inflamation

Posted on Arthritis

Exercise increases the body’s own ‘cannabis’ which reduces chronic inflammation, says new study

Medical cannabis relieves symptoms in children with autism


Exercise increases the body’s own cannabis-like substances, which in turn helps reduce inflammation and could potentially help treat certain conditions such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease.

In a new study, published in Gut Microbes, experts from the University of Nottingham found that exercise intervention in people with arthritis, did not just reduce their pain, but it also lowered the levels of inflammatory substances (called cytokines). It also increased levels of cannabis-like substances produced by their own bodies, called endocannabinoids. Interestingly, the way exercise resulted in these changes was by altering the gut microbes.

Exercise is known to decrease chronic inflammation, which in turn causes many diseases including cancer, arthritis and heart disease, but little is known as to how it reduces inflammation.

A group of scientists, led by Professor Ana Valdes from the School of Medicine at the University, tested 78 people with arthritis. Thirty-eight of them carried out 15 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises every day for six weeks, and 40 did nothing.

At the end of the study, participants who did the exercise intervention had not only reduced their pain, but they also had more microbes in their guts of the kind that produce anti-inflammatory substances, lower levels of cytokines and higher levels of endocannabinoids.

The increase in endocannabinoids was strongly linked to changes in the gut microbes and anti-inflammatory substances produced by gut microbes called SCFAS.  In fact, at least one third of the anti-inflammatory effects of the gut microbiome was due to the increase in endocannabinoids.

Doctor Amrita Vijay, a Research Fellow in the School of Medicine and first author of the paper, said: “Our study clearly shows that exercise increases the body’s own cannabis-type substances. Which can have a positive impact on many conditions.

“As interest in cannabidiol oil and other supplements increases, it is important to know that simple lifestyle interventions like exercise can modulate endocannabinoids.”

Posted on Diet, Weight Loss

10 AMAZING Benefits Of PUMPKINS | Pumpkins for weight loss + inflammation and more

10 AMAZING Benefits Of PUMPKINS | Pumpkins for weight loss + inflammation and more - YouTube


There’s definitely a lot more to pumpkins beyond the marketing and hype around them in the fall season. They are actually a superfood! Not convinced? Watch the video and then share in comments if you’re now a pumpkin fan.



Posted on Pain Management

Get Rid Of Chronic Pain And Inflammation With Diet

Get Rid Of Chronic Pain And Inflammation With Diet - YouTube


Chronic inflammation can lead to chronic pain and there are many dietary factors we can control to reduce this inflammation. Learn the foods to avoid and the foods to add to your diet to help get rid of pain.

Posted on Rheumatoid arthritis

Study finds inflammatory mechanism responsible for bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis

In a study of the effects of cigarette smoking on exacerbation of the disease, scientists at a FAPESP-supported research center identified a novel pathway in the inflammatory process relating to bone damage

Scientists identified a novel pathway in the inflammatory process relating to bone damage Paula Donate

In a study aimed at investigating the mechanism responsible for exacerbating rheumatoid arthritis in smokers, researchers at the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), linked to the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, discovered a novel path in the inflammatory process associated with the bone damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis. The discovery opens up opportunities for new therapeutic interventions to mitigate the effects of the disease, for which there is no specific treatment at this time.

An article on the study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The researchers identified the action of a molecular mechanism involved in the inflammatory process: release by T-lymphocytes of extracellular vesicles loaded with genetic material (microRNAs). The vesicles reach cells in bone tissue, increasing the formation of osteoclasts, cells that break down bone matrix in joints (a critical function in bone maintenance, repair, and remodeling).

“The study set out to extend our understanding of how cigarette smoke exacerbates the inflammatory process in rheumatoid arthritis. We discovered a path associated with bone damage. This is an important finding since pain and inflammation have been treated with medications, but the bone damage that is a debilitating complication of this disease is practically irreversible,” said Fernando de Queiroz Cunha, principal investigator of CRID, one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs) supported by FAPESP.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which for an unknown reason the immune system mistakes parts of the patient’s body for an invading pathogen and attacks them. The inflammation triggered by the immune system’s overreaction is known to involve Th17 cells, a T-cell subtype, and to create cascading effects such as the release of cytokines (signaling proteins), including IL-17, as well as other molecules that participate in the disease’s progression.

Smoking is known to be an aggravating factor for rheumatoid arthritis. Previous research by the same CRID group showed that cigarette smoke exacerbates the inflammatory process in arthritis mainly by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) on Th17 cells. 

