6 Foods That Increase Inflammation And Tips To Prevent It

What is inflammation?

Here are two definitions:

Reaction of living tissue to injury or infection, characterized by heat, redness, swelling, and pain.

The British Dictionary (noun)

and,

Inflammation is a biological response of the immune system that can be triggered by a variety of factors, including pathogens, damaged cells, and toxic compounds.

Chen et al. ¹

This post discusses dietary toxins and foods that increase inflammation. However, you will see that stress and poor lifestyle decisions are inflammatory.

Over time, triggers cause harm and change or destroy cell function.

Inflammation can lead to cardiovascular problems, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.

It can affect our

• brain,
• blood vessels,
• heart, kidneys,
• liver,
• pancreas,
• muscles, joints, and bones.

For example, inflammation-damaged arteries:

• Grow cholesterol plaques and blood clots that can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
• Cause hypertension.

Stress-induced inflammation can trigger psoriasis, fibromyalgia, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBS).

Avoid or reverse this with a diet and lifestyle that prevents it. Be aware of the foods that increase inflammation, and avoid them.

Good habits, like bad habits, are hard to break. Get into a routine. Ingrain a healthy, anti-inflammatory lifestyle into your schedule. This will make life enjoyable instead of feeling like punishment.

So, what does inflammation-free mean?

Let’s delve deeper.

Foods that increase inflammation

1. Sugar and refined carbohydrates

Think of sugar and flour as recreational drugs.

Mark Hyman MD – YouTube video at the end of this section

Other inflammatory foods hiding in plain sight

The foods listed below cause inflammation, according to Dr. Mark Hyman. He says, “Food can change your body in seconds. Inflammation markers and hormones can be turned on and off with our diet.”

2. Trans fats

These are added to food to extend shelf life.

The FDA banned these in 2015 because of their toxicity. Many countries have followed suit.

Mayo Clinic explains that industrial processes add hydrogen to vegetable oil. This causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. The result is block margarine or shortening.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that food is trans-fat-free, Anthony DiMarino, RD, LD. explained in a Cleveland Clinic article:

• Manufacturers do not have to declare < 0.5 grams per serving.
• Avoid ingredients that state partially hydrogenated oil.
• Any frying process produces a small amount of trans fat.

3. High fructose corn syrup

This contains free fructose, which is fructose that is not in fruit.

Because it is cheap, manufacturers use it as a sweetener in many shelf items and drinks.

It is harmful because:

• It increases triglycerides and is liver-toxic.
• The corn processing uses a chemical called chloralkali. This results in high levels of mercury in the fructose syrup.
• Your intestines must work hard to absorb it, damaging their protective layer and causing a leaky gut. This allows toxins and infectious agents to be absorbed with the fructose. ²

4. Synthetic food additives

This could be anything from dyes, flavors, and preservatives.

BHA and BHT are examples of preservatives suspected of being toxic. They cause cancer in rodents, but some studies believe they are not harmful to humans.

Unfortunately, there are not enough studies to confirm or disprove these theories.

“It is best to avoid additives where possible, they also cause allergies; don’t take chances. Eat fresh food.”

5. Artificial sweeteners (AS)

Two good reasons to avoid them are:

6. Pesticide-contaminated foods

Pesticide use is common. Some crops are safer than others.

Always wash fruit and veg thoroughly.

EWG Dirty Dozen Foods are 12 fresh foods that have high pesticide exposure.

It was an eye-opener for me to see some of my favorites on this list. Buy organic when possible. Note that this is USA-based.

“I am often too lazy to wash fruit before eating it. I will now.”

EWG Clean 15 foods that are safer options.

Diabetic patients should note that some fruits on this safe list should be avoided.

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So how can you know what is safe to eat?

“Read the labels.”

“If you can recognize all the ingredients on the label, it should be okay to eat,” says Dr Hyman.

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Diet tips to prevent inflammation

Eat anti-inflammatory foods containing potent antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins

Three examples are:

• Ergothioneine is a powerful antioxidant and longevity vitamin found mainly in mushrooms. ³
• Sulforaphane is found primarily in cruciferous vegetables, for example, broccoli. 4
• Lignans have potent antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties. High concentrations in flax and sesame seeds. ⁵

Dr Greger talks about this more in his Daily Dozen Checklist.

