LONGECITY

While it's clear that the effects of chronic inflammation are bad, are there unwanted side effects of having levels of inflammation that are too low? For example in terms of infections, viruses, injury, bone repair etc, does having levels of inflammation that are too low also cause problems?

Yes, artificially suppressing inflammation has unwanted side effects.
Although I'm sure some reduction of inflammation isn't too bad.

Large amounts of Omega-3 reduces inflammation.
[url="http://"%20<a%20href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19549756""%20target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19549756"</a>"]Fish oil-fed mice have impaired resistance to influenza infection.[/url]

http://well.blogs.ny...uring-exercise/
Edited by rwac, 22 January 2010 - 08:35 AM.

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Yes, artificially suppressing inflammation has unwanted side effects.
Although I'm sure some reduction of inflammation isn't too bad.

Large amounts of Omega-3 reduces inflammation.
[url="http://"%20<a%20href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19549756""%20target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19549756"</a>"]Fish oil-fed mice have impaired resistance to influenza infection.[/url]

http://well.blogs.ny...uring-exercise/

That NYT piece is interesting. Presumably the same thing would apply to curcumin, resveratrol and omega-3s as it does to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs...

Yes, artificially suppressing inflammation has unwanted side effects.
Although I'm sure some reduction of inflammation isn't too bad.

Large amounts of Omega-3 reduces inflammation.
[url="http://"%20<a%20href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19549756""%20target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19549756"</a>"]Fish oil-fed mice have impaired resistance to influenza infection.[/url]

http://well.blogs.ny...uring-exercise/

That NYT piece is interesting. Presumably the same thing would apply to curcumin, resveratrol and omega-3s as it does to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs...

Don't forget 5 Loxin or Boswellia. I've been taking Boswellia but I am considering stopping for fear of suppressing inflammation too much. I also take resveratrol and omega 3s.

I think this is an emerging concept. Chronic inflammation is bad, but being able to inflame in response to injury is a fundamental bodily function. I have barrett's esophagus which is a precursor for esophageal cancer. I take NSAIDs on most days (usually some combination of curcumin, pine bark, green tea, boswelia, ginger) but find that if i don't give myself a few days rest every week or so, I get more servere esophagitis (rather than less) or potentially an ulcer (it's hard to differentiate by sensation). When I do stop, I take 3mg's of melatonin at night (which promotes PGE2 - i.e., mucosal inflammatory defense) and that seems to work very well for me, at least symptomatically. I suspect the same concepts would apply to many chronic injury conditions.

Inflammation is never good by itself. However, inflammation is a result of the immune system functioning. Stopping all inflammation is tantamount to shutting down the immune system, or at least significant portions of it. What we really want to do is have the immune system only activate inflammation when it is necessary and proper, and to shut it down as soon as possible. Some anti-inflammatories, like ibuprofen or boswelia, are so mild that they exert little or no influence on the immune system. They also exert little influence on severe inflammation. Heavy duty anti-inflammatories like prednisone or anti-tnf mabs are amazingly good at shutting off inflammation, but at the cost of making infections more likely.

I think this is an emerging concept. Chronic inflammation is bad, but being able to inflame in response to injury is a fundamental bodily function. I have barrett's esophagus which is a precursor for esophageal cancer. I take NSAIDs on most days (usually some combination of curcumin, pine bark, green tea, boswelia, ginger) but find that if i don't give myself a few days rest every week or so, I get more servere esophagitis (rather than less) or potentially an ulcer (it's hard to differentiate by sensation). When I do stop, I take 3mg's of melatonin at night (which promotes PGE2 - i.e., mucosal inflammatory defense) and that seems to work very well for me, at least symptomatically. I suspect the same concepts would apply to many chronic injury conditions.

But isn't PGE2 pro-cancerous? It's linked to the COX-2 pathway. PGE1 and PGE3 aren't, as I understand it.

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I think this is an emerging concept. Chronic inflammation is bad, but being able to inflame in response to injury is a fundamental bodily function. I have barrett's esophagus which is a precursor for esophageal cancer. I take NSAIDs on most days (usually some combination of curcumin, pine bark, green tea, boswelia, ginger) but find that if i don't give myself a few days rest every week or so, I get more servere esophagitis (rather than less) or potentially an ulcer (it's hard to differentiate by sensation). When I do stop, I take 3mg's of melatonin at night (which promotes PGE2 - i.e., mucosal inflammatory defense) and that seems to work very well for me, at least symptomatically. I suspect the same concepts would apply to many chronic injury conditions.

But isn't PGE2 pro-cancerous? It's linked to the COX-2 pathway. PGE1 and PGE3 aren't, as I understand it.

Yes, it is, but it is also important in mucosal defense. I rectify the two results by trying to break up chronic inflammation (inhibiting PGE2 formation) that has outlived its biological role (fixing injuries) while periodically taking breaks to heal actual damage (during this time, I use melatonin to promote PGE2). This seems to help me symptomatically at least - probably by preventing or fixing (early) gatric ulcers. There is some suport for this dualism in the literature (though I didn't keep a record of those references - and I just happened upon them once)
Edited by Jay, 25 January 2010 - 08:12 PM.