Inflammation is the activation of the immune system in response to infection, irritation or injury. When germs or bacteria invade your body, your immune system reacts by sending protective white blood cells to the area, causing redness, heat, swelling and pain. When inflammation is chronic, it can lead to organ damage and systemic disease. Growing concern over diseases caused by chronic inflammation has generated interest in vitamins as a preventative or treatment.
Biomarkers
Biomarkers are substances found in the bloodstream whose presence indicates the presence of a disease, infection or exposure to a toxin. Scientists use biomarkers to test for the presence of inflammation. According to a report in the January 2004 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine," the link between inflammation and chronic disease is confirmed by biomarkers. Chief among these biomarkers are C-reactive protein, or CRP, matrix metalloproteinase 9, or MMP-9, and tumor necrosis factor, or TNF. These markers are important to researchers because their levels in the body can measure the efficacy of vitamins in reducing inflammation.
Omega-3s
Omega-3s are fatty acids heavily studied for reducing inflammation. Their mechanism of action is linked to their ability to inhibit arachidonic acid from converting into inflammatory compounds. Arachidonic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils and widely recognized for its pro-inflammatory action. A study in the September 2009 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reports on an analysis of 124 men and women to determine the association of omega-3 fatty acids and blood levels of CRP. The analysis concluded that those with highest levels of omega-3s had the lowest levels of the inflammation biomarker.
Pycnogenol
Other vitamins with documented anti-inflammatory potential include pycnogenol, an extract of French maritime pine bark. Pycnogenol is also the name of a general group of compounds containing proanthocyanidins with documented anti-inflammatory benefits. Pycnogenol used as a trade name refers specifically to the pine bark extract. A 2006 study published in the January issue of the "Journal of Inflammation" reports on volunteers who were administered 200 mg of pycnogenol every day for five days. Blood plasma testing revealed that pycnogenol significantly reduced the levels of the inflammation biomarker MMP-9.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a plant extract found in the skin of red grapes. A 2010 study published in the September issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" examined its ability to reduce inflammation. The researchers enrolled 20 participants and randomly assigned them to receive either 40 mg of resveratrol or a placebo once a day for six weeks. At the end of the study, resveratrol was shown to significantly suppress the generation of free radicals and expression of the inflammation biomarker TNF, as well as additional compounds known to increase blood vessel inflammation.
References
- "Journal of Biological Chemistry "; Up-regulation of Adiponectin by Resveratrol: the Essential Roles of the Akt/Foxo1 and Amp-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways and DsbA-L; A. Wang et al.; January 2011
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Inflammatory Markers and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men and Women; J.K. Pai et al.; December 2004
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; An Inverse Relationship Between Plasma N-3 Fatty Acids and C-reactive Protein in Healthy Individuals; M.A. Micallef et al.; September 2009
- "Journal of Inflammation"; Inhibition of Nf-κb Activation and MMP-9 Secretion by Plasma of Human Volunteers After Ingestion of Maritime Pine Bark Extract (Pycnogenol); T. Grimm et al.; January 2006
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism"; An Anti-inflammatory and Reactive Oxygen Species Suppressive Effects of an Extract of Polygonum Cuspidatum Containing Resveratrol; H. Ghanim et al.; September 2010
