Calm Inflammation with an Anti-inflammatory Diet

Calm Inflammation with Anti-inflammatory diet

Diet and lifestyle choices can impact chronic inflammation of the body and joints. Acute inflammation on the other hand is critical to fight off invaders and aids in healing. Here's how to differentiate between the two types of inflammation.

Types of inflammation (acute vs. chronic)

Inflammation can be acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is short-lived. It’s like a flaming fire that produces the painful, red, hot, swollen symptoms. When inflammation is acute, it’s usually at high levels in a small localized area in response to an infection or some kind of damage to the body. It’s necessary for proper healing and injury repair.

When your cells detect an infection or damage, they send out warning signals to call on your immune system to help out. Your immune system sends over many types of white blood cells to help fight off invading bacteria/viruses/pathogens and clean up damage so you can heal.

Acute inflammation: This may need short-term treatment like pain relievers or cold compresses. More serious symptoms require medical attention. This inflammation typically resolves within days or hours.

Chronic inflammation: This type is slow-burning affecting the whole body at lower levels. Symptoms can be gradual and persist for months or years. It is linked to various chronic conditions such as:

• Eczema, psoriasis

• Allergies, asthma

• Autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and others)

• Cancer

• Chronic pain

• Gastrointestinal disorders (Crohn’s, colitis)

• Heart disease, stroke

• Lung diseases (emphysema)

• Metabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes)

• Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s)

Causes of chronic inflammation: This can start acutely from infection or injury and become persistent. This inflammation is also linked to lifestyle factors like unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, stress, and excess weight.

Action: Addressing chronic inflammation to prevent associated health issues can be proactively initiated with dietary modification.

Diet and lifestyle tips for reducing chronic inflammation

Studies show that reducing inflammation can reduce the risk of several of these conditions, including heart disease and cancer. There are medications used to help lower inflammation to treat some of these diseases such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics - which come with side-effects. However, lifestyle changes—including a healthy diet—can be very helpful to prevent and scale down inflammation to reduce its many damaging effects on the body.

For chronic low-grade inflammation lifestyle changes are the mainstay of both prevention and treatment. The good news is that anti-inflammatory foods help you stay healthy and reduce your risk of many diseases. In fact, it’s estimated that 60 percent of chronic diseases could be prevented with a healthy diet. Here’s how.

Enjoy an anti-inflammatory diet

● Polyphenol-rich foods, including colorful plants such as berries, cherries, plums, red grapes, avocados, onions, carrots, beets, turmeric, green tea, and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale

● Omega-3 fats like salmon, trout, mackerel, soy, walnuts, hemp seed, chia seeds and flax

● High fiber foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes) encourage friendly gut microbes to help reduce inflammation

● Avoid charred foods when cooking at high temperatures, these compounds produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and lead to cellular damage and degeneration..

● Limit inflammatory foods such as red and processed meats (lunch meats, hot dogs, hamburgers), fried foods (fries), unhealthy fats (shortening, lard), sugary foods and drinks (sodas, candy, sports drinks), refined carbohydrates (white bread, cookies, pie), and ultra-processed foods (mixes, convenience foods, and dehydrated soups)

Be physically active

● Regular exercise reduces inflammation over the long-term, so try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (brisk walking) per week; about 20-30 minutes per day

● Add two or more strength training sessions (using weights or resistance bands) each week

Get restful sleep

● Disrupted sleep is linked to increased inflammation and atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in the vessels that’s linked with heart disease), so aim for 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night to help the body heal and repair. The body should not be burdened with digesting late night snacks while it is repairing your body during sleep.

● Try to maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule every day, get exposure to natural daylight earlier in the day, avoid caffeine later in the day, cut out screens an hour before bedtime, and create a relaxing nighttime routine.

Quit smoking and limit alcohol

● Quitting smoking can help reduce inflammation and several other health concerns by reducing exposure to toxins that are directly linked to inflammation.

● Limit your alcohol intake to no more than one drink for women or two drinks for men per day, or not at all.

Manage your stress

● Engage in relaxing stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or tai chi.

Socialize

● Research suggests that feeling socially isolated is linked with higher levels of inflammation, so reach out to family and friends (or make new ones).

Laboratory Results

● Get your cholesterol and blood lipids tested because high amounts of “bad” LDL cholesterol is linked to inflammation and negatively affects your vessels.

● You can request a blood test to measure levels of CRP (C-reactive protein) which is a marker of inflammation (this test is also used to check your risk of developing heart disease).

● If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, this may be a sign of gum inflammation (gingivitis)

and needs attention by your dentist.

Bringing it all together...

Chronic, long-term, low-level inflammation is linked with many health issues. The first approach to preventing and improving this is through food and lifestyle changes. Start by focusing on adding colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fish to your diet. Manage stress, incorporate physical activity, and get a good night's sleep. Eating anti-inflammatory is so basic for anyone over the age of 25 when free radical damage becomes apparent.

Are you looking for ways to incorporate more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet?

Book an office or virtual appointment today 215-272-8004 or email barbara@stonewellnutrition.com.

Stonewell Nutrition is a private practice located in Harleysville, PA.