Health & Body Care: Alternatives to Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

By Caleb Shillander, Health and Body Care

OX-2 inhibitors like Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex were supposed to be humanity's salvation. All sufferers of inflammatory conditions could now run to their doctor, get a pill, and rest their weary bones. There was talk of expanding their use as cancer preventatives. Some doctors joked that we should just add them to the water supply. Then, almost by accident, someone reviewing the scientific literature discovered an eerie trend. These drugs could cause up to a fifty percent higher likelihood of heart attack and stroke. After a brief investigation that confirmed these suspicions, they were pulled from the market. Doctors and patients alike responded with shock and disbelief. Many patients were left wondering how much damage had already been done to them, and what they were going to do now to find relief from their suffering. The sad part is that this story is not new. It has become something of a routine in the world of modern medicine.

The story goes like this: The pharmaceutical industry comes up with a new synthetic compound which has some very strong and very narrow effect on the body. It goes through a spat of six month or one year studies here and there, usually conducted by scientists in the pay of the pharmaceutical industry itself. The very CEO's and other captains of the drug industry, who just happen to be taking a "sabbatical" by serving in an official capacity at the Food and Drug Administration, approve the new drug as safe for widespread use. The Pharmaceutical giants then spend billions of dollars marketing the new drug to patients via television and to doctors via their offices, golf courses, cruise ships, five star hotels, and medical schools across the planet. Without other sources of information than the manufacturers themselves, patients and doctors accept the drug on complete faith. Oh, there were many skeptics in the alternative healing community, some even predicting the outcome of this irresponsible experiment, but those voices were easily pushed aside by power, money, and corporate media. How many times do we have to repeat this pattern and how many more have to die before we learn? As much as I would love to continue discussing the structural flaws of today's medical industry, I think many people confused by these events just want to know what to do now to control their debilitating inflammatory conditions. Here is a primer course in keeping inflammation at bay.

The first thing we must remember is this: when it comes to achieving health, we must see the body as a complex whole. Inflammation is a natural process in which old and damaged tissue is broken down, removed, repaired and made new. The enzymes involved in this process, like COX-2, are doing a real and important job in the regular upkeep of the body's tissue. We have them for a reason, even if we do not understand that reason at this time. Therefore, we must learn to balance and modulate these enzymes rather than eliminate them.

The first way to keep the inflammatory process in balance is through a proper diet. Food sensitivities cause many inflammatory symptoms. The offenders are usually foods that you eat too frequently or daily. For most people they are gluten containing grains, dairy products, and nightshades like tomatoes, eggplant, etc. The bottom line is to get engaged with your diet, experiment, break habits, and of course, eat as much fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds as possible.

Next, it is important to pay close attention to the kinds of fats that you consume. The hormones involved in inflammation are created when enzymes like COX-1 and COX-2 react with certain fatty acids, such as Omega3's and Omega-6's. Whereas pharmaceuticals target and try to control the enzymes that we need, we could also control inflammation by targeting the fats that they interact with by being mindful of our diets. If we have the right ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in our diet then the enzymes will react with them to make the right ratio of hormones that tear down tissue as well as rebuild tissue. One fatty acid in particular, which is overly abundant in today's diet, bears a large portion of the responsibility. Arachadonic Acid is an Omega-6 found in meats, dairy products, and created in the body from most vegetable oils like soy, peanut, corn, safflower, canola, etc. When COX-2 meets Arachadonic Acid, it reacts to make powerful hormones that cause swelling, platelet aggregation, and tissue destruction. If we eat less of this kind of fat at the same time as we increase our consumption of Omega-3's from flax seeds, hemp seeds, avocados, walnuts, or fish oil, we can make a huge improvement in our condition without interfering aggressively with the body's processes. Obviously, you should also avoid trans-fat, hydrogenated fats, and other vegetable oils that have been heated through frying or baking. Coconut oil is the best oil for these applications since it cannot become these dangerous compounds due to its unique short chain saturated structure (read up on it if you doubt).

In addition to watching the kinds of fats you eat, there are many herbs we can use in times of greater need. Ginger, green tea, turmeric, rosemary, skullcap, cat's claw, holy basil, and nettles are just a few which can be very effective. Cat's claw and nettles helped many with rheumatoid cases. Zyflamend, made by New Chapter is an excellent blend of the most important anti-inf lammatory herbs in an effective potency that can be useful for any situation and even as a preventative.

The benefit of herbs is not only their safety, as demonstrated by thousands of years of human and animal use, but also their multifaceted benefits to the body. For example, when we compare Ginger to Aspirin, we see that they both inhibit COX-1 enzyme. But where Aspirin causes serious damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to ulcers and bleeding, ginger actually soothes the GI tract and prevents ulcers! Turmeric, like Vioxx, inhibits COX-2, but rather than destroy the hear t and arteries, it has been used to strengthen and protect the cardiovascular system. How is this possible? Perhaps it is because herbs reflect the complexity and intelligence of nature, and are therefore the best medicines for a complex and natural organism. Drugs too often reflect a narrow vision of biochemistry, used in the service of profiteers. They are single, synthesized and unnatural compounds. Their effects in the body could never exhibit such broad range benefits as herbs, and their risks will always be larger. With enough education, we will be empowered to take steps to maintain our health naturally and reduce our vulnerability to the dangers of our flawed medical system.