Chronic Disease - part 2

By understanding that inflammation arises in the gut and switches on inflammatory genes (see previous post), we know that inflammatory conditions can be treated by targeting the gut.

Food can switch on anti-inflammatory genes. A diet that consists of at least 600g of non-starchy vegetables daily (about 3-5 cups) - along with adequate protein, healthy fats, and a variety of fruit, herbs, spices and fermented foods - is a diet that contains all the phytochemicals required to continuously promote anti-inflammatory gene expression.

If inflammation has become advanced, like in chronic diseases, we can also utilize specific powerful food substances to shift gene expression back to anti-inflammatory.

One of the strongest inducers of anti-inflammatory gene expression is sulforaphane, a molecule found in broccoli sprouts. When consumed at a high enough dose, sulforaphane activates the natural antioxidant system Nrf2, switching on hundreds of protective genes. It also induces phase 2 liver detoxification, which decreases formation of DNA mutations that contribute to conditions such as cancer.¹

Depending on each person’s condition and specific needs, sulforaphane and a variety of other anti-inflammatory compounds can be utilized to reverse chronic disease, and return the body back to balance.

¹Thiruvengadam, M. et al. (2021). Bioactive Compounds in Oxidative Stress-Mediated Diseases: Targeting the NRF2/ARE Signalling Pathway and Epigenetic Regulation. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(12), 1859. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10121859