How Nutrition Helps Fight Inflammation: Foods to Eat and Avoid
- January 23, 2025
- Laraib Tariq
- Malnutrition and Deficiencies
Introduction
The immune system is our body’s defense mechanism. It is activated when our body recognizes anything foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation. This helps us against threatening invaders and protects our health.
Inflammation is a complex biological response of the body’s immune system to harmful stimuli. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and initiate the healing process. However, sometimes this inflammation persists, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That’s when inflammation can become your enemy. Many major diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease have been linked to chronic inflammation.
What Triggers Inflammation
There are many triggers of inflammation including environmental factors, your lifestyle, and daily life exposures to toxins. Some of the most common causes include:
Infection, trauma, toxins, metabolic stress, autoimmune diseases, poor lifestyle habits, stress, lack of sleep, obesity, and poor diet.
Health risks associated with inflammation
Even though some inflammation for a shorter duration is necessary however, chronic inflammation can lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.
Anti-inflammatory diet
Several dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the plant-based diet can help to manage inflammation.
Mediterranean diet
Although there are many contributing factors for inflammation and there is no single diet that can cure all. However, research suggests that a Mediterranean diet may help to reduce inflammation.
Emphasis on Whole Foods: Choose whole foods or minimally processed foods. Emphasize fresh, locally sourced, and seasonal produce.
Fruits and Vegetables: Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables mostly fresh. Add root vegetables and leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collards.
Whole Grains: Focus on whole grains.
Legumes and Nuts: Eat Legumes and nuts.
Fish: Fatty fish contains omega-3 fatty acids. example, sardines, salmon, and fresh tuna.
Lean Proteins: Eat lean meats such as poultry, fish, and lentils.
Dairy products: Opt for Low fat dairy products in your diet.
Healthy Fats: Choose healthy fats primarily monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Canola oil, nut oil, or flaxseed oil.
Herbs and Spices: Incorporates a variety of herbs and spices
Other things you can do to manage inflammation
Weight management: Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese try to lose weight.
Regular exercise: Stay active. If you are a busy person try to breakdown your physical activity during different times of day.
Stress Management: Manage stress. Incorporate meditation or other relaxation techniques for stress management.
Avoid smoking: Quit smoking and other tobacco products.
Foods to avoid
Processed Foods: Limit the consumption of processed and fast foods.
Refined Carbohydrates and Sugars: Limit the consumption of refined carbohydrates, carbonated beverages and sugars.
Trans and Hydrogenated Fats: Avoid deep-fried foods, excess saturated and Trans fats.
Red Meat: Avoid consumption of excessive red meat.
Can Diet help with Arthritis?
Treating arthritis requires an integrative approach of pharmacotherapy, medical nutrition therapy, physical and occupational therapy.
Weight loss: Losing even a few pounds can diminish the discomfort, especially for osteoarthritis. It reduces stress on joints subsequently improving the symptoms.
Vitamins and Minerals: Take adequate amount of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D, folate, vitamin B6 and B12.
Vitamin D: People suffering from arthritis often struggle with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Antioxidants: Eat a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as oranges, bell peppers, pumpkins, tangerines, and papayas. They contain carotenoids. Some studies have shown that carotenoids decrease inflammation.
Omega 3 fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to improve inflammation. Sources include fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.
Common myths and misconceptions
Here are some common myths and misconceptions about treating arthritis that you should watch out
The miracle supplement: Some people advertise the miracle supplement “Pangamic acid “as a treatment for arthritis. However, this is not scientifically proven and some of the supplements advertised as pangamic acid may even be harmful.
Suspecting the nightshades: You may have heard someone saying that eliminating the nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant will cure arthritis. Although some people may be sensitive or even allergic to some components found in these vegetables there is no scientific evidence that eliminating them cures arthritis.
Diet plays an important role in managing arthritis symptoms. It is important to be well informed about these myths, and to seek evidence-based advice from healthcare professionals.
Conclusion
Now you have learned about the basic role of nutrition in inflammation. So what you can do about it? First, avoid any fad diets, second be mindful of what you eat. Third, if you still struggle with any of the inflammatory disorders consult a dietitian for your specialized diet plan. An anti-inflammatory diet consists of strategic dietary choices to reduce inflammation, manage chronic diseases, and promote overall health.
“This blog is only for informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you or anyone you know is going through this condition consult a healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions. Consult a registered dietician for nutritional guidelines.”