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Fibromyalgia Monthly Newsletter
Fibromyalgia Newsletter – December 2004
Brought to you by Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D.
DoctorOelke@aol.com
I just returned from a trip to California to promote my book “Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia.” Participants constantly remind me at my presentations that our food industry does not inform us about the potential dangers in our processed foods. And this is why we need to supplement with concentrated whole food supplements that can help cancel out some of these dangers.
I spoke about the University of Maryland study that shows that people who take a certain whole food nutritional supplement regularly for 28 days have a 62% less detrimental effect on their blood circulation after consuming a high fat (900 calorie, 50grams of fat) meal. And those on the new Vineyard blend have a 97% less detrimental effect on circulation. You can learn more about this study in the research section at my whole food recommendation site.
Trans Fat Free?
I’m just beginning to see labels on food packages that say “No Trans Fats.” The worst bad fats are the trans fats, and are found in foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils. These oils are used in processed foods because they give the food a much longer shelf life. They will be found in cereals, crackers, cookies, chips, and even in fried foods found at fast food restaurants. These fats are the major contributing factor for heart disease since we cannot digest them and they cause excess cholesterol to build up in the arteries.
But the worst part is that the more trans fats you eat, the less your body will be able to process the good fats, such as the fish oils and flax oils containing Omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation in the body. This is a concern for anyone who wants to prevent diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
This also a concern for fibromyalgia pain sufferers. Often there is underlying inflammation causing the immune system to be in constant stress, and the omega-3 oils are needed to reduce this inflammation. Also fibromyalgia sufferers need to get high quality omega-6 oils that are well absorbed, so that the cell membranes can create the energy needed in the muscles to reduce hypersensitivity to pain. The more trans fats in your diet, the more good fats you will need to counteract the cumulative effect of the bad fats.
How can you tell how much trans fats are in foods?
On the list of ingredients be aware that any food that lists partially hydrogenated oils contains some trans fats. Some foods have it listed so low in the contents, that the amount is not measurable and will list that food as “trans fat free.”
On the nutritional label the types of fats are broken down under the “Total Fat Content.” That’s where they will list the saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. When the total fat number is higher than the other fats listed, then the difference equals the amount of trans fat.
Avoiding all trans fats is very difficult, yet a Canadian study showed that getting even 1 gram of trans fats per day could significantly boost your heart disease risk. Many processed foods contain much more than 1 gram per serving. Even ‘light” foods contain excess trans fats. For example, ”light” microwave popcorn has 5 grams of fat, with saturated fat listed as 1 gram. The ingredients contain popcorn, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and salt, so you know the left over fat in there is trans fats. So the remaining 4 grams is all trans fats. Four times the daily amount per serving of popcorn, and the trouble is that the bag of popcorn is actually 2.5 servings.
By eating even a minimal amount of processed foods each day we can accumulate many trans fats in our diet. This makes it even more important to get the good fats in polyunsaturated fatty acids to counter act these bad fats. The good fats I recommend for Fibromyalgia are: EPA-DHA complex (omega-3 fish oil), Omega EFA (a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and / or Meta-EPO (Evening Primrose Oil, an omega-6 fatty acid.) You can learn more about each of them at Dr. Jane Oelke's Meta E-Health website.
DNA Damage Reversed
While I was in California I watched a Today Show segment about the effect of stress on the immune system. People with chronic stress have more damage to their DNA than people who are less stressed according to the study. People in chronic pain, like fibromyalgia, also have a build up of chronic stress that can affect their DNA. The commentator asked if there was a way to counteract this DNA damage, and the researcher was not sure. I wanted to call the show to tell them that there are studies showing that there really can be a reduction in DNA damage. So we can rejuvenate our DNA. To learn more about this study you can go to the research section at my concentrated nutritional recommendation website.
Have a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season!
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