What you eat can heal you or make your suffering a lot worse. Chronic inflammation can lead to further complications. So, knowing what food to eat and what to avoid can help prevent inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory food
Inflammation is an immune response. Injuries, infections, and so on result in inflammation because that is one of the ways the immune system alerts your body’s defense mechanism. The inflammation shows where the action needs to be taken in order to begin the healing process.
This is good because it helps you fight off diseases and heal injuries. However, inflammation can also be triggered unnecessarily. There can be causes other than injury or infections. Stress, long hours of work without adequate sleep, heredity, and autoimmune disorders can all cause persistent inflammation without a good cause. Another possible cause is the food you eat.
What food to avoid
When you are not careful about the healthiness of your diet, you are not only risking obesity, but you may also be making yourself vulnerable to chronic inflammation. Refined sugar and grains, fried food, processed meat, preservatives, artificial color, and flavor additives in your food can contribute to causing inflammation.
This type of food can lead to weight gain. The food also has an impact on the good gut bacteria, reducing them and promoting the chances of improper digestion and several other problems. They can also induce inflammation.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and so on. They can also worsen conditions like arthritis, causing excessive pain.
What food to eat
There are many types of food that several research studies have shown to help reduce inflammation. In fact, if you stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, it can give you better results than anti-inflammatory medicines. Here are some food items that fight inflammation:
Fish
Fish like Salmon, Sardine, Tuna, Bass, and Halibut are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, These essential fatty acids have numerous health benefits. One of them is that they prevent inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish are in a very active form, meaning they have a quick effect on your health.
They increase the amount of a hormone called adiponectin in your body. This hormone reduces inflammation, helps burn fat, enhances metabolism, and helps your muscles process carbs efficiently to get energy.
Berries
Blueberries are among the top food items that fight inflammation. They contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants. Studies have shown that berries can neutralize the inflammation caused by an unhealthy high-fat diet. A study result published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that adding berries to your regular diet is an effective way to reduce inflammation.
Broccoli
Broccoli and other greens contain a lot of nutrients and many plant compounds that fight disease and control inflammation. Broccoli is a source of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and a flavonoid called Kaempferol that reduces inflammation.
Raw oats
This is a high-fiber food that promotes the growth of good gut bacteria, These bacteria help produce a fatty acid called butyrate, which is beneficial for the health in many ways. If your body has high levels of butyrate, it can reduce inflammation.
Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are delicious food items that fight inflammation. They are rich in antioxidants and essential amino acids. A study conducted in 2005 on a group of 6,000 people showed that those who consumed a lot of nuts and seeds had much less inflammatory markers in their blood.
Good oils
Use olive oil, coconut oil, and canola oil for cooking.
A compound called oleocanthal found in extra virgin olive oil prevents inflammation and reduces damage to joint cartilage.
Canola oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
Coconut oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also improves your metabolism significantly.
Beets
This vegetable contains many good phytochemicals like flavonoids and carotenoids. It is also a rich source of betalain pigments. These pigments have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Eating beets can also boost your metabolism, prevent fat and plaque buildup, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and other heart diseases.
Red bell pepper
Red bell pepper contains high amounts of quercetin, luteolin, and beta-carotene. Luteolin and beta-carotene play a vital role in preventing inflammation. These compounds can help reduce inflammation caused due to asthma and arthritis.
Quercetin controls the function of the mast cells. These are the cells that release histamines, the chemicals that produce allergic reactions, including inflammation. By acting as a mast cell stabilizer, quercetin brings down the levels of histamine, which, in turn, reduces inflammation.
Cocoa
Dark chocolate is one of the best choices. You can also add cocoa to milk and drink it. Cocoa contains many flavonoids that are beneficial to health. A study in Spain tested the effects of cocoa by providing a group of men and women with cocoa mixed in skimmed milk to drink twice each day for four weeks.
This group showed a marked decrease in the levels of inflammatory markers in their bloodstream as compared to a four week period during which this same group consumed just plain skimmed milk with no cocoa.
Ginger
This spice contains compounds called gingerols that are antibacterial and antioxidant in nature. They also block many enzymes that induce inflammation. So, peel a piece of fresh ginger, make a herbal tea, and drink it. This is an effective way to treat, and also to prevent, inflammation.
Turmeric
This spice has many beneficial properties, mainly because of a compound called curcumin that is present in it. Curcumin has the ability to stop the production of Cox-2 and 5-Lo, two enzymes that stimulate an inflammatory response in your body. Thus, turmeric is a good spice to add to your food if you have arthritis, as it can reduce joint inflammation and pain.
There are so many ways to reduce inflammation and the risk of other diseases. You can easily control this condition through the food you eat. Avoid processed foods and refined sugars and eat whole grains and add food products that fight Inflammation suggested above to your diet.