Of the many websites and books that we consider for mentioning here at Inflammation911.com, her book was a real standout.

Why? Mainly because of the gifted way in which Evelyn teaches. I really took note of the many analogies and “word pictures” she uses to make subjects like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, inflammation and nutritional healing simple and interesting.

As you can imagine, I considered it a real privilege to be granted an interview with someone who has been interviewed by CNN, “Good Morning America”, “Today” and Fox News. And…what an amazing interview it was. Evelyn is absolutely a reservoir of knowledge, but, more than that, she is an infectious advocate for health and healing.

Our interview is about 20 minutes. She answers questions such as:

…and much more!

Enjoy Listening to the Interview!

Obviously, Inflammation911.com certainly does not want to be a contributor to the pile o’ junk.

Secondly, I truly appreciate this feedback and want all to know that ALL feedback will ALWAYS be welcome and greatly appreciated.
So, on to the correction or, more precisely, the editorial clarification.

The recent post entitled “Best Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fish or Flaxseed?” brought attention to a story on CNN about a book by Dr. Andrew Stoll called “The Omega-3 Connection”. He claimed in the interview that “two-thirds of the population cannot convert the omega-3 found in flaxseed”. This proved to be quite a controvesial claim.

I have not read the book (I will be reading it soon however) so I cannot elaborate on how he substantiates that claim. But who would have thought there was such a following for flax oil! :)

What We Have Learned

First: I thought I already knew this, but I guess not–don’t accept everything you read or hear as TRUE. Be diligent and do some research!

Second: Clearly provide an editorial opinion when sharing information from another source. In this case, I wish I would have made it clear that I did not verify the claim that “two-thirds of the population cannot convert the omega-3 found in flaxseed”.

Third: Openly ask for help from our community of readers when presenting a controversial bit of information. We would love to see an open and frank discussion of the various natural health topics we discuss. This would only improve the quality and authenticity of the information found at Inflammation911.com.

Finally: We have a great group of readers who care very much about honest natural health information and they deserve the best we have to offer.

Again, thank you for the feedback and keep it coming!

It turns out that omega-6 starts the fire of inflammation and omega-3 puts it out.

It is a complicated contradiction but as Dr. Evelyn Tribole puts in in her recent book The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet (which is really a fascinating book by the way)

“It is no different from the opposing tools used for repairing a house. You might need a demolition ball to tear out a rotten wall and a crane to deliver wood for building a new wall.”

In a similar fashion, a healthy inflammation process uses the power derived from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (namely, a class of chemicals called eicosanoids) to constrict or dialate blood vessels, prevent or trigger blood clots, and so on. As with most systems in the body, an amazing balance between “demolition and building” is required for your body to elicit the proper inflammation response.

Unfortunately, unless you have optimized your diet already, you probably overwhelm your body with omega-6 and starve it of omega-3 on a daily basis.

The result?

A one-sided, unbalanced inflammation response!!

So, in an effort to get you motivated enough to actually change you behavior, here we list 6 ways that omega-3 fatty acids !ZAP! inflammation.

Maybe now you will choose a nice grilled filet of fish over a juicy burger at the next summer BBQ.

Omega-3 flips the switch on inflammation genes – Your body’s natural inflammation process requires that genes (or DNA) must be turned on and off (activated and deactivated). The primary constituents of omega-3 fats, DHA and EPA, do the flip switching… or the switch flipping (whichever you prefer). Sure medications such as [tag-tec]COX-2 inhibitors[/tag-tec] can do this too but fish oils (an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids) don’t have side affect such as “adverse cardiac event” printed on the wrapper.

Here’s the list… Omega-3 fatty acids:

1. Inhibit the inflammation causing enzymes called LOX, COX-1 and Cox-2
2. Inhibit the release of inflammation promoting omega-6
3. Inhibit the activity of cytokines which cause cartilage destruction
4. Decrease blood pressure
5. Inhibit excessive blood clotting
6. Benefit the heart, mood, cancer, and more… – you’ll have to read Dr. Tribole’s book :)

Ultimately, the dominating fats (omega-3 or omega-6) in your diet, and thus your cells dictate the “inflammation status” of your body.

• If your diet consists of mostly omega-6 fats, your inflammation response will be unbalanced and damaging to your cells.
• Conversely, if your diet is rich in omega-3 fats, your inflammation response will be balanced.

Simple huh?