Move over, diabetes
When I went to nutrition school, the three top killers were cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Last night I just returned from a medical seminar where they now list autoimmune disorders as the third top killer in this country, with 88 ailments associated with it. The presenter presented a new word “Inflammaging,” coined by the Italians to describe the intersection of inflammation and virtually every disease associated with the aging process.
Much of what he talked about was too complicated to communicate here, and frankly, I am not sure I even understood all of it. Something to do with NF{kappa}B and other kinase pathways and nutraceuticals that modulate out-of-control inflammatory responses (selective kinase response modulators). The presenter pointed out that 16,000 people die annually from properly prescribed and used NSAIDs, so this whole issue is not insignificant.
At the foundation of preventing or treating chronic information, particularly autoimmune disorders, is a healthy diet. Are you surprised? I am not, because in working with many, many people over the years, I find that everyone feels better on an anti-inflammatory diet.
When considering an anti-inflammatory, first think “gluten free.” Gluten is, according to many clinicians, the “most common lifelong disorder,” affecting virtually every part of the body. Some doctors routinely test for celiac disease or do other types of allergy/intolerance panels and there is good rationale for those tests. But considering how prevalent wheat-sensitivity is, I recommend that everyone avoids gluten for the rest of their lives (or as long as they want to stay pain-free).
Antibodies are messengers from the future. Huh? Researchers have learned that auto-antibodies (predictors of autoimmune disease) are present in the blood years before the symptoms appear. SLA antibodies appear seven to 10 years before clinical diagnosis; Scleroderma 11 years, RA 14 years, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis Seven to 10 years, type I diabetes 14 years, Crohn’s colitis three years, and celiac disease seven years.
Imagine how important this information could be in preventing these serious diseases. According to an article in the peer-reviewed journal, Lupus, “Individuals who are at risk to developing an autoimmune disease should be advised to refrain from activities and lifestyle which endangers their health and quality of life.”
Carol is a certified lifestyle educator at the offices of Dr. Alan Gruning in Fort Myers. She owns the Island Nutrition Center on Sanibel. For more information, call 472-4499.