What are prostaglandins?
They are hormone-like substances that can promote or quell inflammation depending on the type of food you choose to eat. You have a direct control of the type of prostaglandins your body produces by the foods and drinks you choose.
We eat far too many refined processed oils, margarine, and shortenings, causing an imbalance in the type of prostaglandins produced and ultimately this means inflammation. These refined fats need to be metabolized like everything else we consume. This creates an ‘essential fatty acid’ shortage.
There are two classes of essential fatty acids we need in our diets, omega-3 and omega-6. Omega 6 is converted into two types of these hormones-like substances. One type has an anti-inflammatory effect called series-1 prostaglandin, then the second type is involved in inflammation and thickening the blood called series-2 prostaglandin. The other type is series-3 prostaglandin, also has an anti-inflammatory effect. These three need to be in balance, between inflammation and anti-inflammation, between thickening the blood and keeping it thinner.
The ratio between omega-6 to omega-3 should be 2:1 in reality these days its 20:1, this is not a good situation.
These days the balance is tipped in favour of inflammation and more often than not – pain. Nations eat too many processed oils/fats, too much saturated animal fats, too much sugar and far too little in the way of fish, wild game, raw nuts and seeds or vegetables and fruits the plants rich in essential fatty acids.
If we don’t eat fish or wild game, which provides EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), we do have a mechanism in place that will convert alpha-linolenic acid into EPA. However, to enable the body to convert alpha-linolenic acid to EPA, it is reliant on enough nutrients like vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc. Most people on an average diet do not get enough of these nutrients. The conversion can also be blocked by an excess consumption of processed oils, margarine and shortenings.
Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and whole grains are rich in Vitamins C and B6, magnesium and zinc. Look to the farms and orchards not the factories for your food.
Inflammatory conditions are common these days, is it any wonder. Our diets are blocking our natural pathways for the production of the correct amounts of series-1 and series-3 prostaglandins that help to balance inflammatory processes and pain.
Some thing patients ask me all the time “but other people eat like I do and they don’t have arthritis, so it can’t be the diet”. Your weakness is in the joints and muscles, for others their weakness is in the heart and circulation. We are all born with areas of strengths and areas of weakness, you may know some one who smoked 40 a day all their lives, died at 95 and their lungs where fine. Another 40 a day smoker could die at 50 with lung problems.
Arthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
