Managing Inflammation

Did you know inflammation causes or contributes to most of the diseases that effect Americans? That’s right– Heart disease, stroke, arthritis, asthma, migraine, type 2 diabetes, allergies, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, fibroneuralgia, and gingivitis are all diseases of inflammation. In fact, the majority of conditions ending in the suffix “itis” are caused by inflammation. Now, that doesn’t mean that if you control inflammation your MS will just go away. But it’s a good bet that the pain, stiffness and possibly even some balance problems will be significantly reduced.

There are several ways to reduce inflammation. You could, of course take a pill designed for just that purpose. NSAIDS are popular pain relievers, and they work primarily by reducing inflammation. But, they can be dangerous. Did you know that more people die of side effects of NSAIDS than of HIV? Additionally, over half a million people a year develop some sort of complication from the use of NSAIDS.

A better way to control inflammation is to watch what you eat and take supplements of those substances known to reduce inflammation in the body.

Omega 3 oils found in deep sea fish. I include mercury tested salmon in my diet 3 – 5 times a week.

Cayenne pepper- I take 3 cayenne pepper caps with each meal. Some people have to take this between meals because it upsets their stomach or makes  food taste bad. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find when it works best for you.

Saint John’s Wart – In addition to being  great for MS related depression, St Johns also helps reduce inflammation.

Switch from vegetable oil to olive. Yes, it’s more expensive. but most vegetable oils convert to an inflammation causing chemical when broken down by the body.

Eat more green leafy veggies, nut butters, avocados and macadamia nuts they all have anti-inflammatory abilities.

With simple dietary changes, we can manage our MS and make our lives just a bit easier.