Inflammation is a hot topic, and for good reason. A 2019 Natural medicine This study links low-grade chronic inflammation to many of today’s major health problems, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
Most advice seems to focus on the best anti-inflammatory foods to eat. However, increasing these foods is only part of the equation. When it comes to reducing chronic inflammation in the body, it is equally important to reduce dietary components that can trigger and worsen existing inflammation.
Here are some foods that cause inflammation and how to limit them.
1. Added sugars
Americans’ excessive consumption of added sugars is considered a major contributor to inflammation, which in turn increases the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. What’s even scarier is how prevalent the addition of sugars has become in food products…added sugar can be found in sneaky places like salad dressings, condiments, and salty snacks.
How to limit: THE American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day for women and no more than 9 teaspoons (36 g or 150 calories) for men. Monitoring can be easy since everything food labels are now required to include added sugars.
2. Processed meats
Most processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni, and lunch meats are cured with synthetic salt and nitrates. These meats are also often high in saturated fat. A 2022 study published in the Nutrition Diary has linked regular consumption of processed meats to an increased risk of inflammation, which many believe is an effect of both nitrates and saturated fats.
How to limit: Science isn’t sure where the main threat from processed meat comes from (nitrates, saturated fats, or processed meats overall), so the best advice is to limit your overall consumption. When eating processed meats, opt for “uncured” meats, meaning they have been treated with only salt rather than nitrates. Nitrate-free meats may contain ingredients like celery juice, which is a natural source of nitrates. However, it remains unclear whether these meats are healthier than meats processed with synthetic nitrates.
3. Highly Processed Foods
Consumers want fast, convenient food options, and manufacturers have responded by offering more ready-to-eat meals and grab-and-go foods than ever before. But this convenience comes at a price since chemicals and compounds not naturally found in foods, such as artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, are often added to make these products shelf-stable or to improve taste. and appearance. Any of them can irritate the body and trigger inflammation. And if it already has inflammation, the body may be hypersensitive to these foreign particles, which can increase inflammation and exacerbate problems.
How to limit: Healthy can still mean fast if you select minimally processed convenience products. To do this, make the ingredient list the first thing you look at. Generally, the shorter the list, the better. Next, see if you recognize the ingredients. A tip to use when looking at the ingredient list is to ask, “If I made this at home from a recipe, would most of these ingredients be there?” Otherwise, keep looking.
4. Refined Carbohydrates
Eating pasta, white rice, bread, and other carbohydrate-rich foods made primarily from flour or refined grains causes a faster and often greater effect on blood sugar. A 2018 study published in the American Journal of Physiology has directly linked foods that have a greater impact on blood sugar to increased inflammation that puts people at higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and other inflammatory diseases.
How to limit: Choose whole grains and 100% whole grain products whenever possible, and remember that grains aren’t the only place to find complex carbohydrates. You can get them from beans, peas, sweet potatoes, and other starchy vegetables that are also high in fiber and nutrients. A 2019 study published in Intestine found that choosing whole grains reduced both body weight and inflammation in adults compared to refined grains.
5. Too much omega-6 (and not enough omega-3)
Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are what most of us call “healthy” fats, and they are made up of different proportions of fatty acids. The two main ones are omega-6 and Omega 3. A 2021 study published in the Lipid Diary suggests that most Americans consume too many omega-6 fatty acids, largely due to the heavy use of vegetable oils like corn, soy, and sunflower in processed and convenience foods. And it seems we are significantly underconsuming omega-3 fatty acids, which are powerful anti-inflammatories. The overall effect is an imbalance that can contribute to low-grade systemic inflammation.
How to limit: First, make sure you’re getting good sources of omega-3 each week by eating fatty fish like canned salmon, tuna, or mackerel, as well as walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds. Next, start looking at the oils you cook or consume with. Oils contain a mixture of fatty acids, so the secret is to choose those that contain a higher proportion of omega-3, such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, walnuts, flaxseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil and canola oil.
6. Trans fat
Trans fats are created by chemically changing the structure of unsaturated fats to give processed foods a longer shelf life. But a 2021 study published in Frontiers in immunology suggests that trans fats are even more harmful to the body than the saturated fats found in red meat, cheese and butter. This is largely due to the inflammatory response they create in the body that is linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.
How to limit: Avoid trans fats by avoiding foods that contain “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils listed in the ingredient list. THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned adding hydrogenated oils to packaged foods in 2018, but trans fats are found naturally in some cooking oils used to make fried foods and fast foods. Try to choose these foods less often.
7. More than 2 cocktails
According to a 2019 review published in MoleculesA A glass of wine contains compounds that can fend off inflammation and oxidative stress, which may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Resveratrol is a plant compound found in red wine (and grapes) that is attributed with anti-inflammatory effects, according to another review in Molecules in 2021. Just note that it’s easy to cross the line from beneficial to harmful. And when you cross that line, not only are the anti-inflammatory benefits lost, but research published in the International Journal of Neurobiology in 2022 shows that alcohol then triggers additional inflammation in the body.
How to limit: The key to reaping the potential health benefits of the drink is “moderate” consumption. THE 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. Also be aware of the calories in the cocktail you choose. Minimize calories and added sugars from alcohol by choosing a glass of wine, a light beer, or a serving of alcohol mixed with a low- or no-calorie mixer.
8. Artificial sweeteners
However artificial sweeteners are all considered relatively safe by the Food and Drug Administration, most of the ones you see on restaurant tables and in food products are sweet-tasting synthetic chemicals like aspartame and saccharin. And, especially if there is already low-level inflammation, the body may consider these bodies foreign or irritating.
How to limit: Minimize the use of artificial sweeteners in general, and when you need to, opt for a plant-based sweetener like stevia. Research around stevia is mainly positive, with an assessment in 2022 Food science and nutrition suggesting that stevia may have antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic effects. Another option is to use regular sugar or another sweetener like honey or maple, but in less than you normally would.
