Eat to Beat Inflammation!

By Judy Donnelly, RDN, LD| Nutrition Program Manager, Dempsey Center

“Inflammation” is a bit of a buzz word these days. It’s one of those things that can be helpful or harmful to health, depending on the type you are experiencing. Acute inflammation, which is your body’s response to an injury or infection, is an important part of the healing process and therefore helpful. The other type, a low grade, persistent form, is called chronic inflammation and science reveals that it can contribute to our risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. There are a number of factors that contribute to chronic inflammation, such as exposure to environmental toxins and autoimmune disorders. Lifestyle factors play a role too and one of them is what we eat.

It helps if we think about the human body like a car. Put diesel fuel in a car that runs on regular gas and you’ve got an immediate problem! The food we eat impacts how our body functions, but unlike a car engine, the impact can be gradual and may be hard to detect until symptoms begin to arise. While some foods help to fight inflammation, others consumed in a consistent manner can promote inflammation and increase our risk for developing chronic diseases. The following foods are thought to increase risk of inflammation: foods that are high in refined sugar and grains, deep fried foods, alcohol, red meat and processed meats, such as salami, bologna, hot dogs. While there is no evidence indicating that we need to eliminate these foods entirely, health professionals agree that minimizing intake of these foods and eating a variety of whole foods is an important health strategy to reduce risk of cancer and other chronic disease.

A great way to increase intake of anti – inflammatory foods is to follow the principles of the Mediterranean Diet ( https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-andhealthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801) an approach to eating that celebrates whole foods and an active lifestyle. While it is not a vegetarian diet, it predominantly features whole, plant-based foods, complemented by animal foods and emphasizes the use of herbs and spices to add flavor and, you guessed it, additional antiinflammatory nutrients. What we eat matters and it’s never too late to make adjustments to your diet that can improve your health and well-being. Want to learn more? The Dempsey Center is offering a program, virtual and open to the public, on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. See the Dempsey Center's program guide for additional information.