We started to go off on a tangent about inflammation in that last post, so I thought it might be good to talk a bit about it. I didn't mean to give the impression in the comments that inflammation is all bad. Far from it. The inflammatory process is a very necessary part of everyday function, and without it we would not last long. The immune system cannot fully function without the inflammatory component. But if your regulation of inflammation doesn't function properly, or when systemic imbalances lead to a loss of control, this is when the inflammatory process can continue without a shut down time and become destructive - think chronic inflammatory disorders like eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's, asthma, etc...
To understand inflammation is to also understand the immune system. The immune system has two components: innate immunity and acquired immunity. Innate immunity is a general protection from invading organisms and toxins - think skin, stomach acid, digestive enzymes, phagocytes ("eating" cells) - what you are born with. Acquired immunity is the learned response to outside influence, the training if you will, that T and B cells undergo in order to produce antibodies the next time that same influence is encountered.
With regards to T cells, there are two types called TH1 and TH2 (T-Helper Cells 1 and 2) that "help" both B and other T cells to destroy invaders. They release proteins called cytokines, with TH2 releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and TH1 releasing anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic signals. Peak production of TH2 occurs during the night and early morning, which explains why immuno-inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma often "kick up" during this time.
Problems occur when your body becomes locked into a TH2 state and fails to return to TH1. TH1 response is vital for the transformation of certain immature immune cells into NK (natural killer) cells that play a huge part in the inactivation of infected and mutated cells. Failure to return to TH1 from TH2 lowers the number of NK cells and creates an environment conducive to the continuation of infectious diseases as well as pro-inflammatory conditions. The body gets locked into an inflammatory repeating pattern.
What precipitates a TH1 to TH2 shift? There are several factors that are thought to contribute - nutritional deficiency, stress, excessive exercise, food and/or sleep deprivation, exposure to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides, and steroid intake are a few.
So what can you do about it if you find yourself in an inflammatory state? Increase your intake of nutrients beneficial to the immune system and possessing anti-inflammatory properties: vitamin A preferably in the form of carotenes (orange, yellow and red vegetables and fruit), vitamin C, vitamin E, the B vitamins (they work better in a complex together), iron, zinc, selenium and high quality protein. To increase your NK cell activity: quit smoking, increase green vegetable intake, eat regular small meals, maintain a healthy body weight, sleep more than 7 hours per night, take regular moderate excercise, drink plenty of fresh water and utilize deep breathing and relaxation exercises.
Since it's Pancake Tuesday here I want to share my favorite pancake recipe, made this morning and enjoyed by all (including Cubbles the dog who got a bit, of course). These are made with buckwheat, which, contrary to its name, contains no wheat. It comes from the seed, or groat, of the plant and is naturally gluten-free. Buckwheat is a great source of fiber, magnesium, copper and manganese. 