eat poorly, have limited or poor sleep patterns, then you can bet that intestinal permeability will increase and food will start to leak through. Your immune system will then begin to recognize these proteins as other similar proteins like cerebellum, thyroid, etc... When that occurs you will experience symptoms that generally are far removed from what someone would consider to be food related since they are not felt in the gut. Instead you experience brain fog, pain, fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, or endocrine dysfunction.

When antibodies combine with our structural proteins, specific genes are turned on in a special type of immune cell in the body. Inflammatory chemicals are created called cytokines, which are strongly damaging to brain function. In fact, elevated cytokines are seen in such devastating conditions as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and even autism.
You see, autoimmune disease is not clinically diagnosed until you have tissue destruction. For some neurodegenerative conditions, you need up to 70 percent demyelination (nerve damage) before it will show on an MRI. You cannot afford to wait for that type of advanced destruction before taking action.

If you are symptomatic in any way and show to have antibodies or test positive on any of the tests listed above, you have Autoimmune Reactivity and that is enough to take action and make life changes to potentially stop the process from continuing. Inflammation can be a great friend in this sense. Look at it as an early warning sign and take action before it turns into a fire that rages out of control from one body tissue to another.

Recap & Treatment

Inflammation is rampant. In fact 1 in 12 women and 1 in 24 men are dealing with full blown autoimmune mediated inflammation. The number of undiagnosed people is going to be much higher. People with inflammation in the early phases of autoimmunity will often claim no dietary involvement. This is an inaccurate assumption however because the autoimmunity is often triggered by factors not strictly related to diet and the diet can become a secondary trigger later in the development of the condition. If you are dealing with inflammation then get a comprehensive evaluation to look at what is perpetuating your personal fire.

1. Lifestyle: Remove adverse mechanisms (Stress, Over-exercising, Poor Sleep, Blood Sugar Dysregulation, Poor Social Behaviors.) Lifestyle factors are huge, the stress response triggers immune marker IL6 which turns on the immune pathway TH17 which is the fast track to Autoimmunity.
2. Lifestyle: Restore beneficial mechanisms: Create conditions of love & appreciation, keep positive attitudes, maintain proper exercise (training to a maximum heart range; i.e. Peak Fitness exercises), have adequate sleep, restore blood sugar balance, and facilitate healthy social interactions. All these things promote natural systemic opioids which pushes the immune pathway TH3 which reduces Autoimmunity.
3. Dietary Support: Stabilize blood sugar, remove food Autoimmune triggers, and promote intestinal integrity with proper flora and nitric oxide and glutathione pathways. Include fermented foods and supplement appropriately as may be needed.

Remember, a wide array of health problems, including but not limited to chronic pain, obesity, ADD/ADHD, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, migraines, thyroid issues, dental issues, and cancer are all rooted in inflammation, which must be properly addressed if you wish to be healed.

Mercola