Optimal Nutrition to Fight Inflammation

Did you know that certain foods can cause inflammation within your body? Studies show that asthma, allergies, joint pain, premature aging, diabetes, and obesity can all be linked to inflammation throughout your body. Doctors and nutrition experts suggest eating primarily a whole-foods, plant-based diet to decrease this inflammation and improve overall health. Below, we will suggest anti-inflammatory foods, foods to avoid, and cost-effective ways to decrease risk of disease, mood disorders, and overall stress levels.

What you eat can help combat the amount of inflammation that is causing your symptoms, including those experienced with osteoarthritis. The first-line defense against inflammation includes “optimal nutrition” and exercise. While physical therapy targets the exercise interventions you need to get back to your highest quality of life, what you eat is just as important. So what is the “optimal nutrition” you need to fuel your body? Each person is different, however a diet focussed on anti-inflammatory, plant-based foods shows resounding positive effects across inflammatory diagnoses. An anti-inflammatory diet includes: whole grains, vegetables and fruits, beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Certain spices also contribute to decreased inflammation in one’s system, including: rosemary, turmeric, cloves and ginger. Adding these spices into dishes, while also incorporating the aforementioned anti-inflammatory foods, will help combat the negative effects of inflammation seen in today’s society. With a proinflammatory diet so prevalent in today’s western culture, it is imperative that we focus on properly fueling our bodies to fight inflammation.

Rheumatoid arthritis has also been shown to respond to a plant-based diet, as the antioxidants present in plants decrease the inflammation in one’s system. Nuts are an important source of protein to add to any plant-based diet and provide helpful fats. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is another condition receiving recognition for responding to a plant-based diet, as demonstrated by the Swank diet. To learn more about the specifics of this cost-effective strategy to managing symptoms of MS, please visit the link provided at the bottom of this paper.

While there are many foods that help decrease inflammation in the body, there are also a number of foods that increase the inflammatory response and can exacerbate your symptoms. Processed sugars can trigger the release of inflammatory messengers. Saturated fats, which are high in red meat products, full-fat dairy products, and desserts, trigger inflammation in the fat tissue. Trans fats are another type of fat that trigger inflammation, especially throughout the body. Trans fats are found in many fast food products and processed foods. Refined carbohydrates contain ingredients that increase inflammation, so it is important to limit the consumption of white flour products, white rice, and processed cereals. MSG is a food additive that is often put in foods to enhance their flavor, but it can trigger chronic inflammation pathways and also impair liver health. Aspartame is another ingredient that is added to foods for flavor enhancement, but is actually a neurotoxin that causes your immune system to trigger an inflammatory response. Finally, alcohol is a food that can cause inflammation by impairing liver function and interfering with other organ function. As you can see, many of the foods that we consume daily contain ingredients that cause increased inflammation within the body, and it is important to limit the consumption of these foods.

With a little spin on the classic saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, a balanced diet consisting of plant based and whole foods keeps the inflammation away! In addition to providing a first-line of defense against inflammation, changing to consumption of a more balanced diet can significantly benefit the success of people with chronic diseases that medication and invasive procedures cannot assist in. Before altering your daily eating habits, consult with your physician on appropriate steps to take to find an exact balance appropriate for your condition. You have the power to prevent and manage your condition by making a positive lifestyle change. Learn more about taking a proactive approach to health and learning about improving your diet through visiting www.nutritionfacts.org.

Resources:

http://nutritionfacts.org

http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet/foods-to-avoid-limit/food-ingredients-and-inflammation.php

http://www.swankmsdiet.org/the-diet

Kathryn Coughlin, SPT
Kayla Francis, SPT
Chelsea Oswald, SPT
Sonia Shah, SPT