Cooling Gut Inflammation

How much influence can you exert over your own gut health and inflammation? Potentially, a lot, according to Dr. Art Ayers, who has taught and researched worldwide and holds a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.

Running for seven years, his Cooling Inflammation blog was a reference point from 2008-2015, giving both detailed explanations of the biochemistry behind inflammation and practical advice for applications of his findings.

His research led him to two primary dietary and lifestyle recommendations:

1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
2. Support your gut flora

The Anti-inflammatory Diet

Dr. Ayres’ anti-inflammatory diet can be summarized as follows:

• Protein — meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, etc.
• Fats — from leaves and real animal-based meat, not omega-6-rich seeds
  • Consume a high ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats
  • Include saturated fats in your diet
  • Supplement with omega-3 oils if inflammation is present
  • Do not ingest trans fats
• Soluble fiber — beans, legumes, pears, prunes, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes
• Probiotics and prebiotics (you can get these from live, fermented products)
• Vegetable antioxidants from vegetables and fruits, along with coffee and chocolate

What to limit:

• Starch and other simple sugars — limit or eliminate grains, have only half a banana, etc.
• High fructose corn syrup

Basic 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

How to support gut flora

• Follow the dietary recommendations above to include soluble fiber and live, fermented foods in your diet
• Avoid overuse of antibiotics that kill good bacteria along with the bad: e.g. in medicines, antibacteral dish soap, antibacterial hand soap, etc.
• Diversify your bacteria by connecting with your environment: shake hands with people, pet the dog, take up gardening or spend more time working in the garden you have …
• Dr. Ayers also looked at the possible benefits of fecal implants for patients suffering from digestive disease

Dig into more of the details of Dr. Ayer’s research and recommendations in the following articles:

• Anti-inflammatory Diet
• How Your Diet makes You Sick or Healthy
• 200th Post — Diet, Inflammation, Disease & Gut Flora
• Dr. Oz Diet and Gut Flora Myths
• Pre- and Probiotics