LEF article on inflammation

[Lovemywesties]

This article from LEF will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about inflammation, both chronic and acute, as well as what it does to the body and how to get rid of it if it overstays its welcome.

Of particular note is a little nugget of interest in the section entitled "Aspirin" that explains why aspirin is a better choice for chronic inflammation than other NSAIDs. Page 5 gives a list of supplement recommendations and dosages as well as other suggestions.

http://www.lef.org/protocols/health_...mmation_01.htm

Apologies for putting this in the wrong section and not knowing how to move it.

[Reesacat]

This was excellent LMW! Thank you so much for finding and posting the link.
I've moved it to General Discussion so all can have a chance to read this.

[Lovemywesties]

Reesa, thanks for moving this to the appropriate location. I post so few new threads that it was easy enough for me to goof and put it in the wrong place.

[mellowsong]

This is a really good article. Thanks LMW

[Reesacat]

LMW, I still post stuff in the wrong forum and Islander has to fix it.

[Aaltrude]

I haven't had time to read the whole article yet but what I have read is excellent.
Good find LMW.
From what I have seen so far, I was wondering if consideration should be given to making it a sticky?

[Islander]

Done, Aaltrude. Thanks, everyone, great article!

[Julieanne]

Great article - thanks LMW.

[Tara48]

Hi LMW, I see you've found LEF. This is an excellent article, thanks for posting it. More can be found at http://www.lef.org/protocols/index.htm
Another way to find great LEF articles is to google the name of a health concern and add lef to it, or google a nutrient name and add lef to it. Once on the product page, select Related Articles, for links to all articles that highlight that nutrient. Also, you can visit the magazine archive on http://www.lef.org/index.htm and read the cover articles for a list of years. I'm going to have the female panel blood test done as soon as I can afford it to check my inflammation status and all the rest. My insurance will not cover comprehensive testing and they don't check C-reactive protein or homocysteine levels even though these are excellent indicators of cardiac health.

[Lovemywesties]

Hi Tara. Welcome to the HH website.

Actually I found LEF about 30 years ago. In fact, I have one of their earliest publications on disease prevention and treatment. They have long been a favorite go-to authority for me, particularly regarding specific issues.

[Tara48]

There is new information from LEF about how to combat chronic inflammation. I thought it should go in this thread, rather than creating a new thread, since it is follow-on information.

Turn Off the Cytokine Switch
By Morris Eagleton



In a remarkable series of discoveries, scientists have uncovered the main biochemical “switch” that turns on many of the chronic diseases of aging.

Known as HMGB1 (for “High Mobility Group Box-1”), this intriguing protein molecule triggers the release of the cytokines—a collection of chemical signals—that generate inflammation in your body.¹

And as inflammation accumulates, aging accelerates, to the point that most scientists now speak about “inflammaging” as a single entity that underlies disorders that cause premature death, including conditions ranging from diabetes and atherosclerosis to lung disease and cancer, to name just a few.^2-4

In an exciting new development, the discovery of HMGB1 as the switch that turns “on” accelerated aging has led to the development of a safe and effective means of turning “off” that switch and reducing premature senescence.

Research over the past few years has demonstrated that two natural ingredients can directly control HMGB1, switching off the massive cytokine flow that generates age-related inflammation and leads to disease and premature death.

Tested in prestigious hospital research laboratories, two plant extracts, mung bean seed coat and green tea, extended life spans and increased survival rate caused by inflammation in blood poisoning (sepsis) by up to 82%.^5,6

This combination of natural ingredients can reduce total body exposure to the ravages of inflammation. By doing so, maturing individuals can protect themselves from accelerated aging, guard against inflammation-induced chronic disorders, and live a longer and more productive life.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2014/...-Switch_01.htm

Turn Off Your Body's Aging "Switch"
by Morris Eagleton

"In an important scientific advance, researchers have uncovered a biochemical “switch” that turns on many of the chronic diseases of aging.
The name of this newly identified “switch” is HMGB1, which stands for “High Mobility Group Box-1”.
HMGB1 turns on the release of chemical signals called cytokines that generate inflammation in your body.1
The more chronic inflammation you have, the more rapidly your body ages. The tragic consequence of higher levels of inflammation is the acceleration of chronic diseases that cause premature death and disability.1,2
Once scientists uncovered the switch that “turns on” chronic inflammation, they began looking for a safe and effective means of “turning off” that switch.
Researchers have found two natural ingredients that can directly control HMGB1, thus reducing the body’s exposure to chronic inflammation, and ultimately protecting against inflammation-induced disorders.3,4 "
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2013/...-Switch_01.htm

