Inflammations

Hello,

What does the term "meat restriction" entail? Does it mean, for example, eating meat twice a week? Or meat in the range of, say, 500g per week? How should this be understood? I understand there are some who live at the extreme, consuming meat twice a day and from poor sources. Is it also a factor whether it's meat from mass production or organic meat? Could it be that more organic meat is permissible compared to conventional meat?

Thank you.

There are no clearly defined boundaries or specific amounts of meat consumption that can be deemed harmful or safe. Meat exhibits pro-inflammatory properties, and its limitation aims to reduce inflammatory responses in the body, which are discussed as one of the contributing factors to the development of degenerative diseases (not only) of the brain. It depends on the individual's specific situation to what extent their intake will be adjusted. However, the rule that vegetarianism is the ideal state does not apply—there are many situations where it's advantageous for meat/fish to be part of the diet. Some studies suggest that consuming meat twice a week in portions of 100 grams each is sufficient, but take this with a certain caution, as it depends on the specific situation, including factors such as age, sex, and physical activity of the individual.

In relation to the inflammatory effects of meat, it is of course important to consider its quality, including not only its origin but also the method of processing.

Hello.
In this lesson, you mention in one place that eicosanoids originate from omega-3 acids and alleviate inflammation, and in another place that an excess of omega-6 promotes the formation of substances with inflammatory effects - eicosanoids. How should I understand this?
Thank you for your response.

Eicosanoids are substances that originate from polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically eicosapolyenoic acids (acids having 20 carbons, from Greek eikosi = 20). These are further divided into two groups:
1. Prostanoids, which include prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and thromboxanes,
2. Leukotrienes.
Each of these groups performs specific functions in the body. For the production of physiologically significant eicosanoids, omega-3 and omega-6 fats are particularly important. Since these groups of fatty acids are part of the diet, the formation of specific types of eicosanoids depends on the quality of the diet, specifically on the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. In simplified terms, it is presented that based on the O3 to O6 ratio, the body produces eicosanoids with pro-inflammatory effects (with an excess of O6) or conversely with anti-inflammatory effects (with an excess of O3).

Regarding vitamin K, I would like to ask if poor microflora and inflammation in the small intestine lead to low production of vitamin K2, and if it is known which bacteria are responsible for this?
Thank you.

In situations where the diversity of the gut microbiota is compromised, there may be a reduced production of vitamin K2. This process involves a variety of microorganisms (including, for example, Escherichia coli), but it is not the specialty of one or two specific species. This is why attempts to address the issue of insufficient K2 production in the gut by using specific probiotics have not been entirely successful.

Hello, Mr. Jelínek,

Recently, I attended a lecture where the instructor warned about nuts in general, stating that the maximum should be about two handfuls per week since they contain more omega-6 than omega-3. Therefore, frequent consumption might promote inflammation in the body. Personally, I consume about a handful of nuts daily, usually pre-soaked. Am I making a mistake by doing this? Is the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio truly disadvantageous in all nuts? In your lessons, you specifically mention this for hazelnuts, where this information is confirmed, but is it the same for other nuts?

I have a question about cashew nuts as well. How can I tell if they are fresh and not oxidized? Are any possible molds visible to the naked eye? Could you suggest where to purchase quality nuts?

Thank you for your response.

You are not making any mistake by any means. The fact is that, on average, nuts contain a high proportion of omega-6 fats, which is disadvantageous in relation to omega-3, but this information is taken out of context. The key is to control the o3 to o6 ratio within the overall daily dietary plan, where it is up to each of us to decide the path in terms of preferences for individual food groups.
The state of advanced oxidation in cashews can primarily be recognized by their color, which shifts towards yellow as the degree of oxidation increases. Molds are usually identifiable by the naked eye—they can be white, gray, or even black.
It is best to buy nuts in bulk rather than packed, where you don't have as much opportunity to visually assess their quality.