The Anti-Inflammation Zone (Zone (Regan)) by Sears Barry

Author:Sears, Barry [Sears, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2009-10-13T05:00:00+00:00

The Role of Immune Cells

Once pro-inflammatory eicosanoids hit the battlefield to open the vascular wall, the heavy hitters come into action: the immune cells. These white blood cells (macrophages and neutrophils) are activated for battle when they receive a signal from pro-inflammatory cytokines, whose release is stimulated by the pro-inflammatory eicosanoids. The pro-inflammatory cytokines also help you conserve energy for the upcoming battle by depressing your appetite (it takes energy to digest food) and increasing your need for sleep. They also cause the release of other inflammatory proteins that can help in the final battle, including our old friend C-reactive protein. This is how C-reactive protein is associated with inflammation, but at a stage that is much further down the line from the initial stimulus caused by the production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids.

After they are activated by the cytokines, immune cells have to squeeze through the blood vessels onto the battlefield. (This is made easier by the actions of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, such as leukotrienes.) Once at the target site, the white blood cells begin their attack by first attaching to the offending target, then engulfing it, killing it, and digesting the remains of the vanquished enemy. No remains are left behind. (Immunological war can be hell.)

Your white blood cells also employ free radicals to kill target cells, but, unfortunately, this form of destruction is nonspecific. It kills nearby healthy cells as well as the offending targets. Antioxidants, which fight free radicals, can help prevent damage to these healthy cells. Too many antioxidants, however, can reduce the ability of the white cells to destroy the alien invaders. This is why taking high levels of antioxidant supplements can lead to a suppressed immune system. You want enough antioxidants to control free radicals but not enough to wipe them all out—a tricky proposition. This is why I’m not a strong advocate for megadoses of antioxidant supplements. Anti-inflammatory nutrients (such as fish oil, sesame oil, and extra-virgin olive oil) are far more beneficial because they modulate the initial inflammatory response without compromising the ability of your white cells to launch an all-out free radical attack when required.

You should now be able to see how pro-inflammatory eicosanoids orchestrate your initial inflammation response. Constant inflammation due to microbial invaders is a surefire way to accelerate the aging process. This is why great advances in longevity in the last century have come not from pharmaceuticals, but from improved public health practices (like clean water) that decrease the constant microbial assault on our bodies.

Unfortunately, this improvement in public health has little effect on silent inflammation. This low-level inflammation is caused by an inflammatory response that was never completely turned off. It just occurs at a slower pace and lower intensity that is below the threshold of pain but still causes you to develop chronic diseases at an earlier age. We might live longer than people did in the past, but our quality of life is not as great as it could be. But what if that same inflammatory process

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