Block Dangerous Inflammatory Signalling
by Julian Warshovsky

"Three plant extracts have been identified that powerfully inhibit the underlying factors that trigger inflammation—safely reducing both chronic pain and long-term disease risk.
Unlike drugs, turmeric oil, ginger, and curcumin work through diverse mechanisms to block multiple pathways of the inflammation-signaling process.7-16
These natural ingredients deliver benefits that no currently available drug can—they inhibitboth COX and LOX enzymes, which in turn curtails creation of the prostaglandin and leukotriene signaling molecules.7-16
An abundance of studies have confirmed that the biochemical actions of curcumin, ginger, and turmeric oil can be beneficial against the causative factors behind arthritis,16-23 cardiovascular disease,16,24-28 cancer,29-33 and other diseases…and these effects are often observable in a matter of weeks!20,27,29,34 "

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2013/ss2013_Block-Dangerous-Inflammatory-Signaling_01.htmbb

[Lovemywesties]

Caveat regarding green tea extract: It is suspected of causing liver damage. This was also in a recent newspaper article.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17133573

While there are no doubt extenuating circumstances, and while green tea itself is beneficial for most people, an extract that might be many times more powerful than a cup or two of green tea might not be such a great idea. In fact, it could turn out to be deadly.

[Julieanne]

Couldn't read the full text, so I have no idea what the dosages may have been. I have been taking EGCg for a while, after reading of the many health benefits of green tea. I really don't like drinking it, so I thought a supp would be a good thing.

I recently had a cumulative liver function test, which seems OK, though I don't understand it! I do leave it out at weekends.

[Lovemywesties]

I drink a fair amount of green, black and white tea, but I've never taken green tea extract. I am one of those people who is sensitive to prescription and OTC drugs. If one person in a million experiences a bizarre side effect, that one person would be me. For the same reason I avoid supplement megadoses and extracts in which various otherwise-innocuous components are highly concentrated, possibly even to the point of toxicity if enough is ingested. Most people probably wouldn't have a problem taking green tea extract as directed.

Here's another, older article regarding green tea. Evidently the polyphenols are what can be problematic, at least for some people.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...uantities.html

[Tara48]

I talked to a Life Extension Health Advisor about the safety of their green tea extract, and mentioned the National Institutes of Health article about liver toxicity of green tea extract. They referred me to

http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21771
where they advised that Consumer Labs had tested green tea extract products and found some of them to be contaminated with lead.
"Dosage

Studies weakly suggest that 3 cups of green tea daily might provide protection against cancer. However, because not everyone wants to take the time to drink green tea, manufacturers have offered extracts that can be taken in pill form. A typical dosage is 100 mg to 150 mg 3 times daily of a green tea extract standardized to contain 80% total polyphenols and 50% epigallocatechin gallate. Whether these extracts offer any benefit remains unknown. Furthermore, there are growing concerns about liver toxicity with use of green tea extracts. (See Safety Issues.)

Warning : In an analysis performed in 2006 by the respected testing organization ConsumerLabs.com, some tested green tea products were found to be contaminated with lead. ³⁴

*Safety Issues

As a widely consumed beverage, green tea is generally regarded as safe. It does contain caffeine, at perhaps a slightly lower level than black tea, and can therefore cause insomnia, nervousness, and the other well-known symptoms of excess caffeine intake.

Green tea extracts, however, may not be safe. There are a growing number of case reports in which use of a concentrated green tea extract was associated with liver inflammation. ^35,40,50 In most cases, liver problems disappeared after the extract was discontinued. But, in two cases, permanent liver failure ensued requiring liver transplantation. ^36,40 While it is not absolutely certain that the green tea extract caused the liver problems, nor how it might do so, these reports do raise significant concerns about use of green tea extracts, especially by those with liver disease or prone to it. "

In light of this, you should be careful about where you obtain your green tea extracts from. Life Extension Foundation has a high standard of safety and tests all of their products. They use doses that have been found safe and efficacious in clinical tests. They provide a warning label if there is something you need to know about a product.