That's where the alternative approach comes in. Many practitioners say they've been connecting the dots between inflammation and disease for years, only to have their warnings go unheeded. They've been particularly ahead of the curve in suggesting what they claim is the best defense against inflammation-related diseases: eating the right foods.

Here's how the inflammatory cycle can go awry. Under normal circumstances, inflammation is part of the immune reaction that helps the body heal when injured. When you slice your finger cutting onions, for example, blood vessels near the accident scene expand. That clears the way for the entrance of white blood cells, good guys who annihilate any bacteria that sneak in on the knife blade. They also mend ragged tissue by ordering in new cells to seal the cut. By the time the signs of inflammation kick in--heat, soreness, and swelling--the wound is well on its way to healing. Still, like an inconsiderate houseguest, inflammation can overstay its welcome. Medical researchers discovered long ago that certain diseases, such as lupus, Graves' disease, and fibromyalgia, emerge when the immune system flips on and refuses to turn off. And a new theory paints an even broader picture of how other killers gain a foothold when inflammation runs amok.

It all started with the heart. Until the early 1990s, experts believed that heart disease, specifically atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), resulted when sticky plaque glommed on to smooth artery walls, causing the arterial passageway to narrow. A heart attack was thought to be the end-case scenario, a blood clot finally plugging the last remaining opening in the dam. But as it turns out, the process is more complex than that. Experts now know that arteries aren't smooth pipes lined with white globs of gluey fat. Instead they are dynamic, multilayered tissue structures. Arteries do absorb LDL (bad) cholesterol from the bloodstream. But instead of sticking to the artery wall, LDL seeps between the tissue layers and festers, like an angry plaque-filled blister. The body triggers an inflammatory response to contain the damage and the artery swells, constricting blood flow to the heart. Disaster finally strikes when the plaque bursts and debris barricades the artery.

With Alzheimer's, a backward glance uncovered the inflammation connection. Numerous studies show that people who use ibuprofen, a popular anti-inflammatory, lower their risk of acquiring the disease. Although the mechanism isn't fully understood, neurologists believe the brain's immune cells rally to attack a form of plaque that signals Alzheimer's. The ensuing skirmish creates inflammation that may spur progression of the disease.

As for diabetes, it's often related to how much fat a person carries around on his or her frame. Fat cells ooze inflammation-boosting proteins called cytokines, so more fat equals more inflammation. Over time, too many circulating cytokines dampen the body's ability to monitor insulin production. Eventually the body's efforts falter, and the gate swings open for Type 2 diabetes. (It's no coincidence that rates of the disease are nudging upward in unison with America's belt size.) Chronic inflammation in the body also causes cells to oxidize, which may trigger a cascade of cancerous mutations. In fact, Bruce Ames, a biochemist at the University of California at Berkeley and former board member of the National Cancer Institute, thinks inflammation is responsible for up to 30 percent of all cancers.

Scary stuff for sure, but fortunately, experts are also learning more about some simple, even pleasurable, ways to reduce inflammation. Exercise and stress relief are important, but the best defense, most researchers agree, is through diet. Most foods either fuel the fires of inflammation or tamp them down. And fat is the crux of the issue. The goal is to eat a good balance of inflammatory fats (mainly omega-6s, as found in safflower, sunflower, and corn oil) and anti-inflammatory fats (like omega-3s, found in fish, and omega-9s, which olive oil has). But most people chow down on up to 30 times more inflammatory fats than anti. "The typical American diet is priming people for inflammation." "It's like sitting in a parked car with your foot on the gas. Eventually you'll overheat."

The good news is that dozens of foods, herbs, and spices are proven to rev up the body's ability to stomp out inflammatory hot spots. For evidence, one need look no further than studies of rheumatoid arthritis. In one published in Rheumatology International, patients who followed an anti-inflammatory diet had a 14 percent decrease in joint tenderness and swelling compared to those who ate a typical Western diet. Fish oil supplements goosed the results even further, bringing the final tally of those feeling an improvement up to 31 percent. Small studies suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet may also hold Alzheimer's disease at bay. In a French study of cognitive decline, scientists followed the diets of 1,600 seniors for seven years. In the end, those who ate fish at least once a week were less likely to develop the disease. Because the concept of eating to curb inflammation is still relatively new, most of the existing evidence is anecdotal. Jacob Farin, a naturopath in Portland, Oregon, has seen patients with everything from chronic back pain to pancreatitis improve after adopting an anti-inflammatory diet.

The bottom line? An anti-inflammation eating plan may be the most efficient diet you've ever seen. In one fell swoop, you'll hedge your bets against some of the biggest health threats facing Americans today.

For more information on Millennium's approach to anti-inflammation, contact us at (727) 541-2675.

It is important that you do not reduce, change, or discontinue any medication or treatment without first consulting your physician. Millennium offers its recommendations only as general information and not as specifically applicable to any individual's medical problem), concern, or needs.