When high fat food can be good for you (New study suggests it can combat some inflammations)

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | October 10, 2005 | Roger Highfield

[Stoat]

When high fat food can be good for you

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 10/10/2005)

"Take two cheeseburgers and call me in the morning" may sound like far-fetched medical advice but it could soon be heard at doctors' surgeries.

A new study shows that high-fat foods can, at least in the gut, reduce inflammation. The work - to be published today in The Journal of Experimental Medicine - also suggests that people who have fasted could be at risk of developing a potentially lethal inflammatory response after surgery or an injury.

Eating - particularly eating fat-rich foods - causes cells in the small intestine to produce a helpful hormone called cholecystokinin, or CCK, according to research by Drs Misha Luyer and Wim Buurman of Maastricht University in Holland.

They found that fat-induced CCK can dampen inflammation in the gut.

Rats fed a high-fat diet were protected against invasion with potentially lethal bacteria, unlike those fed a "healthy" low-fat diet.

CCK sends signals to the brain through the vagus nerve, the nerve that provides the electrical regulation for many internal organs, and which has also been recently shown to influence the immune system.

In response to CCK, vagus nerve endings in the gut release a messenger chemical, called acetylcholine, which can disable immune cells.

The authors suggest that triggering this fat-driven chain of events in patients might make major surgery safer by reducing inflammatory complications.

The doctors say that a body with a "food-deprived intestine" may be more vulnerable to a lethal inflammatory response, called septic shock, after a serious injury or infection.

Dr Luyer said that the work may have implications for other inflammatory diseases because immune cells called macrophages overproduce potentially lethal proteins called cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor, which also contribute to inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

[Giddyupgo]

Just curious.....what is your cholestrol level? I never did have mine checked.

[Coleus]

I believe it.....when I was on Atkins, never once did I get indigestion or reflux. >>>

I belive it, atkins said it all the time to those who called in his show..His diet works, are you still on it?

[kstewskis]

My cholesterol dropped 10 points to 179, my ratio's were excellent, per my MD.

Yeah, I was surprised too!

[Veto!]

Making your own yogurt? I'm going to call you St. Carolyn. I tried several times and found it a thankless task--the stuff never set properly, tasted disgusting, the kids gave me feelthy looks and wouldn't eat a bite.

Now I buy Mountain High yogurt in the supermarket...I think a great product and not quite as pricey as the health food store brands. I mix fresh berries into it, also use it instead of sour cream on baked potatoes.

[Veto!]

Congrats on the excellent weight loss!

You might want to check out the Zone Diet...there are a few books on it, the most recent being "The Anti-Inflammation Zone," by Barry Sears, the biochemist who originated the diet. Your library probably has all of his books. I LOVE this diet! Very well balanced, carbs/protein/fats, in a certain proportion, you'll never be hungry, as you eat three squares and two snacks daily. Fish oils help alleviate inflammation, very very good extra virgin olive oil in small amounts is also a necessary part of this diet.

I also have a hunch that drinking a lot of water helps alleviate inflammation and certainly helps the pounds melt away.

[CDHart]

I've had pretty good luck with making stuff from scratch. We are in a very rural area, and there's not a whole lot of choices in the grocery stores. Next time I get to a larger store, I'll see if I can find the Mountain High yogurt. Thanks!

Carolyn