November 30, 2009

Can the Right Foods Fight Inflammation?

No one likes inflammation, right?

(Photo: sethrt)

There's been a great deal of interest lately in the possible connection between what we eat, and the medical problems that come with chronic inflammation. These problems may include cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, insulin resistance, depression, dementia, arthritis, psoriasis, and bursting into flames.

Researchers have long noticed that some foods make inflammation worse, while other foods make it better. Plus, people with certain inflammatory markers are more likely to end up with an assortment of unpleasant medical conditions.

So not surprisingly, there are now diet books on the subject telling you what to eat and what to avoid. For example, The Zone Diet guy, Barry Sears, has one out called The Anti-Inflammation Zone. And dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone (warning; some think he's a quack) thinks you can keep your skin from aging by following his anti-inflammatory diet.

Should we pay these folks any attention? After all, there are tons of diet and nutrition books by supposed experts, and if you took them all to heart, you might find it simplest not to eat anything at all.

Seriously: according to this Breatharian Book, you don't need food.


So one wonders, is this "eating to avoid inflammation" notion a sensible strategy, or just another trendy nutrition fad?

Well, fortunately the L.A. Times blog Booster Shots had some answers! Not only did they alert me to a recent study testing out a new "dietary inflammatory index" for common foods, but they also linked to a great summary of the relevant anti-inflammation research compiled by one of their interns. This of course had me scurrying to evaluate my diet wondering how we could possible score a few interns here at Cranky Fitness. How sweet would that be? Then Jo and Gigi and I could all kick back and drink beer and eat cupcakes while our spunky, energetic interns slaved away in the Cranky Fitness labs, cranking out the nutrition research.
Go spunky interns, go!
(Photo: Shorpy).


Anyway, So What's the Deal with Inflammation?

According to the L.A. Times anti-inflammation article, the point of an anti-inflammation diet is to fight "chronic silent inflammation," the result of an immune system that isn't shutting off when it's supposed to. To quote:

"The theory goes that long after the invading bacteria or viruses from some infection are gone, the body's defenses remain active. The activated immune cells and hormones then turn on the body itself, damaging tissues. The process continues indefinitely, occurring at low enough levels that a person doesn't feel pain or realize anything is wrong. Years later, proponents say, the damage contributes to illnesses such as heart disease, neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease or cancer."

Sounds like something we'd like to avoid, doesn't it?

And in a round-up of of nutritional studies, both human and animal, (best to read the whole article for more details), it's beginning to look like eating the right foods actually can help with the conditions associated with the inflammatory response. Furthermore, the researchers who came up with the nifty inflammatory index found it was able to predict levels of hs-CRP (which is an inflammatory marker) and "provide additional evidence that diet plays a role in the regulation of inflammation."

Neato!

Now all we have to do is avoid the foods that cause inflammation, and eat more of the kind that fight it.

And so what foods are those? Well, here's the really cool part, at least if you're a health-conscious Cranky Fitness reader:

The "good" foods are pretty much the ones you already knew were good for you, and the "bad" foods are mostly the junky ones you've been taking pains to avoid!

I love it when things work out like that.


Some Foods That Apparently Help Battle Inflammation:

Generally, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, oily fish, protein sources, spices such as ginger and turmeric, and brightly colored fruits such as blueberries, cherries and pomegranates.

Foods You Might Want to Avoid:

Saturated fats, trans fats, corn and soybean oil, refined carbohydrates, sugars, red meat and dairy.

(Wait... dairy? Damn! I drink a LOT of milk. Hmm. But otherwise, this is pretty much what I've been trying to do anyway.)

There's also a chart on the third page in the inflammatory index study that shows the ratings, but it's kind of tricky. In this chart, high numbers seem to be "good" and low ones seem to be "bad." And while there are a few recognizable foods, like garlic (fine), tea (better) and tumeric (awesome), they mostly track boring nutritional components like magnesium (great), and saturated fats (bad).

Do you buy the idea of foods contributing to or preventing inflammation? Any plans to tweak your diet?

28 comments:

  1. The guys in my family quite likely suffer from "chronic silent-but-deadly inflammation" - especially on taco night. But this is interesting stuff - I've been told I was extremely allergic to dairy, baker's yeast and something else (you can tell how seriously I'm taking this advice now). Problem was, no one at that doc's office could offer me any ideas on just HOW these allergies were manifesting themselves for me in particular so as long as I had an airway, I blew it off. Seems I may have been too "rash". Lots of good stuff here to look into.

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  2. Okay, if I read this right, then Spontaneous Human Combustion is not caused by food? Such a relief!

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  3. Tumeric is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to fighting inflammation and preventing Alzheimer's and reversing global warming and good stuff like that.
    Nobody bothers to warn you that it will dye your fingers, plates, countertops, lips, and sundry kitchen appliances bright orange! Honestly, if they can put a warning label on cigarettes and gas pumps, why not spices?

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  4. Interesting. I think foods can play a role in inflammation. I'm not gonna worry too much about it though. I'm just gonna keep trying to eat foods that i know are good for me... and maybe a little leftover thanksgiving pie! :)

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  5. I was just reading about that at NutritionData.com. But the sad thing was, that THEIR inflammatory index was giving me Very Bad Grades for eating walnuts, apples, bananas, turkey, and brown rice. What's a girl to do? Besides stop reading?

