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At Stillman and Friedland we keep looking out for you, by checking the latest research for better health and healing. If you have had an accident, or injury, you know from your own experience that surface bruises and cuts heal up sooner, deeper wounds take more time to resolve, and conditions like arthritis and muscle injuries seem to hurt month after month, year after year.
You may feel that your healing process is only inching along or not even moving at all.
How can you accelerate and improve the quality of your healing? As we have discussed in this blog, diet is a powerful factor in your healing process.
We all know that damaged tissues must be rebuilt and repaired, and the materials you give your body to do that job are what you eat.
Surprisingly, while we think about what we eat as only for ourselves, there is a whole population of gut flora (microbes) which we are also feeding, and they have a major impact on our health and healing processes.
A recent article, available on the NIH website, describes a research study on how diet affects inflammatory processes, specifically regarding auto-immune inflammatory disease, similar to human arthritis. The study involved changing the diet of mice and observing changes in gut flora, and the disease responses which resulted. The two key points are:
- “…diet-induced changes to intestinal bacteria can influence susceptibility to auto inflammatory disease.
- The results could help guide new approaches to treat auto inflammatory diseases in susceptible people.
This study involved a control group of wild mice eating their natural mouse diet, and a group of lab mice bred to be susceptible to osteomyelitis, an inflammatory condition which affects their feet. The lab mice were divided into two groups; one was fed a “regular diet” and the other was fed a high-fat diet. The mice fed a high-fat diet were protected from osteomyelitis, and did not have a strong presence of a specific microbe, Prevotella. Conversely the regular-fed mice had high levels of the microbe as well as raised levels of interleukin-1β which is linked to inflammatory osteomyelitis. It appears that the high-fat diet did not “feed” the microbe linked to osteomyelitis (it is also possible that the microbes it does feed are hostile to Prevotella).
According to the researchers, “mice that were fed a diet rich in fat and cholesterol maintained a normal body weight, but were markedly protected against inflammatory bone disease and bone erosion”, so can the same high-fat diet work for humans?
In another NIH article, human rheumatoid arthritis is also linked to Prevotella. Raising the fat content of your diet and reducing inflammatory carbohydrate foods, especially grains and sugar, can help reduce inflammation. Easing inflammation will speed your healing process.
Remember, one of the most common auto-inflammatory diseases is arthritis, which may develop following an accident or injury. While you can use NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen to ease your pain, these drugs have can have a detrimental effect on your digestive tract, and do not solve the root cause of your problem. It’s simpler and healthier to switch from breakfast cereal to eggs scrambled in butter and take sugared drinks and juices off your menu. Bon appetite and good health!
From Stillman and Friedland law firm, because we care. jay@jstillman.com 615-244-2111
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Click here for our collection of posts and links regarding diet and healthy recovery from pain and injuries.
See also:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-01-20/html/2015-00723.htm
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-01-20/html/2015-00722.htm
* This blog entry should not be construed as medical advice or treatment for any specific person or condition. Only a licensed medical professional can properly diagnose and treat physical conditions. If you have any question regarding your health, please consult with your healthcare provider.
