Hello Friends,
This is a good chart to keep on the refrigerator...Not all of it is for each one of us, but it is good to keep this in mind since our problem IS inflammation (and most chronic conditions as well).
http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/pyramid/p ... ramid.html
Monique
The Anti-Inflammatory Food Chart
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wmonique2
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The Anti-Inflammatory Food Chart
Diagnosed 2011 with LC. Currently on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
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wmonique2
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The Anti-Inflammatory Food Chart
I agree Z., I was appalled!
Monique
Monique
Diagnosed 2011 with LC. Currently on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
OK, I'm confused. 
With the inclusion of so many inflammatory foods, how in the world can that food pyramid possibly be anti-inflammatory?
Tex
With the inclusion of so many inflammatory foods, how in the world can that food pyramid possibly be anti-inflammatory?Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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wmonique2
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The Anti-Inflammatory Food Chart
Tex,
What constitutes an anti-inflammatory food? Its properties, right? Not whether a certain segment of the population is reacting to those same properties. I agree that there are entire segments in this chart that are not good for us because we react to them, but not everybody does. I know I can't have soy but I can have all the dairy I want (I choose not to). Some on the board CAN have soy.
The fundamentals are there: the preponderance of our diet should come from the bottom of the pyramid, like fruits and vegetables. And legumes are there too. Now, kill me first before I touch a legume. But many do well.
The way to look at this chart is in an objective manner, not subjective. I suppose this chart is made for the population at large, not MC'rs. And I am certainly not one of the population at large.
Unless, of course, we redefine what constitutes anti-inflammatory to begin with...and that's another ballgame altogether.
Love,
Monique
What constitutes an anti-inflammatory food? Its properties, right? Not whether a certain segment of the population is reacting to those same properties. I agree that there are entire segments in this chart that are not good for us because we react to them, but not everybody does. I know I can't have soy but I can have all the dairy I want (I choose not to). Some on the board CAN have soy.
The fundamentals are there: the preponderance of our diet should come from the bottom of the pyramid, like fruits and vegetables. And legumes are there too. Now, kill me first before I touch a legume. But many do well.
The way to look at this chart is in an objective manner, not subjective. I suppose this chart is made for the population at large, not MC'rs. And I am certainly not one of the population at large.
Unless, of course, we redefine what constitutes anti-inflammatory to begin with...and that's another ballgame altogether.
Love,
Monique
Diagnosed 2011 with LC. Currently on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Monique,
I'm trying very hard to look at the pyramid objectively, but I'm not having much luck. A pyramid derived from paleo foods would be anti-inflammatory, for example. But that one is a far cry from a paleo food pyramid. Dr. Weil (or whoever designed that pyramid) would have us believe that we (and when I say "we", I mean anyone in the general population, not just people who are sensitive to certain foods) can safely consume virtually any conventional food as part of an anti-inflammatory diet, as long as we adjust the portions according to the pyramid. That's pretty much what USDA and other food pyramid designers have always done, in order to keep everyone happy (moderation is somehow supposed to make all foods healthy). But such a naive approach is fraught with peril, and I hope that I can convincingly illustrate why.
I simply can't buy into that line of reasoning. The fact of the matter is that certain grains are inflammatory for everyone, and Dr. Weil (of all people) should be aware of that (if he knows what he's doing). Let's look at a couple of examples, to illustrate my point.
It is a fact that certain peptides in wheat, rye, barley, and oats cause everyone (not just those individuals whose sensitivity has progressed to a state of diagnosable disease) to have some degree of increased intestinal permeability, every time those foods are ingested. There is no way that eating such foods can be construed as anti-inflammatory. Here's a reference on that, from Dr. Fasano's research, that we should all be familiar with by now, because I cite it often as evidence that gluten causes increased intestinal permeability for everyone.
OK, now let's look at dairy. It turns out that dairy also causes inflammation for everyone (not just those individuals who happen to be sensitive to it). Here are a couple of ways that it does that. Research shows that the beta-casomorphin in milk can promote the proliferation of lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the mucosa of the small intestine. Note that this research was done with mucosal tissue from 20 colonic and 3 ileal specimens (the full article is available, so the details can be found). Also bear in mind that the proliferation of lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the mucosa of the colon is a diagnostic marker of MC. While the actual research was done in vitro (in test tubes), not in vivo (in a human gut), it provides some pretty convincing evidence that casein promotes the same type of lymphocytic infiltration normally associated with MC.
