Do pro-inflammatory diets harm our health? And can anti-inflammatory diets help? – . Health Blog

Our emerging understanding of the role of inflammation in serious chronic illness has paid great attention to the effect of diet on the inflammatory process. Understanding the context can help us identify specific dietary patterns and foods that can reduce chronic inflammation and improve health.

Inflammation: Helpful, Harmful, or Both?

There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is the body's protective response to injury or infection. For example, acute inflammation occurs when you cut your finger. Your body sends out white blood cells to protect the area. You may see swelling and redness, and feel pain, but this process is critical to preventing infection.

Chronic inflammation can be triggered when the body tries to rid itself of harmful substances such as toxins from smoking. Elevated chronic inflammation is also linked to excess fat, especially around the abdomen.

Low-grade chronic inflammation can damage blood vessels, arteries, nerves, and the intestines. It can eventually lead to chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and some bowel diseases.

Can Diet Affect Chronic Inflammation?

When investigating markers of inflammation like C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), researchers found that diet can affect inflammation. There is also ample evidence that diet affects the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Is Inflammation The Means By Which Diet Affects Disease Risk?

Anti-inflammatory diets can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease

A study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) looked at whether pro-inflammatory diets were linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). (CVD includes non-fatal and fatal heart attacks and fatal and non-fatal strokes.) Researchers evaluated the diets of more than 200,000 women and men who participated in the Nurses 'Health Study, the Nurses' study. Health Study II and the Health Professional Follow-up Study. Study participants completed food frequency questionnaires every four years for up to 32 years.

The results showed that those who consumed the most anti-inflammatory diets were 38% more likely to develop CVD than those who consumed the most anti-inflammatory diets. The associations were consistent in men and women and remained significant even when other lifestyle factors and other potential inflammatory factors such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol were considered.

This study also showed that pro-inflammatory diets were linked to a bad cholesterol profile. This finding was also seen in another study, also published in JACC, which found that anti-inflammatory foods were damaging to cholesterol levels, while some anti-inflammatory foods had beneficial effects.

What foods are anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory?

Foods with higher anti-inflammatory potential include red meat, processed meat, and organ meat. refined carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, and many desserts; and sweetened drinks including colas and sports drinks.

Foods with higher anti-inflammatory potential include leafy green vegetables like kale, cabbage vegetables, and spinach. dark yellow vegetables like winter and summer squash and yellow peppers; Whole grain products like wheat berries, quinoa, whole grain bread, and oatmeal; and fruit, tea, coffee and wine. These foods contain specific anti-inflammatory compounds like carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins, and fiber.

The most recent results from the JACC study are in line with other research that identifies certain dietary patterns that are associated with lower inflammation and lower risk of CVD. This includes the Mediterranean Diet, which highlights many anti-inflammatory foods and limits anti-inflammatory foods like red meat and refined carbohydrates.

The Bottom Line: Limit anti-inflammatory foods and eat more anti-inflammatory foods

The data suggest that a prudent approach to both cutting down on pro-inflammatory foods and choosing an anti-inflammatory diet could be an effective strategy for CVD prevention.

Here are some handy ways to add more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet.