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Comments For "Inflammation: Good, Bad or all Hype?"
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14 Responses to “Inflammation: Good, Bad or all Hype?”
  1. Glenda Glass Says:

    Excellent article. So many of the chronic inflammatory diseases seem to have their root cause in digestive tract damage from food allergies (leaky gut syndrome). In addition to the vinegar before meals, I might also suggest eating something with a bitter flavor. The bitterness stimulates reflexes up and down the digestive tract that get it ready to digest food.

  2. Amy Bader, ND Says:

    Thank you for your comment, Glenda. You’re right, bitter foods can be extremely helpful in stimulating better digestion and healing the gut. I often prescribe a bitter herb called Gentian (Gentiana lutea) to be taken before meals. Gentian has been used for thousands of years in many cultures to enhance digestion. Not only does it stimulate bile and pancreatic enzymes, it also helps the gastrointestinal system to heal by boosting its immunity.

    In addition, a variety of bitter foods in your diet such as brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, kale, mustard greens, radicchio, and dark chocolate support healthy digestion—and are rich in nutrients.

  3. Mark Says:

    Hi, I recently had an endoscopy done on my stomach to check for ulcers. The Dr. took a couple of biopsies and it was determined that I have chronic inflammation of my esophagus. The Dr. prescribed me some Prilosec and I have been taking for about 3 weeks. I am wondering what the causes of this inflammation are. I have had a lot of stress in the past few years. I went through a painful divorce 4 years ago, I have been through 2 job layoffs which put a lot of financial stress on me, and I have had a lot of general anxiety over my health, as I have had a huge fear of developing cancer, as my mother has been battling cancer. To cope with my stress, I have been an on/off marijuana smoker for the past 4 years, however I quit 5 months ago and have taken steps to make this permanent. What would you suggest I can do to make some general changes that will reduce this inflammation in my esophagus and other areas that I am not even aware of?

  4. Emma Says:

    I would appreciate knowing where a person can eat out when on the Elimination Diet in Portland. The only restaurant I've found that has food I can eat is Old Wive's Tale.

  5. Amy Bader, ND Says:

    Dear Mark,

    Thanks so much for your email. It sounds like you have endured some tremendous stresses in the last four years. Sometimes our stomachs physically tell us when enough is enough. As a doctor, I often see stomach problems in patients who are going through tough times. It is as if your body is telling you it doesn’t want to swallow what life is throwing at you anymore.
    From a purely medical perspective, the reason you have inflammation in your esophagus is because your stomach acid is bubbling up, damaging it and creating inflammation. Anything you can do to reduce stress emotionally, mentally, and physically will help. Regarding the inflammation, you have already taken the first (and incredibly important) step of quitting smoking marijuana. Congratulations. The lifestyle decisions you make everyday determine how much inflammation you create in your body. The next step is choosing the right foods for your body. I have written about foods and inflammation in this posting, but additionally, I recommend the book The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Cookbook by Jessica Black, ND. I would encourage you to do this type of eating plan for at least a couple months. The third step is to consider supplements and medicinal foods which reduce inflammation, such as fish oil, turmeric, and probiotics (read my blog posting What’s Bugging You? The One Supplement You Can’t Do Without.)

    Take care,
    Amy

  6. Amy Bader, ND Says:

    Dear Emma,
    In general it is a little more difficult to eat out when doing an elimination diet. However, we are fortunate to live in a city which has many, many great restaurants. In any restaurant worth it’s salt, asking for your order to be changed or substituted in some way should be no problem. If a restaurant will not honor your requests, you probably shouldn’t eat there anyway. You should be able to order fish, chicken, or organically raised meat with vegetables from almost any restaurant. (Remember to tip your wait staff generously for taking good care of you.)

    A few restaurants to consider in addition to Old Wives’ Tale are Nutshell, Hawthorne Fish House, Andina, Corbett Fish House, and Grolla.

    Take care,
    Amy

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