What you eat can play both a positive and negative role in managing chronic inflammation. Though Diet alone will not control inflammation but making suitable choices may help prevent it from getting worse.
What Are Natural Anti-Inflammatories?
Natural anti-inflammatories are foods that you can eat to lower your odds of having inflammation. If you have a condition that causes inflammation, it may help to change your eating habits. If you have a condition like rheumatoid arthritis, changing what's on your plate won’t be a magic cure. But an anti-inflammatory diet might lessen the number of flare-ups you have, or it might help take your pain down a few notches.
An anti-inflammatory diet is widely regarded as healthy. Even if it doesn't help with your condition, it can help lower your chances of having other problems.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
A variety of foods have anti-inflammatory properties. These include foods that are high in antioxidants and polyphenols, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins (like beans and nuts), fatty fish, and fresh herbs and spices.
Fruits and veggies: Go for variety and lots of color. Research shows that vitamin K-rich leafy greens like spinach and kale reduce inflammation, as do broccoli and cabbage. So does the substance that gives fruits like cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries their color.
Whole grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and other unrefined grains tend to be high in fiber, and fiber also may help with inflammation.
Beans: They're high in fiber, plus they are loaded with antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances.
Nuts: They have a healthy kind of fat that helps stop inflammation. (Olive oil and avocados are also good sources.) Stick to just a handful of nuts a day, or otherwise the fat and calories will add up.
Fish: Put it on your plate at least twice a week. Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines all have plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation.
Herbs and spices: They add antioxidants (along with flavor) to your food.
Turmeric, found in curry powder, does this with a strong substance called curcumin.
Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne, Black Pepper and Clove are known for their anti-inflammatory properties as well.
On the other hand, Garlic curbs your body's ability to make things that boost inflammation.
Inflammation resulting from lifestyle factors, such as obesity, smoking, and a sedentary existence can contribute to a range of diseases. These include heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s. Having diabetes, being overweight, having obesity, and eating high levels of saturated fats, trans fats, and refined sugar are all risk factors for chronic inflammation.
The following table lists diet and lifestyle changes that may help reduce chronic inflammation.
Dietary and lifestyle changes
Reasons
Adopt a low glycemic diet
High sugar intake links to chronic inflammation, stroke risk, coronary heart disease risk, and type 2 diabetes risk. Soda, refined carbohydrates, and high fructose corn syrup are foods that can promote inflammation.
Try a low-fat diet
Saturated and trans fats worsen inflammation. People should try to reduce or eliminate processed and packaged foods that have trans fats from processed vegetable or seed oil, and baked goods with soybean or corn oil.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
These foods are high in antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce the risk of chronic inflammation.
Get enough fiber
Researchers have shown an association between high fiber diets and lower inflammatory factors, such as TNF-alpha and interleukin-6.
Eat more nuts
Almonds and other nuts may help to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, are pro-inflammatory states. Diabetes is a chronic inflammatory disease.
Drink green and black teas
Scientists have associated compounds found in green and black teas with lower C-reactive protein in the blood.
Add curcumin to food
A component in turmeric called curcumin improves several inflammatory diseases
Add fish oil to the diet Omega-3
fatty acids positively affect lower levels of inflammatory factors in the blood, such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha.
Eat more mung beans
These beans may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Add sesame lignans to the diet
Sesame oil contains sesame lignans, which people associate with decreasing inflammatory factors and improving blood pressure.
Exercise regularly
Burning calories through exercise lowers inflammatory factors even if people do not lose weight.
Inflammatory Foods (Foods to avoid)
Anything highly processed, overly greasy, or super sweet isn’t a good choice for you if you have inflammation. The following foods may increase inflammation for some people, hence should be avoided as much as possible:
Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup Sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose, while high fructose corn syrup is about 45% glucose and 55% fructose. Sugar stimulates the production of free fatty acids in the liver. When the body digests these free fatty acids, the resulting compounds can trigger inflammatory processes. People with higher sugar diets have more inflammatory markers in their blood, including a marker called C-reactive protein.
