So Why Eat in an Anti-inflammatory Diet?

Now that we’ve discussed what inflammation is and how to eat an anti-inflammatory diet what types of medical situations might it be helpful?

Since many types of medical problems are basically low grade inflammation that can develop into more serious issues eating in an anti-inflammatory way could decrease not only the severity of these issues but also the actual diagnosis.

For example, diabetes starts out as low grade inflammation or insulin resistance (see blog 11/15/09) in the body and progresses to the point where the blood sugars actually go up and diabetes is diagnosed.  A typical progression is to either start with lifestyle changes or have an individual start on medication to help lower their blood sugars.  What if it were possible to reverse the high blood sugars, avoid medication and actually manage the diet so the body does not even register that the person ever had diabetes?  Is that possible? Absolutely!

If someone with high blood sugars follows the anti-inflammatory eating diet along with eating adequate protein, healthy sources of fat and moderate amounts of carbohydrate, the blood sugars can be quite cooperative.  Of course exercise and adequate sleep are helpful as well (see blog 12/6/09).

Anti-inflammatory eating can assist those with high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and auto-immune diagnoses such as MS and Lupus.  Remember it can be prevention, not prescription!

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

The basis of anti-inflammatory eating is to lower inflammation of any kind caused by foods.  Avoidance of certain foods or food groups helps to lower inflammation as well as increasing intake of other food groups. 

In general protein and fats from monounsaturated and omega-3 sources do not trigger inflammation, and aid in lowering inflammation.  Carbohydrates that are in their purest forms such as fruits, vegetables and certain types of whole grains are thought to keep inflammation to a minimum.  Organic produce is preferred.

Starchy processed carbohydrates, omega-6 fats (see below) and trans fats (hydrogenated fats that are used in foods to increase shelf life) increase inflammation and should be avoided or minimized.

Dairy products should be organic to avoid hormones which increase inflammation.

Protein Choices:

Choose a variety each week from the following foods:

Protein does not create inflammation in the body since there is little insulin response when we consume protein-rich foods.  Types of protein that exist are:

• Lean Red Meat Choices (grass-fed preferred) – filet mignon, 7-15% ground meat, top sirloin, eye of the round, etc.

• Lamb/Pork/Veal – lean cuts

• Chicken/Turkey – skinless poultry, skinless thigh meat

• Fish – freshwater fish, shellfish, *salmon or other fatty fish, light tuna in water (wild fish preferred over farm raised)

• Eggs – organic free range preferred

• Cheese (grass-fed preferred) – hard European or other good quality hard cheeses

• Beans – garbanzo/chickpeas, kidney, pinto, black

• Cottage Cheese/Ricotta Cheese – organic preferred

• Nuts/Seeds – unsalted raw or dry roasted

• Nut Butters –natural peanut, almond or cashew butters

• Milk or yogurt – organic milk and plain low fat or whole milk yogurts

Carbohydrate Choices: 

Least Inflammatory: 

• Fruits –fresh organic fruit or unsweetened frozen or unsweetened applesauce

• Vegetables – fresh organic vegetables or lettuce

• Whole Grains:  quinoa, steel-cut oats, buckwheat, brown or wild rice, yams (once or twice a week)

Most Inflammatory:

Breads, bagels, muffins, pasta, white rice, popcorn, tortillas, cereals (any kind), potatoes, crackers, chips, desserts

Fat Choices:

Choose as desired:

*Olive oil/ Walnut Oil

Coconut Oil- extra virgin organic

Avocado/guacamole

Butter - organic

Olive oil mayonnaise

Olive oil based dressings

**Omega 3 Fatty Acids:  ground flax seeds, fish oil

Foods to Limit or Avoid:

Sugar and high sugar products

Any processed or refined foods (foods in a package with an extended shelf life)

Wheat and wheat products

Potatoes and potato products

Omega 6 Oils:  corn, canola, soybean, safflower, sunflower, vegetable and other inexpensive oils used in processed foods

Caffeine and alcohol both aggravate stress and inflammation in the body and should be avoided or minimized

When possible grass-fed meat or cheese is preferred since the products they produce are higher in omega-3 fatty acids (versus corn/grain fed animals whose products produce more omega-6 fatty acids)

Treats to include if Desired:

High quality dark chocolate (greater than 70%) is considered an anti-oxidant food and does not trigger inflammation.

Good quality ice-cream (such as McConnell’s Santa Barbara or Häagen-Dazs Five) contains minimal high quality ingredients and consuming once or twice a week is acceptable.

*These foods are the highest in omega-3 fatty acids and should be consumed daily to lower inflammation.

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

A current popular topic for medical research is inflammation.  We all know what happens when you sprain your ankle or hurt some part of your body – it becomes inflamed and swollen.  But, there are also things going on inside the body that the naked eye can’t see. That’s similar to what happens when you eat something unhealthy.

What happens internally when you eat something harmful? 

Most think nothing happens, which may be true in some instances.  However, even one fast food meal can cause inflammation.  For example, if you ate a fast-food hamburger, fries and a coke, here’s what would happen:

1.  Insulin levels rise to accommodate high glucose levels

2.  Levels of trans fat in your blood can trigger free radicals or oxygenation (i.e. rust on an old car), and constriction in your blood vessels

These changes are short lived and can be turned around with a healthy meal, but what happens if you consume these foods meal after meal?

Inflammation is manifested in many forms, and triggers many health issues such as:

• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• fatty liver
• diabetes
• cancer
• gastrointestinal reflux (GERD)

One blood test used to measure inflammation in the body is called C-reactive protein. This measures when inflammation is high, like when the body is experiencing infection and stress, but can also be elevated due to obesity, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.  A measure greater than 3.0 mg/l puts someone in a higher risk category than having levels below 3.

Is there a type of eating that can lower inflammation?  Over the last several years, multiple studies have shown certain foods can increase or decrease inflammation as well as the balance of what one eats.

Since this topic is a whole blog in itself let’s wait till tomorrow to discuss anti-inflammatory eating so stay tuned.