DOCTOK

The Best Foods for Reducing Inflammation in the Body

According to Harvard Health, the best way to reduce inflammation is not through medicine but with the right kind of food. Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet can help you manage chronic inflammation and stay much healthier and fitter.

Understanding Inflammation

For those of you who are a bit out at sea as far as knowing what inflammation is and what it does to your body in the long run, here is some quick trivia to get you motivated to make the switch.

Have you noticed the redness and swelling in your body generally when you are injured, or during rashes or fever? That’s inflammation. Inflammation in your body is not as bad as you think. It is the body fighting germs or any other foreign body.

When the germs that the body views as invaders enter, the immune system goes into action mode and sends out soldiers which are inflammatory cells and cytokines that stimulate the inflammatory cells. These two initiate the inflammatory process to capture the germs, throw them out, and heal the tissue. Normal inflammation causes mild pain and swelling and is usually an immediate response to an injury or infection. It is short-lived. The problem is chronic inflammation. During chronic inflammation, the body keeps sending the inflammatory cells despite no danger and they continue to attack the tissues. Hence the mechanism that was supposed to protect your body ends up hurting it.

The Effects of Chronic Inflammation on the Body

1. Chronic inflammation makes the body overreact and affects the nerve coatings. This disrupts the nerve signals and can make you feel dizzy and lose your balance.
2. Inflammation that lasts a long time can affect the working of insulin that regulates blood sugar levels in your body and hence lead to diabetes. Insulin resistance also makes you feel thirsty and tired.
3. The condition can make your muscles weak as the immune system breaks down the muscle fiber. The muscles that are most affected are the shoulders, hips, and back and you may find daily activities like walking, bathing, and swallowing difficult.
4. The immune system inflames your colon and small intestine and causes diarrhea, nausea, joint pain, fever, and rashes on the skin.
5. Chronic inflammation can affect your spine, knees, and chest and can hamper your mobility.
6. Your arteries can harden as your body keeps getting triggered by inflammation. The build-up of plaque on the inner wall of the arteries can be the main reason for heart issues. Inflammation can also cause blood clotting which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
7. Dry eyes, sore throat, and swollen salivary glands can also be a result of chronic inflammation.
8. Your memory and your ability to think can also be disturbed due to inflammation. Research indicates that Alzheimer’s and dementia could also be triggered by chronic inflammation.
9. Chronic inflammation makes it difficult for the body to leverage insulin. This leads to the storage of excessive sugar as body fat and causes weight gain.

How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation in the Body

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, then it’s time to rethink your diet and include more anti-inflammatory foods. Here is a list to help you get started.

1. Tomatoes
2. Olive oil
3. Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts)
4. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
5. Nuts like almonds and walnuts, and chia and flaxseeds.

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines

1. Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges 
2. Green and black tea

Foods you should avoid

1. Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries.
2. French fries and other fried foods
3. Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
4. Red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)
5. Margarine and butter.

In addition to that try and manage stress through exercise and meditation, and reduce alcohol and smoking.