Q: I have followed the Zone Diet for years. When I exercise, I break out in an angry red rash and itch all over, making exercise a miserable experience. I increased my fish oil intake to 5g a day several weeks ago, but the problem persists. In fact, it may be getting worse. Thank you for any suggestions.
A: You have a condition similar to exercise-induced asthma. The exercise can increase the production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids. Before considering increasing the fish oil, consider adding more vegetables and reducing fruits on your Zone Diet and try to eliminate most of the sources of omega-6 fatty acids. This will further reduce the formation of arachidonic acid, thus decreasing the likelihood of pro-inflammatory eicosanoid production during exercise.