Beta-casomorphin (BCM) and human colonic lamina propria lymphocyte proliferation.
Here's an interesting study that shows that casein (beta-casomorphin-7) causes goblet cells to dump mucin. Note that the researchers reached a totally incorrect conclusion (IMO), by assuming that the additional mucin (which when added to water creates mucus) implies that casein is protective of the intestinal mucosa (because it is known that mucus helps to protect the surface of the mucosa). Unfortunately, they totally overlooked the fact that one of the first things that happens to goblet cells when they are marked to be killed, whether by pathogens or by apoptosis (programmed cell death, regulated by the immune system), is that they dump their mucin. So rather than this research showing a protective effect of casein, it more likely verifies that casein is involved in the destruction of goblet cells, as part of a pro-inflammatory process.
And here's the clincher, regarding my claim that casein is inflammatory for everyone, not just those who are sensitive to it. And again, this is from an old article published in 1992, so everyone in the medical field pretending to specialize in immunology or some related field, should be aware of it by now.
This post is already too long, so I won't even start on soy, but anyone who wants to read more about the negative attributes of soy can get a pretty good introduction by reading some of the articles posted on Dr. Mercola's blog.
Incidentally, you might be interested in this article that associates casein with type 1 diabetes.
The mention of beta-caseomorphin-7 having immunosuppression properties raises the possibility of some interesting speculation. When I was growing up, we were continually exposed to ads funded by the dairy lobby, promoting the health benefits of drinking milk. In view of the apparently relatively high percentage of athletes and other health-conscious individuals who now have autoimmune diseases, I can't help but wonder if the milk-drinking trend that sort of exploded back in those days, contributed to our problems, by weakening our immune systems.
Back to the chart — the bottom line, to my way of thinking is, yes, the pyramid could be construed to represent an anti-inflammatory food chart, if the neolithic foods were removed, leaving only paleo foods.
Love,
Tex
I'm trying very hard to look at the pyramid objectively, but I'm not having much luck. A pyramid derived from paleo foods would be anti-inflammatory, for example. But that one is a far cry from a paleo food pyramid. Dr. Weil (or whoever designed that pyramid) would have us believe that we (and when I say "we", I mean anyone in the general population, not just people who are sensitive to certain foods) can safely consume virtually any conventional food as part of an anti-inflammatory diet, as long as we adjust the portions according to the pyramid. That's pretty much what USDA and other food pyramid designers have always done, in order to keep everyone happy (moderation is somehow supposed to make all foods healthy). But such a naive approach is fraught with peril, and I hope that I can convincingly illustrate why.
I simply can't buy into that line of reasoning. The fact of the matter is that certain grains are inflammatory for everyone, and Dr. Weil (of all people) should be aware of that (if he knows what he's doing). Let's look at a couple of examples, to illustrate my point.
It is a fact that certain peptides in wheat, rye, barley, and oats cause everyone (not just those individuals whose sensitivity has progressed to a state of diagnosable disease) to have some degree of increased intestinal permeability, every time those foods are ingested. There is no way that eating such foods can be construed as anti-inflammatory. Here's a reference on that, from Dr. Fasano's research, that we should all be familiar with by now, because I cite it often as evidence that gluten causes increased intestinal permeability for everyone.
Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines.CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, we concluded that gliadin activates zonulin signaling irrespective of the genetic expression of autoimmunity, leading to increased intestinal permeability to macromolecules.
OK, now let's look at dairy. It turns out that dairy also causes inflammation for everyone (not just those individuals who happen to be sensitive to it). Here are a couple of ways that it does that. Research shows that the beta-casomorphin in milk can promote the proliferation of lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the mucosa of the small intestine. Note that this research was done with mucosal tissue from 20 colonic and 3 ileal specimens (the full article is available, so the details can be found). Also bear in mind that the proliferation of lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the mucosa of the colon is a diagnostic marker of MC. While the actual research was done in vitro (in test tubes), not in vivo (in a human gut), it provides some pretty convincing evidence that casein promotes the same type of lymphocytic infiltration normally associated with MC.
BCM stands for beta-casomorphin. Note that this is an old study, published in 1991, so this was established over 20 years ago.BCM is a milk-derived peptide with opiate-like properties which is absorbed through the gastrointestinal mucosa. It has been shown to affect gastrointestinal motility, absorption and secretion. Recently, modulation of the immune system by BCM was also reported. In this study we investigated the in vitro effect of BCM on the human mucosal immune response as represented by lamina propria lymphocyte (LPL) proliferation. . . . Our results suggest that BCM may affect the human mucosal immune system, possibly via the opiate receptor.
