Inflammation…we all experience it, on some level, throughout our lifetime. And unfortunately it seems to increase as we age.
Some people call aging, inflammaging. And it’s true!!! Inflammation does age us. And the older we get, the more inflammation we seem to have. Wouldn’t it be nice to find a magic pill to take it all away? Well, maybe there is one.
Inflammation can sometimes appear seemingly out of nowhere but it’s usually the a result of an injury or procedure, high insulin and poor glucose control, lousy diet, compromised digestion, an infection that doesn’t get resolved, menopause, andropause, stress, medications, genetics. The list goes on but you get the point.
It shows up in our: joints, eyes, spine, gut, heads, sinuses, feet, skin, weight. It affects our energy, can manifest as cancer, is a driver of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and autoimmune disease. It’s also a driver of infertility, endometriosis and mood disorders. I’m pretty sure everyone reading this list can relate to at least one manifestation of inflammation.
So, yes inflammation is ubiquitous and often very difficult to effectively squelch or more importantly resolve.
And what we use to alleviate inflammation and pain like pain medications (OTC and prescription) and steroids have their downside and can actually inhibit our own body’s ability to produce anti-inflammatory chemicals called Pro-resolvers which are the very things we need to effectively reduce the fire that’s burning. WOW!
Did you just catch that? Our bodies have an amazing ability to make incredible chemicals to resolve acute and chronic inflammation and pain. These chemicals are called SPM’s or Specialized Pro-Resolve Mediators.
These mediators are actually produced by our body from Omega 3’s (EPA and DHA) and a little Omega 6’s. So you might ask, why don’t we just make sure that everyone is taking at least a few grams of Omega 3’s daily. Well, there are a few reasons this doesn’t always translate.
1. It’s not that easy to get grams of fish oil down someone. Taste, burping, size of capsule and if a client is vegan, are all deterrents. And even if a person is eating a lot fish, it still often doesn’t translate and unfortunately, there’s a risk of ingesting high amounts of mercury.
2. There has to be a conversion of the Omega’s to the Pro-Resolvers which can be inhibited either genetically or by using the very things that most of us take to handle immediate pain and inflammation-OTC NSAIDS like aspirin and Tylenol.
3. The vagus nerve is involved in making SPM’s. So if there is an issue with the tonality of the vagus nerve, which so many people have in our stress driven world, the ability to make SPM’s is compromised.
Now, not all SPM’s are created equal. In fact, I first heard about SPM’s about two years ago, being used to resolve COVID Long Hauler’s and I was not all that impressed when I tried them in my own practice. What I’ve since learned is there is a specific method of making pro-resolvers that make them more effective.
(A side note: the issue with Long Hauler’s is the body’s inability to RESOLVE the inflammation that the COVID virus caused, even though the virus is no longer present.)
Metagenics makes and distributes a SPM that matches the specifications of Dr. Charles Serhan who discovered SPM’s and is the author of many clinical trials testing the effectiveness of SPM for various conditions.
Metagenics IS more expensive than other brands. I’ve compared cost and concentration across many reputable brands and am confident it’s worth it. I’ve just ordered the Metagenics brand myself for a big toe joint that’s been talking to me for months. I’ve been using a different brand of SPM and have received some relief but only about 50% resolved. I’ll let you know what happens! Stay tuned!
Dosing: SPM’s are well tolerated. For most adults, it’s recommended to use 1 cap twice daily but can safely be increased to 2 caps twice daily for more acute situations. It’s not a cheap product so 1-2 daily would be maintenance and 2 twice daily would be more for acute situations or flares. There are many practitioners who feel their ROI is high using SPM’s.
I’ve just started adding it to what I call my entry supplement stack (the basic 3-4 supplements I often recommend to my clients from the get go). And I’m excited to see how it helps many of my clients resolve some of their pain and inflammation.
If you’re wondering what specific conditions SPM’s could benefit, here’s a partial list.
- Joint pain
- IBS and IBD
- Surgery
- Head Injury
- Dental Work
- Heart disease
- Autoimmune Disease
- Cancer
- Cancer treatment
- Endometriosis
- Food sensitivities
- Allergies
If you’d like to try out Metagenics SPM, Here’s a Link to my dispensary to order yours at a 15% discount.
I would love feedback from all who try it. Please!!! Your feedback helps me help all of you.
The resolution of inflammation is central to human health. And we need to cool the fire with all the basic things we already know to do, including a good diet, lifestyle, lowering stress, getting sleep, exercise, replenishing hormones, and then add Pro-Resolvers as needed, when we can’t get over a hump.
I invite you to listen to very well done podcast/YouTube by Dr. Kara Fitzgerald on SPM’s. She gives wonderful insight on how these amazing chemicals work and why. Link is here.
Be Well! |
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