Prostaglandin production is influenced by natural processes, diet, and medication. They affect many organs and can cause inflammation, fever, and pain. NSAIDs reduce prostaglandin production, but also inhibit beneficial ones. Diet can stimulate or suppress prostaglandin production. Some substances, such as bromelain, turmeric, mangosteen, and pomegranate, can suppress inflammatory prostaglandins.
Prostaglandin production is influenced by many factors, including the body’s natural processes, diet, and medications. The body produces prostaglandins in response to tissue or blood vessel injury. Ingesting various types of dietary fat stimulates the body to produce prostaglandins, some beneficial and some potentially harmful. Finally, prostaglandin production can be controlled through nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin.
The body’s production of fatty acid-derived prostaglandin affects nearly every organ in the body. Some prostaglandins cause inflammation, fever, and pain in response to disease or injury, while other types inhibit the inflammatory response. Prostaglandins also cause uterine contractions during pregnancy. They act similar to hormones in that they cause changes in body processes, but they are produced in the cells of the body in the area where their action is required.
Aspirin and other NSAIDs work to reduce prostaglandin production and reduce pain and inflammation, but they also inhibit the production of beneficial prostaglandins. Another class of drugs called selective COX-2 inhibitors work to reduce only the production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins while leaving the beneficial prostaglandins alone.
Prostaglandin production plays an important role in causing uterine contractions that lead to childbirth. To induce labor, prostaglandins can be applied to the cervix or taken by mouth. Interestingly, semen also contains prostaglandins, leading to the scientifically disproven theory that having sex will stimulate labor.
Because prostaglandins are derived and synthesized from fatty acids, diet can be used to suppress antagonistic prostaglandins that cause pain and inflammation or to stimulate the production of beneficial prostaglandins to reduce inflammation. Foods high in saturated animal fats, such as red meat and dairy products, contain arachidonic acid (AA). This fatty acid is a precursor to the production of inflammation-producing antagonistic prostaglandins in the body, including the type of prostaglandin that increases uterine contractions.
Foods containing vegetable oils and B vitamins, such as nuts and seeds, contain linoleic acid (LA), which is converted to gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) in the body. LA and GLA stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Fish oils containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), evening primrose oil, and borage oil supplements also contain high amounts of GLA.
Other substances can increase beneficial prostaglandin production by suppressing inflammatory prostaglandins. Bromelain is an enzymatic substance derived from pineapple that has historically been used to treat inflammatory conditions. While results have been mixed, some studies show that it suppresses inflammatory prostaglandins produced as a result of osteoarthritis, digestive disorders, and sinusitis. Turmeric, mangosteen, and pomegranate have also shown prostaglandin-suppressing qualities and should be studied further for their effects on prostaglandin production.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