“AhR is a pollutant-detecting intracellular sensor that participates in the inflammatory process. When AhR is activated on T-cells by certain ligands, they differentiate to Th17 even more. The increase in Th17 cells exacerbates the inflammatory process. Although smoking doesn’t cause rheumatoid arthritis, it makes the disease worse,” said Paula Donate, a CRID researcher whose postdoctoral research was supported by FAPESP. 

Donate explained that AhR acts mainly as a transcription factor. “If this receptor is activated by an external agent such as cigarette smoke, it enters the cell nucleus together with other proteins and promotes the transcription of various genes, including microRNAs, which are small regulatory RNAs inside the cell,” she said.

Extracellular component

In the study, the researchers wanted to find out which microRNAs in Th17 cells were more expressed owing to AhR activation. Their analysis pointed to miR-132. They analyzed the full set of microRNAs expressed by Th17 cells and correlated the findings with data from a laboratory trial involving mice and human patient samples.

“To our surprise, however, when we treated T-cells with antagonists of the microRNAs, they continued to differentiate normally into Th17 cells, releasing the cytokines characteristic of the inflammatory process in rheumatoid arthritis. If it had no influence on the intracellular process, it was a sign that miR-132 could be released into the extracellular medium,” Donate said.

When the researchers isolated extracellular vesicles released by Th17 and studied them in vitro, they found that the large amounts of miR-132 packaged in extracellular vesicles acted as inflammatory mediators, inducing differentiation of osteoclasts via inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2).

“Extracellular vesicles are a key cellular communication mechanism. They’re released by practically all cell types and found in all kinds of body fluid. In the case of Th17 cells, the vesicles released in joints can transport microRNAs to bone tissue, augmenting the quantity of osteoclasts and bone erosion. In sum, this is a previously unknown mechanism that we succeeded in elucidating and that in future could be a basis for novel therapies for joint injury,” Donate said.


Leave a comment Posted on Autism

Brain Inflammation and Autism by Dr. Sonya Doherty.




Autism

Autism

Dr. Sonya Doherty has very kindly allowed us to republish this fascinating article on autism and inflammation. She  is a licensed and board certified Naturopathic Doctor who is an active member of the CAND. Sonya Doherty completed her undergraduate training at the University of Western Ontario in a Bachelor of Science Honors Kinesiology program.  Very experienced in the field of autism you can access her website here.




If you have any questions about the article please feel free to ask them in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

According to recent estimates by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in every 68 children has autism. Autism is a complex neurological disorder previously thought to be a mental health issue but mounting evidence is showing significant medical aspects to this growing neurodevelopmental disorder.  A study at Johns Hopkins published in 2005 identified that people diagnosed with autism experience inflammatory changes in their brain tissue.  This finding was crucial because it was a major step forward in redefining autism as a medical disorder that is may be treatable and reversible.

This article will briefly review some of the potential causes of brain inflammation and treatments that are being used successfully to help children today.  With a 30% rise in autism in the last two years, parents are eager to see research translate into treatments that can address medical issues like constipation and diarrhea, as well as advanced approaches that improve social, language and cognitive development.

 

How do methyl B12 injections help with inflammation?

 

Jill James, a PhD biochemist at the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute has identified that 90% of children diagnosed with autism have methylation impairments.  So, what does that mean?  Methylation is the process that supports development in the body.  When babies are conceived, they are not methylated.  As babies develop, methylation makes sure the brain develops properly and is protected against toxicity.  Impairments in this cycle stop the production of a brain antioxidant called glutathione.  Antioxidants protect the body and glutathione is the head honcho when it comes to protecting the brain.  In fact, depletion of glutathione is also one of the medical aspects of autism and is up to 80% decreased in the disorder.

Methylation is fueled by methyl donors and one of the best ways to improve how this cycle functions is by injecting methyl B12.  Dr. James Neubrander was the first physician to use methyl B12 to help children with autism.  What he noticed after injecting his first patient is what hundreds of practitioners have observed since, improved language, social and cognitive skills.  Methyl B12 injections help to remove inflammation by improving glutathione production.

Glutathione is important throughout the body but in the brain, it is the rate limiting step which means are it decreases; it is exactly like a battery.  The lower the glutathione, the more the brain is at risk for developmental concerns.

 Why is your child’s digestion so important in regulating inflammation?