Beta-casomorphin (BCM) and human colonic lamina propria lymphocyte proliferation.
Here's an interesting study that shows that casein (beta-casomorphin-7) causes goblet cells to dump mucin. Note that the researchers reached a totally incorrect conclusion (IMO), by assuming that the additional mucin (which when added to water creates mucus) implies that casein is protective of the intestinal mucosa (because it is known that mucus helps to protect the surface of the mucosa). Unfortunately, they totally overlooked the fact that one of the first things that happens to goblet cells when they are marked to be killed, whether by pathogens or by apoptosis (programmed cell death, regulated by the immune system), is that they dump their mucin. So rather than this research showing a protective effect of casein, it more likely verifies that casein is involved in the destruction of goblet cells, as part of a pro-inflammatory process.
beta-Casomorphin-7 regulates the secretion and expression of gastrointestinal mucins through a mu-opioid pathway.Abstract
We have recently shown that beta-casomorphin-7, a milk opioid peptide, strongly stimulates mucin secretion in the rat jejunum through a nervous pathway and opioid receptor activation. . . . Because intestinal mucins have a crucial mucosal protective function, dairy products containing beta-casomorphin-7 may improve intestinal protection and could have dietary and health applications.
And here's the clincher, regarding my claim that casein is inflammatory for everyone, not just those who are sensitive to it. And again, this is from an old article published in 1992, so everyone in the medical field pretending to specialize in immunology or some related field, should be aware of it by now.
A naturally occurring opioid peptide from cow's milk, beta-casomorphine-7, is a direct histamine releaser in man.Abstract
beta-Casomorphine-7, a naturally occurring product of cow's milk with opiate-like activity, was studied for possible direct histamine liberation activities in humans. It was found to cause concentration-dependent in vitro histamine release from peripheral leukocytes of healthy adult volunteers. Intradermal injection of beta-casomorphine-7 induced a wheal and flare reaction in the skin similar to histamine or codeine. Oral pretreatment with the H1 antagonist terfenadine significantly inhibited the skin responses to beta-casomorphine-7. The intradermal injection of an opiate receptor antagonist, naloxone, inhibited in vitro histamine release and skin reactions only in a 100-fold excess over beta-casomorphine-7. These findings suggest that beta-casomorphine-7 can be regarded as a noncytotoxic, direct histamine releaser in humans. The clinical relevance of these findings deserves further studies.
This post is already too long, so I won't even start on soy, but anyone who wants to read more about the negative attributes of soy can get a pretty good introduction by reading some of the articles posted on Dr. Mercola's blog.
Incidentally, you might be interested in this article that associates casein with type 1 diabetes.
Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and cow milk: casein variant consumptionAbstract
Previously published Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus incidence in 0 to 14-year-old children from 10 countries or areas was compared with the national annual cow milk protein consumption. Countries which were selected for study had appropriate milk protein polymorphism studies, herd breed composition information and low dairy imports from other countries. Total protein consumption did not correlate with diabetes incidence (r = +0.402), but consumption of the beta-casein A1 variant did (r = +0.726). Even more pronounced was the relation between beta-casein (A1+B) consumption and diabetes (r = +0.982). These latter two cow caseins yield a bioactive peptide beta-casomorphin-7 after in vitro digestion with intestinal enzymes whereas the common A2 variant or the corresponding human or goat caseins do not. beta-casomorphin-7 has opioid properties including immunosuppression, which could account for the specificity of the relation between the consumption of some but not all beta-casein variants and diabetes incidence.
The mention of beta-caseomorphin-7 having immunosuppression properties raises the possibility of some interesting speculation. When I was growing up, we were continually exposed to ads funded by the dairy lobby, promoting the health benefits of drinking milk. In view of the apparently relatively high percentage of athletes and other health-conscious individuals who now have autoimmune diseases, I can't help but wonder if the milk-drinking trend that sort of exploded back in those days, contributed to our problems, by weakening our immune systems.
Back to the chart — the bottom line, to my way of thinking is, yes, the pyramid could be construed to represent an anti-inflammatory food chart, if the neolithic foods were removed, leaving only paleo foods.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.