What are inflammatory foods

The internet is full of stories claiming that certain foods cause, or reduce, inflammation in the body. Yes, diet can impact inflammation. But these stories often fail to address the bigger picture. To make any significant difference, it’s necessary to focus on long-term eating habits and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s response to a problem. It’s a normal, important reaction that signals to the immune system that something is wrong, so it can then fight off infection or heal injuries. When you have influenza and run a fever, that’s inflammation. When you eat something bad and get diarrhea, that’s inflammation. Swelling after you twist your ankle? That’s inflammation, too. We need a little inflammation. We would die if we did not have inflammation.

Chronic inflammation, however, is another story. Chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells, tissues and organs. Over time, it can lead to diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease.

How to reduce inflammation in the body

I want to emphasize that people really need to focus on their pattern of eating — as opposed to eating a few particular foods — to reduce inflammation. There’s no miracle food out there that’s going to cure people with chronic inflammation. You need to have an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and diet.

That said, Mediterranean and plant-based diets, which are low in red meat and processed foods, can offer some protection against chronic inflammation. So can foods with antioxidants, such as nuts, olive oil, dark chocolate, beans, fruits and vegetables.

To make any significant difference, it’s necessary to focus on long-term eating habits and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

New research on time-restrictive eating and intermittent fasting shows timing may affect inflammation. Certain genes responsible for our inflammation are turned on and off at different times of the day. So if we eat at a time when those inflammation genes are turned on, that may potentially increase our risk of inflammation. Is eating at 1 a.m. going to have the same effect on inflammation as eating at 8 a.m.? I’d say they’re probably going to be some differences.

A lot of studies are looking at antioxidants and plant-based nutrients. The antioxidants prevent free radical species from damaging our DNA and causing oxidation, which is a form of inflammation.

Do dairy foods cause inflammation?

Studies haven't demonstrated milk clearly promotes inflammation, despite popular belief.

What about gluten?

Gluten — a protein in wheat, rye and barley — can lead to diagnosable inflammation in people with celiac disease, a condition associated with an autoimmune response to gluten. However, the connection between gluten and inflammation in people without celiac disease is less clear.

There is a condition known as gluten sensitivity. People with gluten sensitivity typically complain of gastrointestinal symptoms when exposed to gluten. Unlike celiac disease, biopsies of the small bowel from patients with gluten sensitivity do not show inflammatory changes.

If you have an inflammatory lifestyle, eating one anti-inflammatory food is not going to overcome that.

Can supplements help reduce inflammation?

There are some that may be helpful. Turmeric and Omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules, may offer some protection because they have anti-inflammatory properties. In terms of joint pain, capsaicin — the same chili pepper extract that makes foods spicy — may have anti-inflammatory properties.

What foods can cause inflammation?

The standard American diet is pro-inflammatory because it’s rich in ultra-processed foods and red meat, and low in fruits and vegetables.

Processed foods and inflammation

All processed foods can cause inflammation. They can alter the bacteria that live in our gut, and that alteration has the ability to interact with our immune system and eventually trigger it in a way that leads to chronic inflammation.

Which foods to avoid to reduce inflammation

Avoid foods you couldn’t make at home, like corn chips. You can’t buy corn and go home and convert it into corn chips. There are a lot of chemicals and extra stuff that go into it. A quick way to recognize ultra-processed foods is to read the ingredients and see if you can pronounce what’s in it. The stuff you can’t pronounce is what can promote inflammation.

Also, fried foods, soaked in oil with Omega 6 fatty acids, can be pro-inflammatory. Sugar and soda may cause inflammation because of their effects on insulin.

How do I know if I need to reduce my inflammation?

Most people who need to reduce their inflammation probably already have a disease to go along with it. Identifying low levels of chronic inflammation is an area of ongoing research because we don’t yet know how to test for it and identify it in clinical practice. You can see things like redness, swelling and pain associated with inflammation, but you can’t detect it on a CT scan. There’s no one standard test I can do for a patient that says, "Oh, this is how much inflammation you have in your body right now."

What’s an anti-inflammatory lifestyle?

Getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Being keenly aware how the world can affect your mental health and having the courage to act on things, open up about your emotions and what’s going on in your head, and seek out counseling or meditating. It’s 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate exercise, and not sitting for more than an hour at a time. It’s not smoking or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

If you have an inflammatory lifestyle, eating one anti-inflammatory food is not going to overcome that.

Edwin McDonald, MD, is a gastroenterologist, researcher and trained chef. His blog, The Doc’s Kitchen, features articles about healthy, evidence-based eating.

You cut your finger, and it becomes red and inflamed. You hurt your knee, and it gets swollen and inflamed. But what, exactly, does inflammation mean for your insides?

A little bit of inflammation contributes to healing, but when inflammation becomes chronic, it can trigger disease processes. Chronic inflammation can damage your heart, brain and other organs, and it plays a role in nearly every major illness, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

“Just like inflammation happens after an injury, that same process can happen within your body,” says registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “Certain foods and health conditions can cause inflammation.”

But the food we eat — and don’t eat — can soothe and even prevent that inflammation. Zumpano explains the health benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet, as well as where to start, what to stop eating and how to tell if it’s working.

Who should try an anti-inflammatory diet?

Everyone’s inflammatory triggers are different, so there are a few reasons you might experience inflammation. Zumpano delves deeper.

Chronic illness

If you’re living with a chronic health condition, you may be living with chronic inflammation, too. Conditions associated with inflammation include:

Crohn’s disease.
Heart disease.
High blood pressure.
Irritable bowel syndrome.
Multiple sclerosis.
Obesity.
Psoriasis.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Type 1 diabetes.
Ulcerative colitis.

“We know of some general associations,” Zumpano says. “Refined starches and processed meats are not good for people with heart disease (or anyone); gluten and dairy can further inflame bowel disorders; and nightshades can be inflammatory for arthritis. But each person needs to find their personal triggers.”

Food sensitivities

Even if you don’t have a chronic condition, you can experience inflammation when you eat foods that you’re sensitive to.

“When you have an immune response to a food, your antibodies rise, which can cause inflammation,” Zumpano explains. “Your body basically sees that food as a foreign body and starts working against it.”

But foods that cause inflammation in one person might not cause it in others — the way, for example, that you can enjoy the occasional slice of pizza without issue, while doing so causes severe inflammation in your friend who has a gluten sensitivity.

It’s not a perfect example, though! Keep in mind that although you may not experience a physical sign of inflammation, all processed foods can lead to internal inflammation. So keep them to a minimum, even if you don’t have a particular sensitivity.

How do you know if you’re experiencing inflammation?

This is a tricky one! You might not even realize you’re experiencing this type of hidden inflammation within your body, although some physical signs can clue you in to it.

“You could have redness, puffiness, skin rashes, swelling in your hands and feet,” she says. “You can also experience abdominal distention, when your pants feel tight around your waist.”

Other clues can include fatigue, weight gain, achy joints and muscles, headaches and gastrointestinal issues. You may also be more prone to getting colds and the flu, and when you do get them, they may linger for weeks.

How to start an anti-inflammatory diet

The foods you eat (and the ones you avoid) can help soothe and even prevent inflammation by quashing your body’s inflammatory responses. But because everyone’s inflammatory triggers are different, there’s no one-size-fits-all anti-inflammatory diet.

“The term ‘anti-inflammatory diet’ doesn’t refer to a specific diet regimen but to an overall style of eating,” Zumpano says. There are, however, some guidelines to follow to eat in a way that reduces the likelihood of inflammation.

1. Scale way back on processed foods

The first key to minimizing inflammation is cutting foods that cause it. “An anti-inflammatory diet is one that includes minimally processed foods,” Zumpano says. “That typically means staying away from anything that comes in a box or a bag, or anything that has a laundry list of ingredients — especially if they start with sugar, salt or a processed oil and include ingredients you don’t recognize.”

Examples include:

Sweets, like commercial baked goods, pre-packaged desserts, ice cream and candy.
Snack foods, like potato chips and microwave popcorn.
Processed meats, including bacon, sausage, hot dogs, bologna, pepperoni and salami.
Processed cheeses, like nacho cheese dip and American cheese slices.
Sugary beverages, including soda and sports drinks.
Fried foods, like fried chicken and French fries.

Even so-called healthy snacks like granola bars, trail mix and baked chips can have a lot of processed ingredients, including added sodium and sugar.

