Foods That Fight Chronic Inflammation

Overview

Certain foods can cause chronic inflammation in your body, which over time, will result in oxidative damage to your cardiovascular system, your joints and your brain. But there are some things that you can do to reduce chronic inflammation and protect your tissues and organs.

What is Chronic Inflammation?

Chronic inflammation is a low-grade inflammation that has been linked to obesity and certain foods like sugar and certain fats. This chronic inflammation can result in oxidative damage within the walls of the blood vessels, as well as to other tissues and lead to chronic and sometimes crippling disease.

Foods That Increase Chronic Inflammation

Foods that contribute to excessive weight gain and obesity, such as sugar and other refined carbohydrates/white flour products, saturated fat and trans fat are also the foods that have been associated with chronic inflammation. High insulin levels in the blood (usually in response to high levels of sugar) have been also been shown to increase inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels.

Omega-6 oils, such as corn oil, can also increase your risk of inflammation. Corn oil is commonly used in commercial baked goods and other processed foods.

Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic or continuous inflammation can lead to damage to the your blood vessels, joints and other tissues, including the brain. Arthritis, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's disease have been linked to inflammation. 

But, unfortunately, chronic inflammation can go on for years, slowly causing damage to the internal organs without any real symptoms. By the time the disease caused by the inflammation discovered, it could be quite serious, even life-threatening.

Foods That Fight Chronic Inflammation

Eating foods that are rich in antioxidants can help to fight chronic inflammation. Here are some of those anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory foods that you can use.

Seafood. Salmon, sardines, tuna,  and other oily fish are  high in omega-3 fats.

Fruits. Blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and other berries. Also, mangoes, papaya, pineapple red grapes, apples and avocados.

Vegetables. Sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kale, red peppers, avocado, onion and garlic.

Nuts and seeds. Walnuts, almonds, flaxseed and pumpkin seed.

Oil. Olive oil.

Herbs and spices. Ginger, garlic, oregano, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Other. Other anti-inflammatory foods include cocoa, red wine and green tea.

Summary

Eat more foods that are rich in anti-oxidants and avoid those that are known to increase inflammation to reduce your risk of chronic diseases. And lose weight if you are overweight or obese.

Health Benefits of Losing Weight

Overview

Studies show that people who are overweight or obese can enjoy a number of health benefits by losing weight. These benefits include improvement in overall health, decreased healthcare costs, more energy, and a richer, fuller and longer life.

Getting Started

Making healthy food choices and getting more exercise are two key strategies for successful weight loss. Experts recommend that you eat more fruits, vegetables and other foods that are high in fiber as an important step in your efforts to lose weight. Eating these foods will help you to cut back on calories while boosting your nutritional intake.

Another important strategy is to reduce the amount of sugar and fat in your diet.  Cutting back on these will leave room for more nutrient-dense foods that can boost your health without the unwanted calories.

You will also need to avoid consuming too much salt. Research shows that salt can affect the way your body handles fat and make it difficult to lose weight.

Health Benefits of Losing Weight

Chronic disease. Research shows that losing weight can produce significant improvements in diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and a number of other serious medical conditions. 

While many of these conditions were thought to be irreversible, studies show that not only can they be controlled; in many cases, patients are able to have their prescription doses reduced or to be taken off of the drugs altogether.

Rejuvenation. Losing weight will help to restore your cells to a more youthful state. Without the excess weight on your body, you will be able to do so much more and truly enjoy life.

Brain function. Eating a healthy diet, rich in antioxidants and other key nutrients can help to protect your brain cells and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s or other diseases of aging that affect the brain.

Strong bones. Adding more fruits and vegetables to your weight loss diet can help to keep to prevent osteoporosis by preventing calcium from being leached from the bones. Drinking vitamin D-rich milk instead of sugary drinks will also help to keep your bones strong.

These are just some of the health benefits that you can begin to enjoy by losing weight.