There is even an app to help you tick off the list.

Flavour your food with anti-inflammatory spices

Again, Dr. Greger talks about the benefits of spices. Ginger, turmeric, cloves, and rosemary are used as seasonings. No whopping quantities are needed.

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Lifestyle tips to prevent inflammation

Don’t smoke cigarettes (or vape)

“I feel ridiculous writing this down as it seems obvious.”

• Substances in cigarette smoke are toxic and cause blood vessels to inflame and swell. As a result, they become narrow and less flexible. This causes the pressure to increase.
• The inflamed swollen surfaces become sticky. Bad cholesterol and platelets adhere, further narrowing the artery and increasing blood pressure.

What about alcohol? Particularly red wine?

In an article by Guiseppe Lippi et al., they confirm that compounds in red wine decrease oxidative stress induced by inflammation. This halts every step of cholesterol plaque formation. Only true for light to moderate intake, which translates to one to two units of red wine a day. ^6,7

“I enjoy my glass of wine with dinner. It won’t kill me and might be doing some good.

However, I would not prescribe a daily glass of red wine to my patients who do not drink alcohol.”

There is controversy about this, though. Again, Dr. Greger comments. He insists that zero is better than 1 glass. Watch his video below, and you make up your mind!

Also read: How alcohol influences BP

“Alcohol in excess is a problem. This we agree on. It increases BP, triglycerides and LDL.”

Decrease your stress levels and anxiety

Research links trauma and stress to autoimmune diseases. ⁸

“For over 20 years I have seen how anxiety causes skin, thyroid and joint conditions. In each case, all other triggers were investigated and excluded.”

Bessel van der Kolk explains that trauma and stress make the immune system oversensitive to threats. It is prone to mount a defense when none is needed, even when this means attacking the body’s own cells. ⁹

This is why it is important to treat anxiety, not necessarily with medication. Controlling how you think and changing your environment can be beneficial first steps.

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In summary

• Avoid sugars, and don’t substitute them with artificial sweeteners.
• Read labels.
• Eat fresh, organic, pesticide-free food where possible.
• Use the Daily Dozen Checklist to guide you.
• Don’t smoke.
• Try to minimize stress.
• One glass of, or no alcohol. If you decide to have a glass, make it red wine.

References

1. Chen, L., Deng, H., Cui, H., Fang, J., Zuo, Z., Deng, J., Li, Y., Wang, X., & Zhao, L. (2017). Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs. Oncotarget, 9(6), 7204–7218. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.23208
2. Cho, Y. E., Kim, D. K., Seo, W., Gao, B., Yoo, S. H., & Song, B. J. (2021). Fructose Promotes Leaky Gut, Endotoxemia, and Liver Fibrosis Through Ethanol-Inducible Cytochrome P450-2E1-Mediated Oxidative and Nitrative Stress. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 73(6), 2180–2195. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.30652
3. Beelman, R. B., Kalaras, M. D., & Phillips, A. T. (2020). Is ergothioneine a ‘longevity vitamin’ limited in the American diet? Journal of Nutritional Science, 9. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2020.44
4. Alexander, H. (2020, April 8). Sulforaphane benefits: How broccoli and Brussels sprouts may help reduce your cancer risk. MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/sulforaphane-benefits–how-leafy-vegies-like-broccoli-and-bruss.h13-1593780.html
5. Rodríguez-García, C., Sánchez-Quesada, C., Toledo, E., Delgado-Rodríguez, M., & Gaforio, J. J. (2019). Naturally Lignan-Rich Foods: A Dietary Tool for Health Promotion? Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(5), 917. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24050917
6. Lippi, G., Franchini, M., Favaloro, E. J., & Targher, G. (2010). Moderate red wine consumption and cardiovascular disease risk: beyond the “French paradox”. Seminars in thrombosis and hemostasis, 36(1), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0030-1248725
7. Khansari, N., Shakiba, Y., & Mahmoudi, M. (2009). Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress as a major cause of age-related diseases and cancer. Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery, 3(1), 73–80. https://doi.org/10.2174/18722130978715837
8. Stojanovich, L., & Marisavljevich, D. (2008). Stress as a trigger of autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity reviews, 7(3), 209–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2007.11.007
9. Van Der Kolk. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.