Almost half of Australians suffer from chronic diseases, and about 90% of deaths are caused by chronic diseases.
Reducing inflammation through a better diet can reduce our risk of some chronic diseases, which is very important for us.
Clear evidence
Pro-inflammatory diet is a long-term diet, which may lead to aggravation of inflammation in the body. This diet usually includes a large number of commercial baked goods, fried foods and fat meat, which are low in fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods.
This survey and analysis of diet summarizes 15 analytical data and a large number of individual research data, and draws 38 health results through the observation of 4 million people around the world.
There is evidence that pro-inflammatory diet is related to 27 chronic diseases such as heart attack, premature death and some cancers (including intestinal cancer, pancreatic cancer, respiratory cancer and oral cancer). There is also evidence that pro-inflammatory diet is related to depression.
By collecting data from people all over the world, researchers provide a comprehensive and reliable overview of the research so far. Although it can't be asserted that pro-inflammatory diet caused these chronic diseases, they found clear evidence that pro-inflammatory diet is related to the increased risk of some chronic diseases and premature death.
What is inflammation? What role does our diet play?
Inflammation is part of our natural defense process. This is the response of our immune system to stimulation, whether it is infection or injury, which is usually a welcome signal that our body is trying to protect us. For example, when you turn your ankle, swelling provides a resource to help repair the injury.
When inflammation can't be eliminated, this process may start to work against us. Persistent low-level inflammation (called chronic inflammation) may cause problems and is associated with premature death and diseases such as coronary heart disease and depression.
This phenomenon can be detected by a simple blood test, and the level of inflammatory markers in the blood can be observed through the test. Our diet is one of the factors that affect the levels of these inflammatory markers.
Take "Western-style diet" as an example, it consists of high-calorie super-processed foods, and the content of plant foods such as fruits and vegetables is very low. This diet pattern is associated with a higher level of inflammation.
On the contrary, a healthy diet pattern is associated with a lower inflammatory index. This includes the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, olive oil and oily fish, and the content of ultra-processed and refined foods is very low.
The possibility of diet promoting inflammation or anti-inflammation can be measured by a tool called "diet inflammation index". The index takes into account some nutrients, compounds and foods, which have been determined to have anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory properties.
Use food to reduce inflammation
Although we may see some promising supplements or super foods on the Internet, in fact, there are no magic supplements or super foods that can fight all our inflammatory diseases.
On the contrary, we should focus on improving the overall diet quality, not a single food or nutrition. This is because many nutrients interact with food and can improve inflammation. This is what Chinese medicine often calls "dietotherapy".
So what should we eat?
1, we'd better have a variety of plant foods on our plates, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, such as chickpeas and lentils. These foods are rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients such as fiber and a series of vitamins. They also contain unique "phytochemicals", such as polyphenols, which are plant compounds with potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
2. Flavor with herbs and spices, and often drink tea and coffee. They are also an important source of polyphenols.
3, often eat oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc., rich in anti-inflammatory -3 fatty acids.
4. Reduce food intake that may contribute to inflammation. These foods include foods high in trans fats and saturated fats, which are usually found in commercial baked goods, fried foods and fat meat.