It is estimated that up to 85%  of people with ASD have digestive issues including chronic constipation, diarrhea, reflux, esophagitis and pain.  Research from the National Institute of Health, Human Microbiome Research Project has identified that the gut is 100% responsible for post-natal development.  Microbiome is the term to describe the intricate ecosystem of microbes that populates our intestines.  These microbes include good bacteria that help with nutrient absorption, as well as regulation of inflammation and immune function.  Other research coming out of the microbiome project has shown that children with ASD have 25% less bacterial diversity, meaning that they lack important good bacteria that work to support development in many ways including production of neurotransmitters and genetic expression.  Studies by Dr. Sidney Baker have found that the stool of children with autism shows higher amounts of certain bacterial species (Clostridia, Bacteriodetes, Desulfovibrio) than may cause harm to the brain by creating more inflammation.




 

How do special diets help inflammation?

For me, special diets are a strategy to improve both methylation and gut health. The most well-known “autism diet” is GFCF.  Gluten free, casein free.  This diet removes all sources of gluten and dairy.  While there are multiple mechanisms by which removing these foods may help, the most important is that gluten and dairy stop the production of glutathione. One of the other ways gluten has also been shown to cause inflammation through stimulation of zonulin which increases gut permeability.  Usually, the gut cells are bound closely together, the space between them closely regulated.  Gluten creates inflammation is by causing the separation of gut cells by the activation of zonlulin.  Discovered in 2000 by Dr. Alessio Fasano, zonlulin causes the space between the cells to open, allowing parts of gluten to escape into the blood stream.  This process causes inflammation by allowing what should stay in the gut, out into circulation.

In my opinion, the most effective diet for improving symptoms of autism is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  Co-founder of Defeat Autism Now!, Dr. Sidney Baker agrees that this dietary approach is the most comprehensive way to healing the gut.  The fortification of folic acid in our grains (which are all removed in the SCD approach) also slows the methylation cycle.  Removal of grains supports the methylation cycle and its production of glutathione.  Research is showing that limiting complex carbohydrates could play a crucial goal in balancing the good bacteria in the digestive tract.   Research by Dr. Derrick MacFabe on the bacteria Clostridia, is helping to build a strong case for dietary carbohydrate restriction as a way to decrease the impact unbalanced gut flora has on the brain, behaviour, social interaction and cognitive function.  The Gut and Psychology Syndrome book is a fantastic resource for anyone embarking on dietary carbohydrate restriction.  Written by a neurologist with a masters degree in nutrition, it is a powerful book that explains the dietary approach that helped to recover her own son from autism.

 

What is causing brain inflammation in autism?

Moms who have the flu during pregnancy are at increased risk of their children having autism.  Viruses activate the immune system in the brain.  The Johns Hopkins study that identified inflammation in the brain also identified immune activation.  Termed, microglia, the immune system in the brain can turn “on” in response to a virus.  For most of us, the immune system turns on, and then we actually have a low level of brain damage which is then repaired by the brain.  In autism, this microglial activation doesn’t shut off and causes massive issues with managing inflammation in the brain because of too much of the most abundant chemical messenger in the brain – glutamate.  This is termed IMMUNOEXCITOTOXICITY. Broken down, this term explains that chronic activation of the IMMUNE cells (microglia) can cause the brain to become EXCITED to the point of TOXICITY.  At this point, the brain will not function normally and the excess glutamate that is causing the excitement causes damage.

Dr. Russell Blaylock, the neurologist who first postulated that IMMUNOEXCITOTOXICITY may be the central mechanism in autism, believes that both environmental toxicity and infectious agents can “prime” the immune cells in the brain.  Once “primed”, these cells will release higher amounts  of glutamate. After priming, the next time the glia are put on high alert from a toxin, infection or by metabolites from unhealthy gut bacteria, the release of large amount of glutamate can have disastrous consequences for the brain.

Research around the world is striving to make sense of the staggering rise in autism.  Inflammation is a medical issue and research in this area offers hope that as we learn more, the causes can lead to successful prevention and treatment.  In the meantime, Dr. Dan Rossignol and the faculty at the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) are training medical professionals from around the world on biomedical treatments that can be used to prevent and treat developmental delays.  Many of these treatments focus on decreasing inflammation and improving the organ systems, like the gut, that manage the inflammatory process.  By addressing unbalanced microbes in the gut and reducing the impact of toxins, MAPS trained practitioners are able to decrease the excess excitement in the brain, improving social, language and cognitive potential in children diagnosed with autism.