Does the Body Produce an Anti-Inflammatory Naturally?

Posted by kwonder on July 12th, 2018 Posted in: Blog, Consumer Health, General (all entries), NIH, Research

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Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found a lipid naturally produced by the body is capable of reducing inflammation caused by a specific bacteria and virus.

The bacteria being studied is Francisella tularensis (tularemia), a life-threatening disease that can be difficult to diagnose.  It is typically spread to humans through the bite of a tick, mosquito, or deer fly.  Once a diagnosis is confirmed, the disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes.  It is not life threatening like tularemia but there is not a specific method of treatment for it.  Symptoms include severe headache and general body pain.

Both tularemia and dengue fever have a component of inflammation that scientists believe could be reduced by phosphatidylethanoloamine (PE) which is a lipid.  A lipid, or fat, is a nutrient that provides the body with energy and assists with vitamin absorption.   This reduction in inflammation has already been proved in cell-culture experiments.

To learn more about the study and findings, read the entire NIH press release.

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