Silent inflamation

we often make medicine more complex than it really is.  That’s because the underlying cause of
chronic disease is increased inflammation.  What we see as heart disease, cancer, and
Alzheimer’s are not different diseases, but simply different manifestations of long-term damage
caused by a continued inflammatory attack on your organs.

There are two types of inflammation.  The first is classical inflammation that hurts because of
organ damage.  This is what forces you go to a doctor.  The second type is far more insidious and
far more dangerous. I call this silent inflammation. This type of inflammation causes no pain
therefore you do nothing to stop it.  But after years, if not decades of constant inflammatory
attack, there is enough organ damage that you call it chronic disease.

Silent inflammation is an indicator of the inflammatory potential at the cellular level.  It is not a
disease, but high levels of silent inflammation are the first indication that you are no longer well. 
There is no drug that can reverse silent inflammation, but the anti-inflammatory Zone Diet can.

How do you know if you have silent inflammation?  The ideal way is taking a blood test just as
you would to determine your cholesterol levels.  But if you are like me, you probably hate giving
blood.  Fortunately there are some questions you can ask yourself to give you an indication that
you may have high levels of silent inflammation.  No one question is sufficient, but if you can
answer yes to more than three of these questions, you probably have elevated levels of silent
inflammation.  Here are the questions, simply ask yourself:

 Are you overweight?

Are you taking a cholesterol-lowering drug?

Are you taking hypertensive drugs like beta-blockers or diuretics?

Are you constantly craving carbohydrates?

Are you continually fatigued?

Are you groggy upon waking?

Do you have brittle fingernails?

You are probably thinking that the vast majority of Americans may have silent inflammation. 
After doing thousands of blood tests on “healthy” Americans I have come to the same
conclusion.  They are not sick enough to have a chronic disease, but they are definitely no longer
well.
This explains why we spend so much on health care and have so little to show for it.  Americans
are not only the fattest people on the planet, but the most inflamed.  But fortunately, it is possible
to reverse silent inflammation in 30 days using an anti-inflammatory diet.

Nutrients

The more you understand genetics, the more impressed you become by the power of nutrients to
alter the expression of genes, especially those that control inflammation.  At one point in our
evolution, hundreds of millions of years ago, immunological response and nutrient storage and
metabolism were all shared functions.  Today there is still extensive cross communication
between these systems.  The central communication point is through the innate immune system,
which has long been ignored as an integral part of the immune response.  Primitive as it may be,
it is still the front line of defense against microbial invasions and initiates the generation of
inflammatory responses against such invaders.  Unfortunately, many components of our current
diet are activating those same inflammatory response mechanisms just as a microbial invader
would.  Likewise other components of our diet that would normally inhibit these inflammatory
responses are now sadly lacking.  Recently discovered components of the innate immune system
such as toll-like receptors and nuclear transcription factors occupy the central focus of genetic
technology yet they are significantly impacted by dietary components such as the balance of
protein-to-carbohydrate, polyphenols, and omega-3 fatty acids that are key to the practice of anti-
inflammatory medicine.

Fish Oil

Currently we hear a lot of good news about omega-3 fatty acids.  They are useful for heart
disease, depression, arthritis, and even weight loss.  How can these fats do so many things?  The
answer is they reduce silent inflammation.

The good news about Omega 3 fatty acids is that they reduce inflammation caused by chronic
disease and the diet.  The bad news is they also reduce the body’s innate anti-inflammatory
ability to promote cell rejuvenation, repair and healing.  It’s like taking two steps forward and
one step back.  You are still ahead of the game, but not as far along as you could be.

If wellness is your ultimate goal, then you must simultaneously control both phases of the
inflammatory response in each of your 100 trillion cells.  If you can, that is the true molecular
definition of anti-aging medicine.

For 25 years, I have worked on this problem, and now have the solution with a new generation of
super fish oils that accomplish the desired goals of reducing pro-inflammatory responses caused
by diet or chronic disese, and at the same time increase cellular rejuvenation, repair and healing. 
The key lies in the isolation of new natural inhibitors of the enzyme that converts the essential
fatty acid building blocks of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids into the building blocks for pro-
inflammatory eicosanoids.  With the right combination of essential fatty acids and the
appropriate enzyme inhibitors, it is possible to fine-tune the most appropriate EPA/DHA
concentrate for individual genetics to maximize control of silent inflammation for a lifetime.

