Inflammation is an immune response. It happens when the body needs to protect itself from things such as infections, injuries, or a disease. Acute inflammation, which is usually as a result from an injury or illness, occurs fast and can resolve itself quickly. The type of inflammation we want to touch upon is long-term inflammation, also known as chronic inflammation. 

When the body is experiencing inflammatory responses for prolonged periods of time, there is an increased risk of disease and other problems and conditions, such as autoimmune disorders, stress, depression, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, and weight gain, just to name a few. Inflammation can occur in the body due to certain medications, acute conditions, or exposure to things that the body is just not able to tolerate or get rid of. Case in point: food. There are certain foods that can trigger inflammation in the body —  or if you are already experiencing inflammation, these foods can make it worse. According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are certain food ingredients that can cause inflammation, and could even put you at risk for other health concerns, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. 

Top Inflammatory Food Ingredients

Sugar: A diet high in processed sugar puts the body at high risk for inflammation. These sugars cause inflammatory messengers called cytokines to release into the body. Sugar is not simply labeled as sugar, however. It has many different aliases, so you need to be extra cautious when reading nutrition labels. Look out for, and stay away from, ingredients that end in “ose.”

Saturated fats: The Arthritis Foundation cites that research has shown saturated fats to specifically trigger adipose inflammation, which is a sign of heart disease and can increase arthritis symptoms. Examples of saturated fats include pizza, cheese, red meat, full-fat dairy, pasta, and grain-based sweets.

Trans fats: We’ve discussed good vs. bad fat on our blog before, specifically noting trans fat as the “bad” one to watch out for. Trans fat is most often found in foods that are fried and/or processed, especially snack foods like cookies and crackers. Again, check those nutrition labels and look out for “partially hydrogenated oils.” If you see those words, stay away.

Omega 6 fatty acids: Our bodies do need this type of fatty acid for growth and development reasons, however too much of it can cause inflammation. We need to make sure we have a healthy balance of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 is found in most salad dressings, mayonnaise, and corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, soy, peanut and vegetable oils.

Refined carbs: This pretty much includes anything that uses white flour: bread, crackers, rice, potatoes, cereals, etc. A diet high in too many refined carbohydrates not only triggers inflammation, but it can also cause weight gain and many chronic health conditions.

MSG: MSG is short for mono-sodium glutamate. This flavor enhancer is most popular in Asian food, but is also known to be added to fast food and many processed food items. MSG can increase inflammation and also affects the liver. Luckily, it seems like many food manufacturers are steering clear of this, and make it a point to add verbiage on their packaging that states there is no MSG.

Gluten: Gluten, found in wheat, barley and rye, is one of the most notorious inflammatory food ingredients out there, and it affects so many more people than you might think. According to Beyond Celiac, 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, but up to 83% of people are either misdiagnosed or undiagnosed altogether. 

Aspartame: When you are trying to avoid sugar, you may be tempted to reach for this well-known and widely used artificial sweetener. Don’t do it! Aspartame has zero nutritional value and is known to have mixed side effects. There is a chance that your body and immune system will react to this unknown chemical by triggering an inflammatory response in order to attack it. 

Do you best to avoid foods with these ingredients in order to lessen your chances of inflammation in the body. On the contrary, stock up on these anti-inflammatory foods instead:

• Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries

• Fatty fish, i.e., salmon

• Broccoli

• Avocado

• Mushrooms

• Tomatoes

• Turmeric, ginger and clove

• Green tea

Healthy Living Promotes Reduced Inflammation 

If you still have questions about inflammatory foods, Dr. Gena, your favorite family chiropractor in Plantation, is happy to help! She expresses that truly living a healthy lifestyle can help promote reduced inflammation in the body. This includes proper nutrition, adequate motion, quality rest, positive mental attitude, and a clear brain-body connection achieved through chiropractic care. “This lifestyle can help you heal, feel, function and adapt at your very best,” she says.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gena Chiropractic, call us at 954-417-5815. Remember, your health is in your hands; our hands are here to help.