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The foods you choose can exacerbate or alleviate inflammation in your body. Keeping inflammation in check is important because it contributes to many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, and many others.
To find out how you can spot anti-inflammatory foods, we spoke with Leah Barron, RD, LD, CPT, a dietitian at The Baseline Lifestyle Co.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Question: How can you tell whether a food is anti-inflammatory, and which ones do you recommend eating more of?
Barron: The most important thing to understand is that your eating habits overall are more indicative of the risk of developing inflammatory conditions than any individual food.
So, a person who eats mostly ultra-processed foods low in fiber and high in saturated fat and added sugars is at higher risk of developing an inflammatory illness than a person whose diet is high in whole foods, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, and occasionally eats processed foods high in saturated fats and added sugars.
Generally, anti-inflammatory foods are whole, minimally processed, colorful, rich in micronutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, and low in added sugars and saturated fats. Anti-inflammatory foods tend to be plant-based, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, that provide omega-3 fatty acids, are also thought to have anti-inflammatory properties.
I tend to focus more on plant foods, specifically fruits and vegetables, since most Americans don’t get the recommended daily servings. All fruits and vegetables provide micronutrients and antioxidants, but those that are darker and richer in color have higher concentrations of these anti-inflammatory compounds.
Some examples include kale, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and pomegranates. This also includes herbs and spices, so using them more often in cooking can give you an extra boost of anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Q: How can readers incorporate more anti-inflammatory foods into their diet and lower inflammation in general?
Barron: One of the easiest ways is to use the plate method at meals: Start by filling half of your plate with vegetables and/or fruit, then a quarter with protein, and a quarter with carbohydrates/starch. This ensures you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables while building a balanced meal that provides protein, carbs, and fat.
Eating whole foods isn’t the only way you can reduce inflammation; adjusting other lifestyle habits can also help. Taking the following steps may help reduce the amount of inflammation in your body:
- Make sure to get regular exercise.
- Manage your stress levels.
- Make sure you’re getting enough high-quality sleep.
If you take the above steps and don’t notice any improvement in inflammation, it might be helpful to talk to your doctor. They may refer you to a specialist who can help you determine whether medications or other interventions could be beneficial.
Read the original article on Verywell Health