TESTIMONIALS

I read in the testimonials of a retired man in his late 50s who had been trying to lose those few
extra pounds with mostly rebound success. Lose a little now and put on a lot later. That was me
as well. I also received a warning from my doctor concerning high cholesterol again. I started the
Zone Diet with a goal of achieving a target weight 20 pounds lighter and improving my
cholesterol numbers. In 2 1/2 months of following the combination of type and quantity foods to
stay in the "Zone", I have gone slightly lower than my weight target. Sleeping has improved by
being continuous through the night. I am easily able to control my hunger. My blood testing has
shown an increase of 35 percent in HDL and a 50 percent decrease in LDL. These are great
improvements for me, more successful than other "diets". I am not on medications of any kind. I
have started taking Omega 3s and have bench marked my blood testing. I am looking forward to
similar good numbers for heart risk and silent inflammation. Thank you, Dr. Sears, and your
organization for making this method of eating so clear and manageable.

I've read a couple of the past testimonials that have been posted, and find myself nodding in
agreement with what I see. I, too, was becoming very frustrated with my own and my doctor's
attempts to control my cholesterol and triglycerides. I've been a high coronary risk for as long
as I can remember (in the 7's), but, I always accepted it because heart attacks run in my family.
Then I had a blood test that showed my trigycerides hitting an all time high of 460 and it really
hit home. I've always had very low HDL readings in the 30's. My LDL has been at the high end
of normal, and my cholesterol was always high. I've been on the Zone now for 9 months, and
for the first time...I am not a high coronary risk! I'm not even in the normal range, I'm below it!!
My cholesterol has remained fairly high, but my HDL has almost doubled to 59, and my
triglycerides are now in the 60s. I never felt I was overweight, but I have lost 15 pounds and 2
inches on my waist. Overall, I feel I've added 10 years to my life, maybe 20! I'm a believer.
Now my mission has become convincing the rest of my family of how they, too, could benefit.
I have a sister who has been battling cancer for two years now, and I would love nothing better
than to get her to try it and possibly help her fight. Thank you for this revolutionary new life
style. Thank you for the Zone!!

It's my turn for a testimonial. Compared to some of the testimonials you get, it's not
overwhelming. But I'm pretty happy with it. I think the dumbest thing I ever did in my adult life
was buy "Enter the Zone", read it, and then put it aside. I thought it was too radical, with not
enough references. I even wrote for your reference list, thinking it was too much to ask us to
accept your stories over the likes of Ornish and McDougall who seem to have the establishment's
ear. It took my wife coming down with a life-threatening breast cancer to make me really
question everything I thought I knew about nutrition, and do a lot of online research. The more I
read, the more it sounded like you were right. I started Zoning in May of '97. Before this, I had a
cholesterol problem: low HDLs. My doctor put me on a lowfat diet (30% CFF). When that didn't
work, I tried a lower fat diet, going as low as 10% for a while. My HDLs started at 29, and the
30% diet got them as high as 29. When I combined the 10% fat diet, and my regular hundred
miles of bike riding a week, I got my HDLs to 29. When I was put on Zocor for a year, they got
up to 35. My total cholesterol stayed around 200, but my triglycerides were 150-ish. A second
doctor took me off the Zocor at my request, two years ago. He didn't think it was worth taking it
for the change I got. Today, I got the results of my first profiles since I started the Zone. My total
cholesterol is still around 200. My HDLs are up to 45, higher than they ever were on Zocor. My
HDL/Total chol. ratio risk has gone from over 2, to not being a risk factor at all. My triglycerides
have gone from 150 to 62, giving a Trig:HDL ratio of 1.4:1, as opposed to over 4 at best when
on a lowfat, high-carb diet. Yes, I did have excess fat to lose, and I've lost 40 pounds. I could
stand to lose some more, and would love to lose it at the one pound per week rate. But this is a
small gripe. All in all, I'm quite content to have cured a low HDL problem with such an easy to
live with diet. I'm a big guy, and I have been humbled by the amount of food I have to eat to get
5 carbo blocks . My wife switched to Zoning when she saw how well I was eating. Her emphasis
is not the weight control, but the excellent nutrient density you get eating this way. Bread, rice
and pastas are just not as nutrient rich as fruits and vegetables. Her cancer is in complete
remission. So, thanks, Dr. Sears. Count me as a Zoner for life!

