As a chiropractor, patients frequently see you with complaints of pain, fatigue, gastric upset, and injury. Often, the underlying cause is inflammation. COX-2 inhibitors haven’t turned out to be the breakthrough promised. Celecoxib is still available in the US, but a 2013 review found that it was no more effective than ibuprofen, another common NSAID, in relieving pain.
Thankfully, there are many natural substances with powerful health properties and these substances are found in foods and natural antioxidant supplements.
Citrus Bioflavonoids
Citrus has been considered a medically important plant since the earliest times. Flavonoids are plant compounds offering a variety of free radical scavenging solutions.
The most common citrus flavonoids are:
- Hesperidin
- Hesperetin
- Naringin
- Naringenin
- Rutin
- Diosmin
- Nobiletin
- Tangeretin
- Eriodictyol
These flavonoids all have a pentagonal shape and have been studied for their impact on insulin resistance, cardiovascular health, and other beneficial effects.
Results from research aimed at the positive health impact of Mediterranean or keto diets to the relationship between oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders have found that these plant compounds play an important role in health. This was even when the flavonoids themselves weren’t the subject of the research.
Citrus bioflavonoids function to stabilize cell membranes, lessen the discharge of inflammation mediators, hinder the inflammatory process, and decrease the contraction of smooth muscle tissue.
Those who look to the juice of citrus to meet their dietary needs are faced with two problems: firstly, the amount of citrus juice required to reach efficacy levels is extremely high and secondly, citrus juice and citrus drinks are high in natural sugar (fructose) and calories and low in fiber.
In this instance, dietary supplementation is clearly much more practical than adding citrus bioflavonoids to the diet for inflammation.
Turmeric
The tuber or rhizome of the turmeric plant is what gives curry its distinctive yellow color. Turmeric also gives prepared mustard that bright yellow hue.
Turmeric is valued for more than cooking and coloring food, it is used in traditional and naturopathic medicine, and is valued for its curcumin content.
Traditionally, curcumin has been used for its antioxidative properties, but only recently has medical science studied the mechanism of benefit. Research shows the ability of curcumin to improve systemic markers of oxidative stress. Other studies have demonstrated curcumin’s ability to reduce histamine levels and possibly increase natural cortisone production by the adrenal glands.
The problem with relying on diet for curcumin is the limited bioavailability of this important polyphenol.
Studies find that poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and quick elimination from the body make ingesting sufficient curcumin problematic. When turmeric is consumed along with piperine from black pepper, the bioavailability is increased by 2000%.
But exactly who wants to eat mustard and black pepper in large quantities with each meal? This is another instance where adding supplements with natural ingredients makes much more sense than obtaining them through a regular diet.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
When you hear Omega-3 fatty acids, many people think of cardiovascular health. But a review of animal experiments and clinical intervention studies indicates that these fatty acids offer antioxidative benefits and may offer health benefits to bodies suffering from inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
But not all Omega-3s are the same. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are more biologically potent than alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are commonly found in fish whereas ALA is plant-based and is found in the seeds of flax, hemp, and chia.
Herring, salmon, tuna, and mackerel offer the highest amounts of Omega-3s per serving. Herring provides a whopping 1828 mg EPA/DHA per serving. So, if you want your patients to receive 1200 mg of Omega-3s per day, simply recommend that they eat one serving of herring each day, seven days a week. Herring carries less risk of mercury contamination than the other fish, so it is safe to eat daily.
But who wants to eat herring every day? Unless your patients are seals, it makes more sense to recommend they supplement their weekly intake of seafood with natural Omega-3 fatty acid supplements. If your patients are averse to seafood, then supplementation is most certainly the best option.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is considered a noxious weed in many parts of the country. But this highly-invasive plant is prized for removing waste and toxins and thus reducing inflammation.
Silymarin, a key component in milk thistle, has a proven anti-inflammatory effect. Laboratory studies on human liver and T cell lines indicate that silymarin suppresses cellular inflammation.
Silybin is the major active constituent of silymarin. It has a steroid structure like many of the other silymarin components.
Despite its natural antioxidative properties and weedy dispersion in the landscape, milk thistle isn’t a common part of the everyday American diet. Supplementation is the best way to enhance the diet with milk thistle.
Natural Antioxidant Products
For chiropractors and other medical professionals that want to improve their patient’s intake of natural antioxidant substances, supplementation is the best option.
Nutri-West manufactures several products with natural ingredients.
Complete Omega-3 Essentials provides high-quality fatty acids in the form of EHA, DHA, ALA, and GLA.
Pro-En-Zyme contains specially prepared enzymes for support of processes that clear reactive oxidative species from the body. It is an easy-to-take formula that includes lemon bioflavonoids and turmeric too.
Complete Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant, immune nutrient, and detoxifier that offers milk thistle and other key ingredients in tablet form. If you aren’t sure what natural antioxidant products will benefit your patients, reach out to Nutri-West of New York. One of our chiropractors will help you select the products that will improve patient outcomes.