Anti-Inflammatory Diets – The Definitive Guide

Anti-inflammatory foods play an effective role in minimizing inflammation. Inflammation is linked with several chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. If a patient is suffering from inflammation, they are at a high risk of these chronic diseases. Along with the treatment, patients must take good care of their diets. They have to avoid some types of food while including others in their daily meals.

Including anti-inflammatory foods in diets aid in reducing harmful inflammation, boosting the immune system, enhancing bodies’ health, and losing weight. Following some steps to reduce or avoid suffering from inflammation is a must but first, let’s know what causes inflammation.

What Causes Inflammation?

Inflammation plays role in the healing process when an external body threatens the immune system. When injuries, viruses, and bacteria are detected, your immune system sends inflammatory cells to trap and fight these invaders to protect your immune system and body. In some cases, some bodies fight their own cells and tissues without being harmed or infected.

It is mostly believed that inflammation means there is an infection and that is not necessary as infection can cause inflammation. There are two types of inflammation and each one of them has its own causes. Let's take a look at each one of them:

Acute Inflammation

Acute inflammation happens when sudden damage occurs. The body sends inflammatory cells to start healing the damaged part. Acute inflammation is caused from:

• Injuries such as wounds and trauma.
• Infections such as sore throats.
• Exposure to substances such as dust and bee stings.

Depending on the causes, the affected part, and more factors, acute inflammation duration and development can vary. They can last for hours or days.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation occurs when your body continues sending inflammatory cells without being attacked or harmed at all. They can last for months or even years. The most common causes of chronic inflammation are:

• Untreated acute inflammation.
• Exposure to irritants and toxins such as industrial chemicals.
• Autoinflammatory diseases such as DIRA, CANDLE, and Behçet’s diseases.
• Autoimmune disorders such as pernicious anemia and lupus.

Smoking, stress, aging, unhealthy diets (loaded with fats and sugar), and sleeping problems are factors that can increase the risk of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation may increase the risk of some chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.

How to Start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

A healthy diet with high nutritional value is indispensable, especially for people above 50. There are some effective steps to follow to start adding anti-inflammatory foods to your meals without preventing yourself from anything.

Cut Out Refined Carbs

Cutting out refined carbs can be an impossible task. White bread, white rice, pasta, and more are foods that contain refined carbs. Eating unrefined carbs does not mean having unflavorful food. You can add anti-inflammatory foods that have good carbs such as vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. By including good carbs instead of bad ones in your diet, you will reduce inflammation and enhance your health while losing weight.

You can find good carbs or unrefined carbs in:

• Fruit such as bananas, apples, and berries.
• Vegetables such as spinach and tomatoes.
• Nuts such as walnuts and almonds.
• Seeds such as chia seeds.
• Beans such as kidney beans.
• Unrefined whole grains such as oats, barley, buckwheat, brown rice, whole-wheat, and quinoa.

Cut Down on Sugar

Like carbs, cutting down sugar can be an unimaginable task. If you know how excessive amounts of sugar affect your body, you won’t include them in your diet. You can find sugar in foods and beverages such as:

• Candy
• Cakes
• Cereal
• Sodas
• Coffee drinks

These foods and beverages are full of sugar that can affect your body greatly. Consuming an excessive amount of sugar can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and heart problems. Replacing them with low-sugar anti-inflammatory foods can minimize inflammation and boost your immune system while losing weight.

Add Good Fats and Seeds to Anti-Inflammatory Diets

Including anti-inflammatory foods that are rich in good healthy fats is essential. In our daily life, we consume foods that are packed with saturated fats such as:

• Fatty meats
• Poultry skin
• Butter
• Heavy cream
• Potato chips

Anti-inflammatory foods loaded with omega-3 fatty acids are the best sources of good fats. You can find healthy fats in:

• Naturally fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, albacore tuna, and herring.
• Avocado
• Olive oil
• Eggs
• Dark chocolate

Include Leafy Greens, Vegetables, and Fruits in Anti-Inflammatory Diets

Adding anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, other types of vegetables, and fruits to diets is a great addition to the body. Doctors and nutritionists always recommend including any sort of vegetables and fruits in our meals as they are packed with fibers, vitamins, and other nutrients that our bodies are in bad need of. You can include leafy greens such as:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Collards
• Chard
• Arugula

As for other vegetables, you can include:

• Tomatoes
• Bell and chili peppers
• Avocado
• Eggplant
• Okra

You can also add starchy vegetables that are rich in nutrients to reduce inflammation such as potatoes and sweet potatoes with skin.

For fruits, you can add:

• Berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
• Grapes
• Cherries
• Pineapples
• Apples

Incorporate Anti-Inflammatory Herbs and Spices into Dishes

Cooking with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices add flavors, colors, and of course nutritional value to your meals. Because of their anti-inflammatory properties, they help in reducing inflammation. You can add herbs such as:

• Ashwagandha
• Astragalus root
• Chamomile
• Cat’s claw

As for the spices, you can include:

• Ginger
• Garlic
• Black and pink pepper
• Cayenne

By following these 5 steps, you will be able to consume anti-inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation along with treatment. Your lifestyle has a strong impact on your health. Treatment alone can’t reduce inflammation, your diet will definitely assist in your treatment journey. You need to follow a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats from nuts and fish such as the Mediterranean diet, the Dash diet, or the Mind diet.

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