And now, the 'hidden epidemic'

“Pandemic” is a word that recently crept into our spine-chilling, ever-growing, modern-day medical vocabulary. And now, add these words: chronic inflammation, also called the hidden epidemic.

What is chronic inflammation?

In his book In Fitness & In Health, Dr. Philip Maffetone, an advocate of complementary medicine, says that chronic inflammation is associated with a whole lot of disorders/diseases — severe functional problems like fatigue, hormonal imbalance and reduced immunity, osteoporosis, heart disease, and even cancer.

Dr. Maffetone writes, “Inflammation is typically thought of as swelling, pain or discomfort, perhaps in your joints, sinuses or intestines. But for many people, chronic inflammation occurs without symptoms and may be the cause of other health problems.”

You may already have it and not know it because the signs do not show. Wanna know if you have the potential for inflammation? Take this quiz put together by Dr. Maffetone:

• Do you eat restaurant, take-out or prepared food daily?

• Do you consume products that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils regularly?

• Is your diet low in fresh salmon, sardines, and flaxseed oil?

• Do you have a history of atherosclerosis, stroke or heart disease?

• Do you have a history of osteoporosis?

• Do you have a history of ulcer or cancer?

• Do you have a history of inflammation (“itis” conditions) such as arthritis, colitis, tendinitis, etc.?

• Do you have allergies, asthma or recurring infections?

• Do you have chronic fatigue?

• Do you have increased body fat?

• Do you perform weekly anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting, hard training or competition?

• Do you perform regular repetitive activity (jogging, cycling, walking, typing, etc.)?

If you checked even only one or two of the items above, it could mean you have an increased chance of having chronic inflammation (this you can confirm through blood tests done by your doctor).

Yes, increased body fat (like larger waistlines) can cause inflammation. Children who are overweight are not immune to inflammation.

Yes, nutritional imbalances can cause chronic inflammation. To fight inflammation via diet, Dr. Maffetone suggests supplementing with essential fats (read: omega-3); eating foods that combat inflammation (like citrus peel, ginger, raw sesame-seed oil, turmeric, and garlic); making sure you have all the nutrients necessary for maintaining balanced fats, including vitamins B6, E, C, and niacin as well as the minerals magnesium and zinc.

Common contributors of inflammation are “chemical stresses” such as food allergies, handling or breathing harsh chemicals (for instance, cleaners, gasoline, cosmetics, and toiletries), and air pollution.

Chronic inflammation is the hidden epidemic we should avoid like the bubonic plague or Black Death that swept through Europe in the 1340s, killing millions. Because if unchecked, it can lead to “a full spectrum of serious functional problems, like hormonal imbalance and reduced immunity. It is now even considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Now, that’s truly disheartening!

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Wanted: Affordable medicines

Today’s high cost of medicines is enough to give us a heart attack. Read this:

Dear Consumerline:

In these hard times, we need affordable medicines that are as effective as the expensive branded medicines. Actually, I bought a anti-obesity capsule in the generic pharmacy and it is much cheaper than the famous brand but has the same effect in the body.

My mother gets a 20-percent senior citizen’s discount, but some of her maintenance medicines are still not available at the generic pharmacy. She’s taking ketosteril, a supplement for the kidneys, three times a day and it costs P42.60 per tablet, which means she’s spending P127.80 a day. She’s also taking colchicine. I hope these will soon be available at the generic pharmacy. — April

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