Eating a lot of fructose has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease.
Sugary foods, including desserts, pastries, chocolate, sodas, candies and certain cereals.
Artificial Trans fats, likely the unhealthiest fats you can eat In addition to lowering HDL (good) cholesterol, trans fats may impair the function of the endothelial cells lining your arteries, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Foods high in trans fats include French fries and other fried fast food, some varieties of microwave popcorn, most margarines (most margarines contain trans fats, and they are often added to processed foods to extend shelf life). and vegetable shortenings, packaged cakes and cookies, some pastries, and majority of processed foods. Consuming artificial trans fats may increase inflammation and your risk of several diseases, including heart disease.
Saturated fats, such as in red meat, full fat dairy products, and many rich desserts
Refined carbohydrates Refined carbs have had most of their fiber removed. Fiber promotes fullness, improves blood sugar control, and feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Refined carbs also have a higher glycemic index (GI) than unprocessed ones. High GI foods raise blood sugar more rapidly than low GI foods. Refined carbohydrates are found in candy, bread, pasta, pastries, some cereals, cookies, cakes, sugary soft drinks, and all processed foods that contain added sugar or flour.
Processed meat Common types of processed meat include sausage, bacon, ham, smoked meat, and beef jerky. Processed meat contains more advanced glycation end products (AGEs) than most other meats. AGEs are formed by cooking meats and some other foods at high temperatures. They are known to cause inflammation. Consuming processed meat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stomach and colon cancer.
Vegetable and seed oils Certain vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oil promote inflammation due to their very high or excess omega-6 fatty acids that are.
Excessive Alcohol Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to provide some health benefits. Heavy alcohol consumption may increase inflammation and lead to a “leaky gut” that drives inflammation throughout your body. “Leaky gut” is when bacterial toxins move out of the colon and into the body and can drive widespread inflammation that leads to organ damage. To avoid alcohol-related health problems, intake should be limited to two standard drinks per day for men and one for women.
MSG in prepared Asian foods, soy sauce, and many prepared soups and deli meats
If you are trying to reduce fight inflammation, try to reduce your intake of these foods. You do not have to eliminate them but try to eat them only occasionally. You can lower your risk of chronic inflammation with changes to what you eat.
If you are experiencing signs your body has inflammation, it can crop up in the form of various symptoms and be a sign of a number of different health concerns. Usually, inflammation is associated with joint health since arthritis is one of the top causes of pain and swelling. But inflammation can be associated with other health concerns, beyond swollen joints.
Keep in mind that not all inflammation is bad. Acute inflammation is important to our health because it helps us heal. Think about when you twist your ankle and it becomes hot, red, and swollen. That is part of your body's response to help heal the injury." And it will go away, once your ankle is healed.
What you want to watch out for are signs of chronic inflammation - This is the type of inflammation that does more harm than good. "Think of chronic inflammation like a fire that needs to be put out in the body. Chronic inflammation has a domino effect where it can trigger a cascade of symptoms that can negatively impact your health."
Here are a few signs you have too much inflammation, according to experts:-
Chronic Fatigue Inflammation can be caused by too little sleep, as well as too much sleep. So, if you' are falling short of or exceeding the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night, there is a good chance you have inflammation in your body.
But why does it happen? It seems that too little sleep or too much sleep throws the body's inflammatory response processes out of whack. As a result, your cells respond with inappropriate inflammation. It is almost as if your body treats inadequate sleep or too much sleep as it would an illness. It is as if it thinks it is sick and reacts accordingly. Since the body’s immune system cannot fight off the inflammation, the body and brain become overtaxed, resulting in chronic fatigue.
Fatigue can also be a side effect of other inflammatory issues, so if you have been feeling exhausted — despite getting enough sleep each night — seek help immediately.
Swollen Joints and Muscle Aches Swollen or painful joints are a common symptom of arthritis. Most people feel pain in the hands, wrists, feet, ankles, and knees. Aside from arthritis and other disorders of the joints, chronic inflammation can also cause sore muscles. Autoimmune disorders such as lupus can result in muscle aches as well.
