Inflammation Factor

by Gregory Allen Butler

I've been reading about the Inflammation Factor (IF), a revolutionary idea in a new book entitled the Inflammation Free Diet Plan by Monica Reinagel. This book can save lives. Inflammation is a killer. It leads to heart disease and cancer. It also plays a major role in Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, Multiple Sclerosis, premature aging, and asthma, to name but a few. If you have inflammation and you can reduce it through diet, you can find relief from joint pain, hay fever, asthma and skin allergies. It also rejuvenates skin, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.

People who have asthma and arthritis know that they have excessive inflammation in their bodies. Because they know it they do what they can do reduce the inflammation. But for many, inflammation is working silently, perhaps not manifesting for years, when it surfaces as heart disease or cancer.

In my case, it was working silently until I ended up in the hospital with Crohn's disease. I thought I was healthy when I was really very, very sick. Fortunately, I recovered. Doctor's told me I wouldn't, but I did. Thanks to diet and vibrational medicine.

Diet is key. What we eat helps to create the problem of inflammation, and what we eat can also solve the problem. And that is the good news about this book. It lists 1500 foods, and tells you the degree of inflammatory or anti-inflammatory properties in each of them. This is called the inflammation factor and it's priceless information. This type of information has never been published before. What a great service.

Do you think you know what foods are the most anti-inflammatory? Let's see. Between chicken and pork tenderloin, which do you think has a better, or more healthy, Inflammation Factor score?

The answer, according to the book, is pork tenderloin, Chicken tends to be higher in arachidonic acid and other omega-6 fatty acids, which can fuel the inflammatory pathways in the body. For example, a serving of roast chicken breast (without the skin) has an Inflammation Factor Rating of -14. The same size serving of roast pork tenderloin has an Inflammation Factor Rating of +13. (Foods with negative IF ratings are inflammatory and foods with positive IF ratings are anti-inflammatory.)

What about spicy foods? Did you know that hot chili peppers, ginger, curry powder, garlic and onions are highly rated as anti-inflammatory spices?

How about this one? Which fish has more anti-inflammatory properties: farm raised salmon or red snapper?

The red snapper, by a long shot. Again it is the high arachidonic acid. Farm raised salmon has it and has an inflammation factor rating of -181. Red snapper rates +125. By the way, wild sockeye salmon has an inflammation factor rating of +518.

Here is another question: Which of the following spices is not a potent anti-inflammatory: ginger, garlic, chili powder, or bay leaf?

The correct answer is bay leaf. The other spices are all potent anti-inflammatory spices. Bay leaf isn't.

Did you know that in regards to guarding against inflammation, that you should avoid cranberry juice and pineapple juice? Same with Gatorade and cola.

If you are concerned about inflammation affecting the health of your heart, the book recommends you take 2-3 grams per day of fish oil. For joint pain, 1-2 grams a day of ginger and the same for curry or turmeric.

As far as beneficial oils, the book lists olive, canola and avocado as anti-inflammatory. Bad oils would be trans-fatty acids, margarine, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

Don't think that you can ignore all of this and just take a pill. Doctors will prescribe them -- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, that act as cox-1 or cox-2 inhibitors. And in acute cases, and for short-term use, that is acceptable to me--but not long term. There are serious side effects that can occur. Long-term use can lead to liver failure and kidney failure. They can also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, decreased appetite, rash, dizziness, headache, fluid retention, and for patients with hypertension, they may increase blood pressure.

One study I recently read showed that men over 50 years of age who used ibuprofen regularly over a five year period were three times as likely to develop erectile dysfunction. Think about that the next time you pop a pill.

Chocolate cake for dessert? Not advisable. Read the book and you'll know why. I can't recommend it highly enough. Soon you'll want to know the inflammation factor rating of everything you eat.