Nutritional Management for Pain

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How much money is spent on over-the-counter pain medication per year?

$17 billion dollars is spent annually on Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) as 28% of North Americans suffer from chronic pain.

How does aspirin and NSAIDS work?

Aspirin (ASA) blocks the conversion of arachidonic acid *(AA is a fat in the body)* into Prostaglandin -2 (PG-2 a pro-inflammatory hormone).

AA ------cyclo-oxygenase (COX)--------------> PG-2

What are the risks of taking NSIDS (COX inhibitors)?

1. The New England Journal of Medicine in June of 1999 revealed that more than 16,500 people in North America die every year as a result of bleeding out into the kidneys and stomach as a consequence of the undesirable effects of NSIDS.
   
   Making NSAIDS the 15th leading cause of death in North America.
   
   
2. NSAIDS increase your risk of kidney failure, stroke and heart disease. 
   
   
3. There is a 66% increase in your risk of Alzheimer’s and Senile dementia from prolonged use of NSAIDS.

What is the problem with NSAIDS and what is **arachidonic acid  (AA)?

Arachidonic acid is:

1. The number one fat in the North American diet and is responsible for inflammation and pain, recall from above that arachidonic acid is a precursor for Prostaglandin 2. 
   
   
2. An omega 6 fat and it is toxic!  All omega 6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory.  AA is the number one fat in the North American diet and is responsible for inflammation and pain.

Humans evolved on a 1:1:1 ratio of Omega 3:6:9 fatty acids. However our diet has become so heavily weighted from Omega 6 fatty acids that the current ratio is 1:25:25.  That is why you do not want to supplement with Omega 6 & Omega 9 fatty acids.  You only should supplement with Omega 3 essential fatty acids.  Omega 3’s are found in fish oils.

Where are all the omega 6 fatty acids in your diet coming from?

1. Soya, soya bean oil, corn, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and safflower oils are all Omega 6 fatty acids.  These products are loaded into all processed foods.  (Soya is an acceptable nutrient only if it is fermented into tofu or miso paste).
   
   
2. Soya and corn are the predominant inexpensive foods fed to livestock, cattle and chickens.  This diet is not a natural one and results in an increase in the arachidonic acids in these animals….so in turn eating them results in your arachidonic acids increasing.
   
   
3. Due to the high Omega 6 diet the result is increased inflammation and pain….so to manage pain many people take NSAID’s which further increases your arachidonic acids. 

Recall from above that arachidonic acid is a precursor for Prostaglandin 2.

Arachidonic acid is an Omega 6 fatty acid.

Omega 6 fatty acids are proinflammatory.

Arachidonic Acid is toxic.

Humans evolved on a 1:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratios.

Currently due to our diets this ratio has been skewed to 1:25.

The sharp rise in Omega 6 fatty acids is due to the high consumption of vegetable oils (includingsunflower oil, safflower, corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil, soya bean oil and cottonseed oil).

The origin of all pain is inflammation and the inflammatory response.   The last thing your body needs is any more Omega 6 fatty acids…most of us get way too much of this pro-inflammatory fatty acid in our diet.  The more inflammation, the more pain you will have.

What are the healthy natural solutions?

1. Decrease your Omega 6 fatty acids & increase your Omega 3 fatty acids.

Studies have shown an 88 % effectiveness in people with chronic pain from degenerative diseases in people who consume high doses of Omega 3 fatty acid (fish oil) supplements.  It took on average 75 days to see the results and a minimum of 3000 mg (one tablespoon or 6 capsules) of essential fatty acids to see the results.    Barry Sears recommends your Omega 3 ratio should be a 2:1 ratio of EPA : DHA, this information can be found on your Omega 3 fatty acid bottle.  (Attention : flax seed oil consumers do not take more than 100 mg of flax seed oil per day as it has been linked to prostatitis.)

Take 3000 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids per day and ensure your oil has a 2:1 ratio of EPA:DHA

Fish oil (Omega 3 efa’s) block the cyclooxygenase and lipoxgenase (both enzymes used to convert to arachidonic acid to prostaglandin 2) – Omega 3 efa’s do the same thing as NSAID’s without the unhealthy effects.   There are no negative side effects from omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Pick up a bottle of our Omega 3 Sufficiency Oil or Capsules from our office at a low cost of $40.00!!  See our PRODUCTS PAGE for more information.

1. Remove Monosodium Glutamate*** (MSG) and Aspartate (aspartame), Nutrisweet, and  Splenda from your diet.

*** Please note MSG has about 25 hidden names see http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm

MSG and Aspartame are pro-excitatory additives that not only enhance and excite your taste buds they are pro-excitatory to the entire nerve system.  Persons with chronic pain or fibromyalgia should make sure these excitotoxins are removed from your diet. 

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