Experiencing pain on a regular basis is a big indicator of inflammation. If you are not in pain but have pain at the end of your range of motion (like rotating your shoulders back or touching your toes), that is associated with inflammation. Pain like this could be a sign that you have a type of arthritis, which is a major contributor to inflammation and pain in the body.
Stomach Problems If you have chronic stomach problems such as IBS or Crohn’s, you might have chronic inflammation. Inflammation in the gut can cause bloating, loose stools, urgency, and cramping. These symptoms can occur due to stress, diet, or other lifestyle factors which results in the stomach lining losing some of its protective cells.
Drinking too much alcohol and taking pain relievers regularly can also cause chronic stomach problems.
Brain Fog/Issues Believe it or not, inflammation can even start to affect you mentally, on top of all the ways it can impact you physically. “Brain fog” refers to a few symptoms such as lethargy, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, slower thinking, and inability to think clearly, which can cause cognitive impairment. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience said that inflammation of the brain might cause brain fog. Early findings suggest that inflammation may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that cause dementia.
Skin Problems Basically, if there is something showing on the outside or something that isn't feeling right on the inside, there is most likely inflammation, because internal inflammation can show up externally. Our skin is the most obvious place to spot swelling or similar reactions, yet we overlook our largest organ far too often. Inflammation can show up on the skin in the form of athlete’s foot, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, and ringworm. Skin disorders can also point to an autoimmune disorder or allergic reaction.
Swollen Lymph Nodes Lymph nodes, which are primarily located in your neck, under the armpits, and near the groin, can swell up whenever something is amiss in your body, so it is important to pay attention to them. Lymph nodes are 'hubs' for the immune system. Your lymph nodes will swell as your body fights off the infection, and then go back down once you are well again. If your lymph nodes are always inflamed, however, or if they hurt, it could be a sign of a chronic illness or other underlying issue.
Heartburn Studies have shown that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which was thought to cause painful heartburn due to stomach acids traveling up the esophagus, may actually be more related to inflammation. According to the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it may be the body's inflammatory response that is causing pain and damage to the esophagus.
Migrain atau keresahan/kemurungan. With migraine and headache sufferers, they can be affected by what is called 'neurogenic inflammation’. A neurologic examination should be performed on patients who are having recent onset of new headaches/migraines or changes in previous headaches/migraines to rule out any underlying disease. But again, many times inflammation can be lowered, and symptoms relieved, by making a few small changes. "Stress, tobacco smoking, and alcohol use can stimulate the inflammatory response and cause migraines and headaches.
Depression Recent studies have shown that depression and chronic inflammation may have more in common than we think. Brain scans of people with depression show more inflammation than people who do not have depression. One study even found that 46% of people with depression had higher levels of C-reactive proteins – an inflammatory marker – in their blood.
Visceral Fat The Washington University School of Medicine found that fat accumulation around the organs – also known as visceral fat – results in inflammation. In 2007, a team of researchers published a study in the journal Diabetes and discovered that visceral fat results in systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can lead to high blood sugar. That can damage your nerves and blood vessels. It could also lead to diabetes.
Muscle Weakness Sometimes your immune system mistakenly attacks and inflames your muscles (also known as myositis). This could start to break down muscle fiber and make you weaker. It usually happens slowly, most often in your torso, shoulders, and hips. In some cases, you might find it hard to do simple things like walk, bathe, and swallow.
Sakit Pinggang In ankylosing spondylitis, chronic inflammation typically attacks the spine. Sometimes, it hits your hips, neck, knees, or chest. You might have pain and stiffness in your lower back, especially in the morning. In serious cases, you could have loss of motion.
Diarrhea Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, has two main forms: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In both cases, your immune system overreacts and inflames your colon and small intestine. Diarrhea is one thing that can happen. Others are nausea, joint pain, fever, and skin rashes.
