We all know that the typical American diet is full of preservatives and highly processed foods. Well, it turns out that this type of diet cannot only leave a mark on your belly, but it also put your body at super high levels of inflammation. Now, inflammation is a good thing when it is controlled, when it happens locally, or acutely secondary to an injury or infection, but it is harmful when it occurs in the whole body.
As you will see below, systemic inflammation is a function of excessive “pro-inflammatory” diet and a lack of an “anti-inflammatory” diet.
So, which food sources in the diet promote inflammation?
Anti-inflammatory vitamins and supplements that promote inflammation if lacking in our diet:
What does this mean to me? More than ten studies are showing that chronic inflammation is a driver of most chronic degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis, pain, atherosclerosis (fat deposition in the artery walls), and other severe conditions such as stroke, cancer, etc. Also, pain researchers have found that certain nerve fibers that transmit pain will get activated (and thus cause pain) when the local tissue environment is “inflammatory.” And, on the other hand, when the local climate is “anti-inflammatory,” then these nerves will be inhibited and will work better in modulating and healing any injury.
It is essential to mention that chronic systemic inflammation does not occur overnight and that once the body has reached this stage, it has exposed to multiple “hits” caused by the “pro-inflammatory” diet. Take into consideration that not only the diet but also the lack of sleep, the stress, the absence of exercise, etc. However, food is the leading cause since the nutrients we ingest become the building block of our body (our chemistry).
Let’s see what our typical diet is and where we need to go.
Typical American diet:
Don’t get stressed; the solution is simple.
Eat more:
Coldwater fish (salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel)
Ground flax seeds or flax oil
Leafy green vegetables
Walnuts
Yellow, orange, and red vegetables (peppers, carrots)
Dark leafy greens (Spinach, Romaine lettuce)
Citrus fruits
Black and green teas
Allium vegetables (onions, garlic)
Ginger
Rosemary
Turmeric
Oregano
Cayenne
Clove