What is Inflammation?
The complexity of inflammation is often overwhelming. It is only now that chronic inflammation is becoming appreciated as the underlying cause of chronic disease.
There are actually two phases of inflammation. The first phase is the initiation phase that causes the heat, pain, swelling, and redness associated with inflammation from ancient times. However, there is a second phase called the resolution phase that reverses the initiation phase and allows tissue regeneration. As long as these two phases of inflammation are balanced, this becomes the molecular definition of wellness. If either phase is unbalanced, then we generate a state of low-level chronic inflammation that ultimately leads to loss of function. This inability to manage chronic inflammation can be used as a molecular definition of aging.
What is Pro-Resolution Nutrition?
Both the initiation and resolution phases of inflammation are under strong dietary control. The goal of pro-resolution nutrition is to discover which combination of nutrients and what levels are required to manage the inflammatory response for optimal wellness. This becomes the basis for “evidence-based wellness”.®
Understanding the role of nutrients and their impact on hormonal responses and gene transcription factors that control inflammatory response is the core of pro-resolution nutrition. At the Foundation, we are focused on three areas of anti-inflammatory nutrition. The effect of dietary composition on hormonal and genetic responses. Impact of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on both the initiation and resolution phases of the inflammatory response. Impact of dietary polyphenols on gut health and the activation of gene transcription factor to orchestrate repair of tissue damaged by inflammation.
Areas of Research
Although inflammation is central to understanding every chronic disease condition, the Foundation has focused its research in the following areas:
- Metabolic diseases (Obesity and diabetes)
- Neurological disease (Depression, brain trauma, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s)
- Auto-immune diseases (Multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus)
- Ocular diseases (AMD, retinopathy, and optical nerve damage)