Happy Registered Dietitian Day

Registered Dietitian Day is today,Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Today, The American Dietetic Association proudly announces the third annual Registered Dietitian Day. As the nation's food and nutrition experts, registered dietitians are committed to improving the health of their patients and community. Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of RDs and their teams as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.

To improve health and because there is so much talk about arthritis, if you’re looking for a natural anti-inflammatory, look no further than fish and fish-oil supplements.  For some time, doctors have known that fatty coldwater fish, including mackerel, salmon, tuna and sardines, are rich in omega-3 oils, which help reduce arthritis inflammation.  Now they are starting to better understand why.  In a recent study published in Nature, researchers describe how the body converts docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an ingredient in omega 3-oils, into another chemical called Resolvin D2 and how that chemical reduces inflammation.  The implications,they say, may be the development of new drugs for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

In the meantime, doctors often recommend 2 or more servings of fish weekly for general health and supplementing with fish-oil capsules for inflammation.  Current recommendations suggest that to treat arthritis-related conditions, use fish oil capsules with at least thirty percent DHA.  For lupus and  psoriasis, take 2 grams DHA 3 times a day; For Raynaud’s disease 1 gram 4 times a day; For RA, up to 2.6g fish-oil (1.6gDHA twice a day. There are also many other conditions for which doctors’ are starting to prescribe fish-oil supplements for their patients, too.

PURINES

While scientists have long debated the role of diet in many forms of arthritis, one form where there has been agreement is, gout.  A diet high in compounds called purines is known to raise blood levels of uric acid, which can deposit as crystals in the joints, causing excruciating acute pain.  Limiting purines may add to the effectiveness of gout treatment prescribed by the doctor or health care professional, says N. Lawrence Edwards, MD , a professor of medicine at the University of Florida.  Foods to avoid:  alcohol, anchovies, bacon, organ meats, shellfish, venison.