Hardening of the Arteries (Arteriosclerosis) If you are gaining body fat or you spend a lot of time taking in foreign substances like cigarette smoke, your body will respond with inflammation. This can cause fatty plaque to build up on the inside walls of your arteries. Known as arteriosclerosis, it is the main cause of heart attack and stroke.
Blood Clotting Inflammation from trauma, surgery, or diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome and IBD can cause your blood to clot too much (called hypercoagulation). This might cause swelling and could bring on more serious things like stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism. It is not always easy to spot hypercoagulation though.
Dry Eye It is a common symptom of inflammation. One condition, Sjogren’s syndrome, affects your salivary glands and your tear glands. You might notice a gritty or burning feeling in your eyes, swelling in your salivary gland, and dryness in your nose and throat.
Let’s look at the Foods That Reduce Inflammation in the next blog.
Based on visual observation, the ancients characterised inflammation by five cardinal signs, namely redness (rubor), swelling(tumour), heat(calor; only applicable to the body' extremities),pain(dolor) and loss of function(functio laesa).
More recently, inflammation was described as "the succession of changes which occurs in a living tissue when it is injured provided that the injury is not of such a degree as to at once destroy its structure and vitality", or "the reaction to injury of the living microcirculation and related tissues”.
The classical description of inflammation accounts for the visual changes seen. Thus, the sensation of heat is caused by the increased movement of blood through dilated vessels into the environmentally cooled extremities, also resulting on the increased redness (due to the additional number of erythrocytes passing through the area). The swelling (oedema) is the result of increased passage of fluid from dilated and permeable blood vessels into the surrounding tissues, infiltration of cells into the damaged area, and in prolonged inflammatory responses deposition of connective tissue.
Pain is due to the direct effects of mediators, either from initial damage or that resulting from the inflammatory response itself, and the stretching of sensory nerves due to oedema. The loss of function refers to either simple loss of mobility in a joint, due to the oedema and pain, or to the replacement of functional cells with scar tissue.
Today it is recognised that inflammation is far more complex than might first appear from the simple description given above and is a major response of the immune system to tissue damage and infection, although not all infection gives rise to inflammation. Inflammation is also diverse, ranging from the acute inflammation associated with S. aureus infection of the skin (the humble boil), through to chronic inflammatory processes resulting in remodeling of the artery wall in atherosclerosis; the bronchial wall in asthma and chronic bronchitis, and the debilitating destruction of the joints associated with rheumatoid arthritis .
In short, Inflammation is a vital part of the immune system's response to injury and infection. It is the body's way of signaling the immune system to heal and repair damaged tissue, as well as defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria. Inflammation is considered the cornerstone of pathology in that the changes observed are indicative of injury and disease.
Without inflammation as a physiological response, wounds would fester, and infections could become deadly. However, if the inflammatory process goes on for too long or if the inflammatory response occurs in places where it is not needed, it can become problematic. Chronic inflammation has been linked to certain diseases such as heart disease or stroke, and may also lead to autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
Good Inflammation, Bad Inflammation: What are the different types of Inflammation?
There are 2 types of inflammation – the “Good” or protective type (which benefits health) and the “Bad” or harmful type (which destroys it).
The Good: Acute (short-term) inflammation An injury or illness can involve acute, or short-term, inflammation. Acute inflammation occurs after a cut on the knee, a sprained ankle or a sore throat. It is a short-term response with localized effects, meaning it works at the precise place where a problem exists. The telltale signs of acute inflammation include redness, swelling, heat and sometimes pain and loss of function, according to the National Library of Medicine.
These signs are not always present. Sometimes inflammation is “silent,” without symptoms. A person may also feel tired, generally unwell, and have a fever.
In the case of acute inflammation, blood vessels dilate, blood flow increases and white blood cells swarm the injured area to promote healing. This response is what causes the injured area to turn red and become swollen.
During acute inflammation, chemicals known as cytokines are released by the damaged tissue. The cytokines act as "emergency signals" that bring in your body's immune cells, hormones and nutrients to fix the problem.
