Inflammation. It gets a bad rap, but it might surprise you that it’s not all bad—but you can have too much. It’s like the ice cream of the body’s responses (sugar can cause inflammation, but more on that later). The obsession with anti-inflammatory diets has grown in recent years. You may remember when the debate became particularly heated after the actress Gwyneth Paltrow said she has bone broth — and not much else — as part of her diet to reduce inflammation.
Yes, inflammation can be are associated with serious health conditions which can seriously injure or even kill you, but it also helps when cutting paper.
This may not sound like a win/win, but let’s explain. Here’s more about what you need to know about inflammation.
What is inflammation in the body and how does it affect you?
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to an infection, injury, allergy, or virus—really anything that can cause harm. Your immune system creates inflammation to help protect and heal from injury or disease.
In some cases, inflammation is exactly what you imagine in your head: swelling around a splinter in your finger or redness when you have a sore throat. But you can’t always see inflammation.
There are two main types of inflammation:
- Acute inflammation: inflammation that occurs after a sudden illness or injury. It lasts for a short time and your body returns to the state it was in before the inflammation. This is the inflammation you were probably picturing above.
The five signs of acute inflammation is:
- Pain
- Redness
- Swelling
- Heat
- Decreased or limited function (e.g. difficulty breathing when you have a chest cold)
- Chronic inflammation: inflammation that is slow, long-lasting and lasts for many months or years. It can travel throughout the body and contribute to various health problems.
Signs of chronic inflammation may include:
- Physical pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Frequent infections
- Mood disorders
- Weight gain or loss
When is inflammation bad for you?
As we said, inflammation can help you heal. But, like too much of any good thing, it can also hurt you. Chronic inflammation over time can cause damage to organs, tissues and joints among other problems. For example, research shows that inflammation causes plaque to build up and loosen in the arteries, which can cause blood clots and lead to a heart attack or stroke.
This can be especially harmful to women and people assigned as female at birth because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women living in the US.
Read: Why women don’t get the same treatment for heart disease as men? >>
Research shows that chronic inflammation is linked to many serious health conditions, including:
In some cases, chronic inflammation occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells. These are called autoimmune diseases. For example, people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have painful joint swelling caused by tissue damage from inflammation. The damage causes chronic pain and a range of symptoms, including stiffness and red, swollen joints.
Why is it important to reduce inflammation in the body?
Inflammation can worsen existing symptoms and health conditions.
Research shows that people with chronic conditions are less likely to have symptoms and severe symptoms when inflammation levels are under control. Healthy inflammation levels mean better health overall and a better chance of fighting off infection as you get older.
You can reduce inflammation through lifestyle changes. These may include:
- Stop smoking
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercise at least 20 minutes a day
- Eating a heart-healthy diet
Read: What is a heart-healthy diet? >>
What foods reduce inflammation?
What you eat may have a big effect on your inflammation levels, for better or for worse. Many delicious foods have excellent anti-inflammatory properties, including certain spices such as turmeric and garlic. Other anti-inflammatory options include:
Studies show that people who follow a Mediterranean diet have reduced levels of inflammation. The DASH dietplant-based diets or some combination thereof are also good for keeping inflammation under control.
What foods cause inflammation?
You might have already guessed it by now, but it doesn’t look good for burger lovers. Red meat is on the inflammation list. So are most (salty and crunchy and delicious) processed foods like chips. We’re not saying you can never eat these delicious snacks, but moderation is the key.
As a general rule, check the label for the following ingredients foods that harm inflammation:
- Added sugar
- Saturated fat
- Trans-fatty acids
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- Processed carbohydrates
- Processed meats
Does alcohol cause inflammation?
Another one, who. Studies show that he drinks alcohol, even red wine which was once thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, may increase inflammation in the body. In fact, last year, the World Heart Federation published a report that stated that any amount of alcohol can be harmful to your health. Now, we know it’s not realistic for most people to cut out alcohol completely, but no matter how much you drink, cutting back can always help.
Read: How much alcohol is too much for your heart health? >>
It takes work, but you can reduce harmful inflammation through lifestyle and dietary choices. If you think you may have chronic inflammation, talk to your healthcare provider. Most people are not tested for inflammation, but you can have a blood test to check your levels.
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