Anti-inflammatory foods

What are the best foods for reducing inflammation?

What do cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, eczema, Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 diabetes have in common?

They are all inflammatory conditions.

There are two types of inflammation:

• Acute: when the body releases inflammatory cells in response to sudden damage or injury, in an attempt to start the healing process, e.g. when a person cuts themself

• Chronic: long-term inflammation as a result of the immune system continuing to release inflammatory cells, long after any infection or injury. This is the type of inflammation in the conditions described above.

Chronic inflammation increases our risk of disease and is associated with symptoms such as:

• Fatigue and insomnia

• Weight gain/loss

• Frequent infections

• Persistent pain

• Depression or anxiety

• Digestive issues (e.g. reflux, diarrhoea, constipation)

Many people rely on medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. aspirin, Nurofen or Voltaren), or corticosteroids (e.g. Prednisone) to keep their inflammation and pain under control but it is not advisable to rely on these type of medications as a long-term solution.

What we eat also has a massive impact and it is essential that anyone living with a chronic inflammatory condition consumes a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, wild caught fatty fish, nuts and seeds, legumes (e.g. chickpeas, lentils), beans, healthy fats (e.g. olive oil, avocado), herbs and spices.

If you are struggling with an inflammatory condition and would like to find out more about how nutrition could help, I encourage you to book a free 15-minute Discovery Call.