How to reduce inflammation
What is inflammation? Why is chronic inflammation a problem? How do you know if you have it? What can you do to reduce inflammation?
Why worry about inflammation
Inflammation isn’t always a problem. There is a difference between acute and chronic inflammation. When you injure yourself or become ill, your immune system produces an inflammatory response in order to heal itself. This acute inflammation is actually helpful and usually goes away within a few days.
However, with chronic inflammation this immune system response lingers, leaving your body in a constant state of alert. When this happens the inflammatory response can attack healthy cells, tissues, and organs, which can lead to on-going health problems. Research indicates that long term inflammation can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis and even cancer.
How do you know if you have chronic inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is often evidenced by symptoms such as persistent infections, feeling fatigued all the time, digestion problems, aching muscles and joints, headaches or unexplained weight changes. If you suspect you have chronic inflammation, you can ask your doctor to do a blood test to determine your C reactive protein (CRP) level as this increases when there is inflammation in your body.
How to reduce inflammation
The good news is there are some simple ways to reduce inflammation.
Foods which fight inflammation
The first is adopting an anti inflammatory diet. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, wholegrain carbohydrates and healthy fats can help lower chronic inflammation.
Make sure to include these anti-inflammatory foods.
Berries
Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and cranberries all contain antioxidants which can lower inflammation as well as being packed with fibre and Vitamin C. Studies have linked increased berry consumption with lower risks of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.
Apples
Apples are rich in inflammation fighting anti-oxidants. An apple also contains around 16% of the recommended amount of daily fibre and around 9% of the recommended amount of daily Vitamin C. According to Harvard Health, a study of 35,000 women found that that consumption of apples was linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease. Consuming apples can also be associated with an increase in beneficial microbes in the gut which is helpful for overall health.
Grapes
Grapes contain fibre and Vitamins C and K. Red grapes also contain resveratrol, an anti-oxidant. Studies have suggested that resveratrol may be able to slow or prevent the growth of tumours in the lymph, liver, stomach, breast, colon, skin cancer and leukemia.
Stone Fruits
Stone fruits such as cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums get their bright colours from the the phytonutrients which they contain. These phytonutrients have been shown to reduce inflammation and even fight the signs of again. Stone fruits also contain fiber, vitamin C and potassium, all of which are important for overall health.
Oily Fish
Oily fish such as salmon, fresh (but not canned) tuna, mackerel, anchovies and sardines contain omega 3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory effects.
Turmeric
Turmeric gets its distinctive yellow colour from curcumin. Curcumin is a powerful anti-oxidant. Research has shown that curcumin can lower inflammation and can assist with managing inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis and diabetes.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is loaded with powerful anti-oxidants which can help reduce your risk of developing a chronic disease. It can help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. Research indicates that oleocanthal which is found in extra virgin olive oil can reduce pain from arthritis and act in a similar way to anti inflammatory drugs such as ibupropen. Olive oil is also rich in a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. Research has indicated that oleic acid can help to control inflammation and may even help prevent the formation of cancer causing proteins.
Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, brussel sprouts and asparagus are high in Vitamin E, a natural antioxidant which has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body.
A recent US study also found that a diet rich in these vegetables significanly reduced the level of CRP in the blood, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers also think it could lower the risk of eye diseases that involve inflammation, including dry eye, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
Chillies
Capsaicin which is what gives chillies their heat has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory, stiffness and redness. It can also help manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis, by decreasing pain transmitters in your nerves, reducing pain and symptoms such as swelling in affected joints.
If you’re looking for even more reasons to eat chillies, they are high in Vitamin A, B6 and C and can also increase your metabolism, helping with weight loss.
Whole grains
Consuming most of your grains as whole grains can help keep reduce inflammation, because whole grains have more fibre, which has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein. To incorporate more whole grains into your diet, start your day with some wholegrain oats at breakfast. Up the antioxidant properties by adding some berries. Add some quinoa to a salad at lunch and have a stir fry for dinner with brown rice.
Nuts
Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein and antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Walnuts and almonds are particulary good choices. Walnuts are high in an omega-3 fatty acid and almonds are high in anti-oxidant Vitamin E. Research has shown that eating these nuts can lower the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein.
Ideally you should eat raw, unsalted nuts. While nuts and seeds contain only healthy fats, they are calorie dense. So be mindful of portion size.
Avoid these foods
As well as increasing your intake of inflammation fighting foods, it’s also important to limit your intake of foods which can promote inflammation.
A 2020 study of more than 200,000 people by Harvard Health found that people who ate more inflammation provoking foods were 38% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who ate a diet that helped combat inflammation.
Processed foods like sausages, salami, ham and bacon, unhealthy fats, refined carbs, fried foods and sugar have all been shown to increase inflammation so limit your consumption.
Lifestyle changes
Lifestyle choices can also impact long term inflammation.
Sleep
Insufficient or bad quality sleep can increase your risk of developing chronic inflammation.
Follow these tips to improve your sleep:
Exercise
Getting regular moderate intensity exercise can help decrease inflammation as well as having lots of other health benefits. However, avoid over exercising or over training as this can stress your body and actually increase inflammation.
Weight
Excessive weight has been shown to increase inflammation levels. Maintaining a healthy weight can help lower inflammation.
Stress
Stress increases the level of cortisol, which produces the fight or flight response, in the body. Long term or chronic stress can lead to chronic inflammation.
