Before we can fully comprehend why an anti-inflammatory diet may be beneficial and is currently one of the most talked-about diets, we must first comprehend what inflammation is. Your finger becomes inflamed and red after you cut it. Your knee is swollen and irritated after you injure it. What does inflammation mean for your internal organs, though?

Inflammation is a natural defense process that allows your body to fight infection, disease, and injury. It can also be chronic, which can lead to a variety of disorders. However, we have some control over our inflammation levels. Inflammation can be exacerbated by factors such as smoking, being overweight or obese, and binge drinking. Diet has a part as well, and some doctors believe that changing your diet and drinking habits rather than taking medicine is a better way to reduce inflammation.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet?

Because food choices can influence inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet is typically considered in the context of controlling chronic inflammation. This diet suggests eating nutrient-dense foods that are high in key minerals including vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, and antioxidants like polyphenols, which give fruits and vegetables their color and flavor. Antioxidants function by lowering free radical levels, which are chemicals produced naturally by our metabolism but can cause inflammation when levels are too high.

For various inflammatory disorders, anti-inflammatory diets may be recommended. They include a number of foods that are thought to inhibit the inflammatory process, however research on the exact mechanism is still being conducted. There is no one-size-fits-all anti-inflammatory diet. It stresses a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, unsaturated fats, minimally refined whole grains, tea, coffee, herbs, spices, and oily seafood, among other things. Popular dietary programs such as the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet already include numerous anti-inflammatory items.

How Does it Work?

There isn't a structured diet plan that specifies what to eat, when to consume it, and how much to eat. Rather, the anti-inflammatory diet is eating foods that have been found to reduce inflammation while avoiding items that have been shown to increase it.This ensures a wider range of preventive food ingredients, some of which may work together to promote immunity. These meals contain plant compounds (phytochemicals), antioxidants, and fiber, which help to minimize cellular stress, decrease immune system-induced inflammation, support a healthy gut microbiota, and slow digestion to prevent blood glucose spikes. They may also have a positive impact on fat cell composition, reducing inflammation even further

What are the foods to avoid and the foods to eat?

Following an anti-inflammatory diet entails consuming foods that have been demonstrated in studies to help reduce inflammation while avoiding items that have the opposite effect. Below are the list foods that we should either consider minimizing or cutting out completely of our diet and anti-inflammatory foods that we should include more in our diet.

What the Research Says About Reducing Inflammation in the Diet

A number of other research have looked into the impact of consuming an anti-inflammatory diet on various health issues. For example, a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition in November 2017 found that eating anti-inflammatory foods can aid persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). When used as a supplemental therapy, the authors argue that lowering inflammation in the diet, such as by eating a vegan or vegetarian diet, may help delay disease progression, reduce joint damage, and potentially lessen reliance on RA medication. Another small, prospective trial published in Integrative Cancer Therapies in May 2019 indicated that persons with familial adenomatous polyposis (colorectal cancer) who followed a low-inflammatory diet had fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and a better overall physical status. An anti-inflammatory diet was associated with a 13 percent lower risk of cancer death in a prospective cohort study of more than 68,000 Swedish individuals published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in September 2018.

Smokers who followed an anti-inflammatory diet had a 31% reduced chance of dying from any cause, a 36% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and a 22% lower risk of dying from cancer, according to the researchers. Smoking is a behavior linked to an increased risk of health problems, and sticking to this diet won't guarantee to cure you of them if you continue to smoke. Despite this, evidence suggests that it may help to lessen the severity of disease, postpone disease progression, minimize the amount of medicine required, and reduce joint damage.

What are the potential pitfalls of an Anti-Inflammatory diet?

The anti-inflammatory diet has no obvious drawbacks, though there may be a learning curve to mastering which inflammation-fighting foods to eat and which ones to avoid. This, however, necessitates people planning their own meals and finding dishes that incorporate the plan's foods. Those who aren't used to meal planning or preparation may want more detailed instructions.

What to expect when you start the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

You'll probably feel better overall if you start eating this way. People may have decreased bloating, gastrointestinal discomfort, and achiness as a result of the treatment. As your eating habits alter, you may notice an improvement in your mood. However, don't expect to see fast improvements if you're dealing with a health problem - it'll probably take weeks to detect a difference, and maybe months to know if the results will last.

The Bottom Line Is…

An anti-inflammatory diet is a nutritious eating plan that can assist to lower chronic low levels of inflammation, which can increase the risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases. It may also assist to reduce inflammatory markers in people who have autoimmune-type inflammation, however data on this is limited. But we have to remember that diet is not the only factor involved with inflammation and anti-inflammatory diet is not a magic cure-all, but rather a way of eating that prioritizes foods that are known to be good for your health.

Written by: NO I Lorelie Millares

References:

Eating Well for Mental Health. Sutter Health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/nutrition/eating-well-for-mental-health

Kaputk. (2022, February 10). Anti-inflammatory diet: What to eat (and avoid). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/anti-inflammatory-diet/

Khanna, S., Jaiswal, K. S., & Gupta, B. (2017). Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis with Dietary Interventions. Frontiers in nutrition, 4, 52. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2017.00052

Pasanisi P, Gariboldi M, Verderio P, et al. A Pilot Low-Inflammatory Dietary Intervention to Reduce Inflammation and Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: Protocol Description and Preliminary Results. Integr Cancer Ther. 2019;18:1534735419846400. doi:10.1177/1534735419846400

What is the anti-inflammatory diet? Food Insight. (2021, July 12). Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://foodinsight.org/what-is-the-anti-inflammatory-diet/