“There’s no real nutritional benefit to them, so you’re not lacking anything when you cut them out,” Zumpano says.

2. Focus on whole foods

When you’ve cut out the processed stuff, what’s left? Whole foods, of course!

“A whole food is a one-ingredient food, an entire entity: an apple, an orange, a cucumber,” Zumpano says. In addition to fruits and vegetables, other examples include:

Brown or wild rice.
Chicken/turkey breast.
Eggs.
Fish (especially oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring or mackerel).
Legumes, like dried beans and peas.
Nuts and seeds.
Oats.

In short, if you can find it in nature, it’s probably a whole food.

So do any processed foods make the grade? “Foods that have more than one ingredient can still be made up of whole foods — for example, store-bought hummus, dried fruit and nut snack mix or a pasta sauce,” Zumpano says. “The key is to always review the ingredient list.”

That means choosing breads and pastas that are minimally processed, minimally preserved and made with whole grains.

3. Try a diet proven to reduce inflammation

Again, there’s no one-size-fits-all anti-inflammatory diet. But two styles of eating have been shown to help: the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet.

“Positive research reports that these diets are successful in reducing inflammation, as well as cholesterol, weight, blood pressure and blood sugar,” Zumpano says. She explains each of them.

The Mediterranean Diet

Thought to be the heart-healthiest of diets, the Mediterranean Diet is a style of eating popular among people who live along the Mediterranean Sea. A foundation of this diet is fish high in omega-3 fatty acid, which has been proven to reduce inflammation.

“The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to be anti-inflammatory because of its focus on whole foods and omega-3 fatty acids,” Zumpano says. “It also eliminates processed oils, like cottonseed and soybean oil, which are found in many ultra-processed foods.”

The DASH Diet

DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is a diet designed to reduce high blood pressure. “This diet has been shown to reduce inflammation, probably because it reduces blood pressure and promotes weight loss,” Zumpano notes. Remember, both high blood pressure and obesity are associated with inflammation.

Like the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet focuses on whole foods and limits protein, sweets and processed foods. But DASH includes a bit more dairy, and it doesn’t specifically encourage fish or extra-virgin olive oil.

Is vegetarianism anti-inflammatory?

Though meat can be inflammatory, keep in mind that cutting animal products doesn’t necessarily mean eating healthfully.

“Eating a plant-based diet can help suppress inflammation,” Zumpano says, “but vegetarian, pescetarian and even vegan diets can still include foods like potato chips, fries and cookies. To see anti-inflammatory benefits, you have to stick to whole foods.”

4. If needed, try an elimination diet

If you’ve cut out processed foods but still experience symptoms of inflammation, you may need to go a step further.

“Finding the right anti-inflammatory diet for you is a matter of personalization and finding the foods that trigger your inflammation,” Zumpano explains. The best way to start is by trying an elimination diet and slowly cutting out potential trigger foods one by one.

Food sensitivity tests can help identify which foods increase your body’s antibody response, too, which may be helpful if you can’t seem to determine a culprit on your own.

Do anti-inflammatory diets work?

The biggest hint that your anti-inflammatory diet is working is if you start feeling better, so keep an eye on your symptoms and look for positive changes to your health.

“There are a lot of different ways your body can react to an anti-inflammatory diet,” Zumpano says. They include:

Clearer skin.
Decreased muscle or joint pain.
Decreased swelling in your hands and feet.
Fewer headaches.
Improved gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, gas, nausea, stomach pain).
Improved sleep.
Less anxiety, stress and/or brain fog.
Less bloating.
Lower blood pressure.
Lower blood sugar.
More energy.
Weight loss.

How long does it take to see results?

Starting an anti-inflammatory diet isn’t a magic pill. Your results will vary based on the severity of your intolerance and inflammation.

“Drastic changes never lead to long-term success, so give yourself three to six months to make diet changes and to begin to see results,” Zumpano advises. “Begin by making small changes that you know will be impactful, and then slowly continue to add on.”

In some cases, if you significantly react to a certain food, you may see results as soon as two to three weeks after eliminating that food from your diet.

“This can be very encouraging and motivating,” Zumpano says. “Patients often tell me that they never realized how bad they felt until they changed their diet and began to feel so much better.”