Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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If you look at the Nutrition Data website (http://nutritiondata.self.com/), you'll find a measure called "inflammation factor." It tells me that both fish and nuts are anti-inflammatory. The fish I get, but nuts are anti-inflammatory, with all those Omega-6s? Does anyone know the science behind the inflammation factor?

flag	asked Dec 11 2010 at 16:32 wjones3044 10k●19●56

Good question! I was wondering how they came up with that stuff as well, even though I already figured out I didn't agree with it. – Eva Dec 11 2010 at 21:49

Aaron Curl · Answer 1 · 2010-12-11 16:59:24Z UTC

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Well, I know the website but it's obviously put together by people that believe in the SAD, so I would take their "inflammation factor" and disregard it. Their "inflamation factor" is based on people who eat the SAD, so it wouldn't make since for a paleo eater to look at their inflammation factor.

answered Dec 11 2010 at 16:59

Aaron Curl
1,264●2●9

Yes I get that the Website has multiple flawed premises. But I wonder if the "science" behind the "IF" rating has any more legitimacy than, say, the "science" behind "5-7 fruits and vegetables a day." – wjones3044 Dec 11 2010 at 17:14

Earl Cannonbear · Answer 2 · 2010-12-11 17:04:55Z UTC

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All you need to know is that grains and sugar are super inflammatory and wreak havoc with the metabolic system.

End of story.

answered Dec 11 2010 at 17:04

Earl Cannonbear
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Well I agree with you there. But if you look at coconut milk, one of my staples, it is listed as very, super, highly inflammatory. Just curious how they calculate it and if there's any evidence to support its validity. I see that there's already a question to this effect; however, the link to a summary article is broken or down. If it's true that their IF rating is based solely on saturated fat content, then I'll dismiss it. – wjones3044 Dec 11 2010 at 17:19

Ambimorph · Answer 3 · 2010-12-11 19:56:08Z UTC

They base this on the Inflammation factor diet

They don't give explicit formulas, but rather say things like this:

The formula used to calculate the IF Ratings measures the effects of more than 20 different factors that determine a food’s inflammatory or anti-inflammatory potential, including:

amount and type of fat

essential fatty acids

vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

glycemic index

anti-inflammatory compounds

and this:

IF Negatives

This food contains known inflammatory nutrients, including arachidonic acid and saturated fat.

which leads me to believe they simply consider saturated fat to be inflammatory.

For example coconut oil is rated -1798 (strongly inflammatory).

So I just ignore that rating.

sarah-ann · Answer 4 · 2010-12-11 20:10:09Z UTC

Dietary Saturated fat is mistakenly seen as inflammatory because if you take some palmatic acid and drop it directly onto cells in a lab they will display an inflammatory response. Is this what happens in an actual body? No! The amount of palmatic acid in the bloodstream is not controlled by the amount of dietary sat fat, and is more likely to be controlled by carbs. In any case a paleo diet lowers CRP.

M. A. White · Answer 5 · 2011-07-20 22:36:38Z UTC

And what else dropped directly onto cells in a lab will display an inflammatory response? Everything??? Are there substances that don't?? I can't say for sure, but I have a hunch that that inflammatory response is a natural reaction by the cells to ANYTHING unnatural that is dropped directly onto them in the lab. If that is the case, then this demonstration does not show saturated fat to be inflammatory. Is that the only evidence they can offer to show that saturated fat is inflammatory, or is there something more conclusive???

M. A. White · Answer 6 · 2011-07-21 15:38:36Z UTC

Perhaps what is happening in the lab is happening because in the live body, the fatty acid may need another factor to help the cell "recognize" and admit the FA into the cell, and that factor is missing in the lab. I don't know positively that this is the case; it is just a guess because it reminded me of the body's need for insulin in order for the cells to admit glucose to the inside.

What is “inflammation factor”?

6 Answers