In addition, hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins create blood clots to heal damaged tissue, and they also trigger pain and fever as part of the healing process. As the body heals, the acute inflammation gradually subsides.
Symptoms of acute inflammation last a few days. Subacute inflammation lasts 2–6 weeks.
The Bad: Chronic (long-term) inflammation Unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation can have long-term and whole-body effects. Chronic inflammation is also called persistent, low-grade inflammation because it produces a steady, low-level of inflammation throughout the body, as judged by a small rise in immune system markers found in blood or tissue. This type of systemic inflammation can contribute to the development of disease, according to a summary in the Johns Hopkins Health Review.
Low levels of inflammation can be triggered by a perceived internal threat, even when there isn't a disease to fight or an injury to heal, and sometimes this signals the immune system to respond. As a result, white blood cells swarm but have nothing to do and nowhere to go, and they may eventually start attacking internal organs or other healthy tissues and cells.
Researchers are still working to understand the implications of chronic inflammation on the body and the mechanisms involved in the process, but it's known to play a role in the development of many diseases.
Causes of Inflammation
Inflammation happens when a physical factor triggers an immune reaction. Inflammation does not necessarily mean that there is an infection, but an infection can cause inflammation.
Acute inflammation
Acute inflammation can result from:
exposure to a substance, such as a bee sting or dust | an injury | an infection
When the body detects damage or pathogens, the immune system triggers a number of reactions:
Tissues accumulate plasma proteins, leading to a buildup of fluid that results in swelling.
The body releases neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, or leukocyte, which move toward the affected area. Leukocytes contain molecules that can help fight pathogens.
Small blood vessels enlarge to enable leukocytes and plasma proteins to reach the injury site more easily.
Signs of acute inflammation can appear within hours or days, depending on the cause. In some cases, they can rapidly become severe. How they develop and how long they last will depend on the cause, which part of the body they affect, and individual factors.
Some factors and infections that can lead to acute inflammation include:
acute bronchitis, appendicitis and other illnesses ending in “-itis”
an ingrown toenail
a sore throat from a cold or flu
physical trauma or wound
Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation can develop if a person has:
Sensitivity: Inflammation happens when the body senses something that should not be there. Hypersensitivity to an external trigger can result in an allergy.
Exposure: Sometimes, long-term, low-level exposure to an irritant, such as an industrial chemical, can result in chronic inflammation.
Autoimmune disorders: The immune system mistakenly attacks normal healthy tissue, as in psoriasis.
Autoinflammatory diseases: A genetic factor affects the way the immune system works, as in Behçet’s disease.
Persistent acute inflammation: In some cases, a person may not fully recover from acute inflammation. Sometimes, this can lead to chronic inflammation.
Factors that may increase the risk of chronic inflammation include:
older age | obesity | a diet that is rich in unhealthful fats and added sugar | smoking | low sex hormones | stress | sleep problems
Chronic inflammation can continue for months or years. It either has or may have links to various diseases, such as:
The symptoms will depend on the disease, but they may include pain and fatigue.
For example, chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease and stroke. One theory suggests that when inflammatory cells stay too long in blood vessels, they promote the buildup of plaque. The body perceives this plaque as a foreign substance that doesn't belong, so it tries to wall off the plaque from the blood flowing inside the arteries, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). If the plaque becomes unstable and ruptures, it forms a clot that blocks blood flow to the heart or brain, triggering a heart attack or stroke.
Cancer is another disease linked with chronic inflammation. Over time, chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to some forms of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Chronic, low-grade inflammation often does not have symptoms, but doctors can test for C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood. High levels of CRP have been linked with an increased risk of heart disease. CRP levels can also indicate an infection, or a chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Besides looking for clues in the blood, a person's diet, lifestyle habits and environmental exposures can contribute to chronic inflammation. It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep inflammation in check.
The following table summarizes some key differences between acute and chronic inflammation:
Source: Medical News Today
Let’s look at Signs of you have Inflammation and more on Chronic Inflammation – The New Silent Killer in more depth in the next blog.
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