Grouppe Kurosawa Quality Of Life Blog

Low Level Inflammation and Obesity. Part One

It has been known for over ten years that low level inflammation, as detected by C-reactive protein levels in the blood, was associated with obesity and diabetes. Yet, the origin of this inflammation was never completely clear.

In the last five years, an increasing number of studies have shown that obesity is associated with the migration of macrophages into adipose (fat) tissues. These macrophages secrete immune hormones, such as TNF, IL-6, which promote both the development of pre-adiposites into mature adipose cells, and induce insulin resistance.

The following three research articles can be read online. The first artlcle is a nice review of this topic with some great color diagrams.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14679172&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14679176&itool=pubmed_Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14679177&itool=pubmed_Abstract

What does insulin resistance and macrophage mediated inflammation have to do with obesity? And can this insulin resistance and inflammation be reversed by anti-inflammatory agents? These are important questions that will be addressed in the next series of essays.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com

Note from the webmaster

Hi Bloggers,

I've had a few problems with the group mailing system on our email server today. Without realizing it I sent some of you your password updates from a mailbox other than webmaster@. If you did not receive a note from me today, please check your bulk/spam mail for caresmail@yahoo.com That's me, and the email is the new password for the blog starting Monday 7.28.08.

If you did not receive atleast one email about the updates, contact me at webmaster@grouppekurosawa.net.

Thanks,
Carole

News of the Day

Carole is changing the password for this blog in the next few days. If your subscription is not up to date, your access to the blog will be cut off.

I have a few more topics to cover in the Natural Medicine blog, but most of my efforts will now be directed to the QOL blog. I will begin with a series on the relationship between inflammation and obesity. This is a complicated topic, but its exciting because it gives us unexpected options on how to lose weight.

I will also be posting information on the treatment of skin diseases and general dry skin. I have a registered trademark on a product called SkinAlive. It completely rebuilds the barrier function of the skin. No other product can do this. I will tell you how to make it in your home. You will have to purchase the ingredients from me, but that is MUCH less expensive than purchasing the commercial product.

I have written a book on topical treatments for pain relief, promoting hair growth and retarding the development of herpes lesions. I was going to publish 3 additional books on promoting sexual arousal, promoting weight loss, and improving the health of skin. I have decided NOT to write these books. Instead, the information will be posted to this blog. Publishing a book and getting publicity has turned out to be a pain in the ass.

How do you get the press interested in books promoting sexual arousal or weight loss? You don't. They aren't interested. And I don't have the money to do infomercials.

Onward.

Steve

Protecting Your Liver Against Alcohol Induced Inflammatory Damage

The following study is fairly profound in its implications.

Chronic alcohol abuse causes an inflammatory response in the liver. Unless controlled, this inflammation results in cirrhosis and eventually liver cancer.

The following study shows that zinc supplements completely control the liver inflammation caused by chronic daily feeding of alcohol to mice.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=18375824&itool=pubmed_docsum

After six months of daily alcohol exposure, the mice were give oral doses of zinc sulfate, a soluble form of zinc. The effects were dramatic.

Alcohol induces oxidative stress which increases the synthesis and release of proinflammatory hormones such as TNF, tumor necrosis factor, and its receptor TNF-R1. It also increases the synthesis and release of FAS ligand and its receptor FAS. These hormones cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) and necrosis in liver cells. When zinc is administered with the alcohol, the expression of these receptors is down regulated. I knew that zinc was anti-inflammatory, but I had NO idea that it this anti-inflammatory. In researching this topic, I found that a protein called A20 is a natural inhibitor of NF-kappaB, the genetic factor that promotes the synthesis of almost all inflammatory genes. This protein binds 7 zinc molecules which are responsible for its activity.

The daily dose is 50 mgs of elemental zinc. If you have a zinc capsule that contains 220 mgs of product, such as zinc sulfate, 45-50 mgs will be zinc. I capsule a day and you don't have to stop drinking. The bottle should tell you how much actual zinc is in each capsule.

Stay tuned...

Grouppe Kurosawa, Medicine in the Public Interest

http://www.grouppekurosawa.com