Have you heard the term “anti-inflammatory diet”? Perhaps your friends have been talking about it, or you have been reading more and more about it online. But why is inflammation bad for us, and what does food have to do with it?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Inflammation is a part of your body’s normal response to infection or injury. It’s when your damaged tissue releases chemicals that tell white blood cells to start repairing. But sometimes, inflammation is low-grade, spread throughout the body, and chronic.
This chronic inflammation can do damage to your body. It can play a role in the accumulation of plaque in your arteries that can up your risk of heart disease and stroke or other chronic conditions.
The choices you make at the grocery store can have an impact on the inflammation in your body. Scientists are still unravelling how food affects the body’s inflammatory processes, but they know a few things.
Research shows that what you eat can affect the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)—a marker for inflammation—in your blood. That could be because some foods like processed sugars help release inflammatory messengers that can raise the risk of chronic inflammation. Foods that are anti-inflammatory tend to be the same foods that can help keep you healthy in other ways, too.
Here are a few suggestions for anti-inflammatory eating:
Eat more plants. Start adding a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes to your diet. Focus on antioxidants found in colourful fruits and veggies like berries, leafy greens, beets and avocados, as well as beans and lentils, whole grains, ginger, turmeric and green tea.
Get your Omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in regulating your body’s inflammatory process and could help regulate pain related to inflammation. Find these healthy fats in fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, as well as smaller amounts in walnuts, pecans, ground flaxseed and soy.
Eat less red meat. Red meat can be pro-inflammatory. Are you a burger lover? Aim for a realistic goal. Try substituting your lunchtime beef with fish, nuts or soy-based protein a few times a week.
Cut the processed stuff. Sugary cereals and drinks, deep-fried food, and pastries are all pro-inflammatory offenders. They can contain plenty of unhealthy fats that are linked to inflammation.