I just read the testimonial of "Will B.", who says he is a diabetic and is controlling it with zone
meals. ( See "Dr. Sears should write the book on diabetes," Testimonials, 1/19/98.) I know that
what he says is true, because I am a type II diabetic and have been on the Zone for almost a year
now. I have observed the same phenomenon of having my blood sugar high before breakfast and
much lower two or three hours after breakfast. I haven't discussed this with any doctor, but I
have mentioned "The Zone" to some "professional health care" people who are affiliated with a
local hospital and work out of a medical motor clinic at various neighborhood meeting places
(churchyards, etc.) and they had not heard of it either. What I'm saying is that "Will" is
absolutely right when he says that they don't know from Shinola about how diabetes works and
how to control it. For almost a year now I have been keeping my blood sugar down below 140
just by eating in the Zone. I have to keep it under control by diet and exercise only (no
medication) in order to pass a "Third Class Medical" issued by doctors who work with the FAA
to maintain physical fitness of pilots. In other words, if I didn't eat as I do in the Zone, I would
not be allowed to fly. Needless to say, I am a confirmed "Zoner".
5

Dr. Sears has totally redesigned his Drsears.com Web site to focus on the premier science for the
Zone Diet.  More importantly, it is designed to become a primary destination site for any
physician or patient seeking to learn more about anti-inflammatory medicine and the breaking
research news that supports this revolutionary concept.

“I want people to think about nutrition as the primary treatment for inflammatory conditions,”
Dr. Sears said. “The power of the Zone Diet is its ability to turn off inflammatory genes and
simultaneously turn on equally powerful anti-inflammatory genes that promote cell rejuvenation,
repair and healing.”

Among the new features on Drsears.com are different chronic disease categories, allowing
people to hone in on what’s the most important topic to them: Cancer, heart disease, diabetes,
immunological disorders, dietary immunology (the connection of our diet with inflammatory
responses), neurological disorders and obesity.  Each subcategory consists of relevant research
articles, as well as breaking research news and medical testimonials on each condition.

Another new, exciting element of DrSears.com is Zone TV, consisting of short videos with Dr.
Sears explaining the science behind each of the categories as well as the Zone Diet in general.  In
the near future, we will be incorporating Zone Radio to provide a compendium of relevant news
to physicians and the general population.

The site still retains the daily Health News with Dr. Sears’ comments, Zone Monday, and Ask
Dr. Sears with archives going back as far at 1997 when DrSears.com first started.

“The pace of nutritional research and molecular biology is going so fast that even full-time
medical researchers have given up hope of trying to understand the general picture of how they
all work together in the field of nutrigenomics,” Dr. Sears said.  “My staff and I devote a good
deal of working time to not only update, but to interpret this vast amount of knowledge that can
be quickly converted to practical clinical use.”

Since the new DrSears.com is primarily a science site, hundreds of recipes have been transferred
to Zoneliving.com, Dr. Sears’ lifestyle Web site that gives people every tool that they need to
successfully follow his Zone Wellness Pyramid. Links from Drsears.com take Zoners to the
community forums and Zone Labs products. 

in November of 2001 I had broken the 300 pound mark, something I swore I would never do. I
had purchased "Mastering the Zone" about six months before that, read it and left it at that. On
Nov. 1 I started my new way of eating, Zone friendly meals. I eat 18 blocks per day and walk 10
minutes to and from work. I am 32 years old, and my weight was 297 pounds when I officially
stepped on the scale, three weeks after starting the Zone diet. Since that time, nine months, I
have lost 61 pounds and six inches from my waist. I also have high blood pressure, but my
medication has been cut by two-thirds. My doctor is amazed with my results, and approves of my
new eating habits. I no longer think of the Zone as a diet but as a new way of life. My meals are
flexible, even factoring M&Ms in as a meal's carb blocks (not the most Zone- friendly thing to
do, but it allows me to still enjoy my favorite snack). My energy level has increased
dramatically, and I have even been known to wear out my 2 1/2-year-old son! Dr. Sears I cannot
thank you enough for your dedication to your research. If your goal is to help at least one person
live a healthier, more enjoyable life, you have done it (and from the other testimonials, many
more than just me). Thank you! 

I hope you will check out the new www.zonediet.com, the official Web site of the Zone Diet.
Not only is it totally redesigned, but now you can get individualized Zone Diet menus based on
your body composition and personal food likes. This remarkable new feature takes all of the
guesswork out of being in the Zone. You pick out the meals you like to eat, and then get a
shopping list for everything you need to purchase for the next week. It can't get much simpler
than that. Also coming soon are improved Zone TV and Radio segments to provide the latest in
Zone technology and testimonials as well as additional user-friendly information. I hope that you
like it as much as I do.

Thank you, Dr. Sears! Last May 2001 I decided to try your Zone Diet. I had gained 40 pounds
after giving birth to my son in 1993. My body fat percentage was 39. I was a size 12-14, and my
energy was at such low ebb I thought I had Epstein Barr virus. I developed asthma and got
winded walking up a flight of stairs. I fought with depression, and cooking for my family was
almost an effort too much to bear. I tried various diets to no avail, and finally gave away all of
my size 8 clothes, just accepting I would always remain heavy. Finally I tried The Zone. Eleven
months later I'm down to 130 pounds, 24 percent body fat, and fitting into a size 6 easily. I'm
walking the hilly terrain near my home 4-6 miles a day. My energy is wonderful. My state of
mind is peaceful. Like one of your other testimonials, everyone is asking what I did. I'm just
overjoyed to share this lifestyle with anyone who will listen. You literally saved my life and
sanity. Life is worth living again. I only wish I knew nine years ago what I know now. I thank
you, and my husband and kids thank you. 

10

My mother is a Type 2 diabetic and has been on oral medication for this condition. Also, she has
been taking medication for high blood pressure. Her doctor had her on the typical high-carb diet
along with the medication to "fix" the problems. After having chest pains and several tests done
on her heart, she was ready for a new approach for treatment. I told her about the Zone plan and
let her read all the testimonials on your web site. We sat down together and figured out her
blocks and what she should eat. That was almost a month ago. She was 155 lbs. Now she is 145
lbs. She feels awesome and is no longer on any medication per her doctor. Her doctor is amazed
as well and told her that if she continues to improve and lose weight that he will recommend the
Zone plan to other patients. My mom finally feels like she is in control now.

11

Just had my annual physical. Here are the results after three months on the Zone Diet: lost 21
pounds, cholesterol down from 228 to 190, BP 110/66. Energy way up. My doctor wanted to
know what I had been doing. I have just turned 59, male, non- smoker, non-drinker, take no
medications. I take the following supplements: daily multi-vitamin, Vitamin E, C, calcium, 81mg
aspirin, Dr. Sears' fish oil as recommended. Needless to say, I am well pleased. My wife reports
similar results. Thanks for a great plan! Quite willing to make testimonials as needed. 

The Zone is not some mystical place or some clever marketing terms. It is a real physiological
state in your body where the hormones that control silent inflammation are maintined in a zone
that is not too high, but not too low. This requires treating food as if it were a drug to be taken at
the right dose and at the right time. However, saying food is a drug is actually derogatory to food
since your diet affects hormones that are hundreds of times more powerful than any drug. In
many respects, food will be the most powerful drug you will ever take because you are using
this drug at least three times a day for the rest of your life. Thus your diet can be your greatest
ally or worst enemy because the hormonal rules for humans haven't changed in the past
150,000 years, and they probably won't change tomorrow.

the Zone has been found to be superior in hormonal control, blood glucose control,
blood lipid control, appetite suppression, fat loss, and most importantly the reduction of
silent inflammation.