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Review
. 2021;20(2):123-131.
doi: 10.2174/1871523019666200512114210.

Dietary Technologies to Optimize Healing from Injury-Induced Inflammation

Barry Sears  1 , Mary Perry  1 , Asish K Saha  1
Affiliations
Review

Dietary Technologies to Optimize Healing from Injury-Induced Inflammation

Barry Sears et al. Antiinflamm Antiallergy Agents Med Chem. 2021.

Abstract

Inflammation is an acute adaptive response to injury. However, if the initial inflammatory response to an injury is not completely healed, it becomes chronic low-level inflammation that is strongly associated with many chronic disease states, including metabolic (obesity and diabetes), cardiovascular, auto-immune, and neurogenerative disorders as well as cancer. The healing process is far more complex than the initiation of inflammation. Within that complexity of healing is a sequence of events that are under profound dietary control and can be defined by specific blood markers. Those molecular events of the healing process that are under significant dietary control are termed as the Resolution Response. The purpose of this review is to describe the molecular components of the Resolution Response and how different dietary factors can either optimize or inhibit their actions. In particular, those dietary components that optimize the Resolution Response include a calorie-restricted, protein-adequate, moderate-carbohydrate, low-fat diet referred to as the Zone diet, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols. The appropriate combination of these dietary interventions constitutes the foundation of Pro-Resolution Nutrition. The effect of these dietary components the actions of NF-κB, AMPK, eicosanoids, and resolvins are described in this review, as well as ranges of appropriate blood markers that indicate success in optimizing the Resolution Response by dietary interventions.

Keywords: AMPK; NF-κB; Resolution response; eicosanoids; inflammation; omega-3 fatty acids; polyphenols; resolvins; zone diet.

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Figures

Fig. (1)
Fig. (1)
The basic flow of the hormonal changes (eicosanoids and resolvins) and the activation of AMPK required for the resolution of an injury leading to healing.
Fig. (2)
Fig. (2)
Illustration of the balancing of the molecular factors involved in the Resolution Response.
Fig. (3)
Fig. (3)
When the Resolution Response is inhibited, inflammation caused by an injury cannot be completely resolved, and as a result, there is an increase in unresolved inflammation. Eventually, the compounding levels of unresolved inflammation will lead to the development of either cellular senescence or fibrosis that will accelerate the development of a chronic disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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