World Hair Research

-::- Note: The below is posted here for archival and educational purposes -::-

Components of an Anti-inflammatory Diet (focus on meats, fish, eggs and leafy vegetables)

• Low starch and other simple sugars — insulin and high blood glucose are inflammatory; so use complex polysaccharides (not starch); starch only in small portions (1/2 banana or one side of a hamburger bun) and preferably in unprocessed, less available forms, e.g. coarse ground or fat coated — bread with butter; less than 30 gm in any meal, less is healthier, grains are frequently a problem — gluten intolerance
• No high fructose corn syrup — high free fructose (in contrast to sucrose) is inflammatory and contributes to crosslinking of collagen fibers, which means prematurely aged skin; sucrose is much better than alternative sweeteners
• High ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats — most vegetable oils (olive oil is the exception) are very high in omega-6 fats and are inflammatory and should be avoided; omega-3 fats from fish oil cannot have their full anti-inflammatory impact in the presence of vegetable oils; omega-3 supplements are needed to overcome existing inflammation — take with saturated fats
• No trans fats — all are inflammatory
• Probiotics and prebiotics — the bacteria in your gut are vitally important in reducing inflammation; most of the bacteria that initially colonize breastfed babies and are also present in fermented products seem to be helpful; formula quickly converts baby gut bacteria to inflammatory species and should be avoided completely for as long as possible to permit the baby’s immune system to mature (at least 6 months exclusive breastfeeding.)
• Saturated fats are healthy and reduce the peroxidation of omega-3 fatty acids at sites of local  inflammation, e.g. fatty liver.  Saturated fats should be the major source of dietary calories.
• Vegetable antioxidants — vegetables and fruits, along with coffee and chocolate supply very useful, anti-inflammatory anti-oxidants
• Sensible daily supplements: 1,000 mg vitamin C; 2,000-5,000 i.u vitamin D3 (to produce serum levels of 60ng/ml); 750 mg glucosamine
• Associated anti-inflammatory lifestyle components:

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