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  6. Thanks for all the useful information, especially with spices. It is interesting that the healthy dietary information that we had known before this inflammation thing, is the same good stuff that lessens inflammation!

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  7. This is just more ammo for the "eat a healthy diet to give you an edge in staying healthy" crowd, of which I am a part.

    It's nice to have common sense ideas, like eat veggies not chips, confirmed in yet another way.

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  8. I once thought Breathairians were some crazy thing Warren Ellis just made up to plop into the religious-crazy-mall in Transmetropolitan. I cannot begin to tell you how horrified I was to find out they actually exist. D:

    Also, I am totally in favor of "warning: this herb/spice/food is good for you but will stain the hell out of everything it touches, including YOU" labels.

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  9. My mom has Jr. Rheumatoid Arthritis (since age 2); and she is very sensitive to causes of inflammation, including foods. I'm going to pass this post on to her. Thanks.

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  10. I do believe that junk food can cause inflammation. I believe junk food is an insidious agent of the devil behind a number of evils, including obesity, depression and Levi Johnston.

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  11. I've only cut dairy in the past couple months and I've noticed it makes a BIG difference.

    Thanks for the info and the links, this is fascinating stuff.

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  12. The pics! Got to love them!

    I have to go back & read all the links closely but I like that I am already doing the right things in most cases. I can't do dairy but do the yogurt so....

    It is interesting that sometimes of we read it all & followed it, we would not be eating anything but I do believe that eating a certain way can help in this regard.

    I do my best but I don't go all crazy. If I was sick, I am sure I would be reading everything in sight! I do know others that have changed their eating habits with good results.

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  13. Very informative post! Thanks for rounding up all the inflammation stuff for me! Although now I'm back to conflicted feelings about dairy again. Seriously, if cows only knew what a state they put me in!

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  14. I have stopped reading these kinds of books because I find they all say the same thing. They just use different words. Eat this, don't eat that makes me carzy cause next week I read eat that, don't eat this!
    I know what makes me feel bad and what doesn't when I eat it.
    Maybe I should write a book.
    Where did you get that copy?

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  15. "Breatharian"? WTH? Sorry if I lost the real meaning of the post today when I got to that part of the text. I'm now focused on nutsy plans to be healthier by surviving on freakin' light. Argh!

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  16. After the Thanksgiving holiday weekend I had, breatharianism is looking like an attractive option...Seriously, though, I'm with Charlotte: I could take or leave milk, but I do love cheese and yogurt! I also eat meats...I'm hoping my seeds/nuts & non-starchy veggie-loading will help balance those out.

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  17. Breatharian? I thought it was called photosynthesis.

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  18. I just try and buy foods that my seven kids will eat without complaining and without me losing my mind! Seriously though, there could be some correlation between food and inflammation - there seems to be between everything else!

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  19. So basically eat a low cholesterol diet. Already on that!

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  20. I think my head may explode from all the information overload.

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  21. I do think this stuff is right on, and you'll notice that most of the things you are cautioned not to eat are not actual 'foods' anyway...

    weight loss

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  22. A post about inflammation and the word verification is "swell."

    I have little doubt that there's a correlation but I'm also reasonably certain that the basic foods which have always been touted as healthy within moderation, will always be the ones to eat.. and the fake foods the ones to avoid. No matter what the health concern.

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  23. I'm always a hold-out when it comes to fads about what we eat. People worry too much about it already. That said, I'm convinced anti-inflammatory eating is a wise move. There's growing evidence that inflammation is at the root of most of the chronic diseases that affect us as we age. Info about what is anti-inflammatory can be confusing, but it basically comes down to eating a "clean" (meaning low pesticide, additive, processed) plant-based diet that's free of foods that a person is sensitive to. Figuring out individual food sensitivities can be a challenge but there are a number of tests that make it easier. Good post as usual, Crabby!

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  24. I fully believe that inflammation can be minimized by eating natural whole foods. The research definitely bears it out and I try to avoid the things that are harmful as far as possible.

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  25. LOVE the writing - and the strikeouts! I'm cranky about one thing here. Not surprisingly, the study quoted here follows the allopathic line, that is to say, the industry-driven propaganda.

    You know all those poly-unsaturated, hydrogenated vegetable oils that are supposed to be so good for us? Especially the one made from "canola?" Well, they're actually one of the biggest causes of ill-health out there. These oils are made from cheap, easy, crops like corn and soy, (most of which are now GMO) and are therefore highly profitable.

    But they become rancid quickly. [rancidity = oxidation => inflammation => plaque => clots => heart attacks & stroke.] So the industry changes the molecular structure, adding a hydrogen atom, giving the oils zillion-year shelf lives. But darn, our metabolism can't handle those unnatural molecules, which attach to receptors where they don't belong, messing up the in-and-out flow of our cells, and it's downhill from there. The fat our bodies need to feed on can't get into the cells, so instead carbs/sugars are used as fuel... which causes them to crave more. Also, the magnesium and potassium that are supposed to be on the inside of the cells can't enter, leading to cramps and all sort of other deficiencies; and the calcium and sodium that are supposed to mainly be on the outside get stuck inside, contributing to hypertension, calcification, bone loss, etc etc.

    So if convincing everyone including dense doctors that oil made from Canola - which, btw, means "Canadian Oil Company" - wasn't enough, they also did a study - ONE study - on saturated fat, using coconut oil.

    Well, coconut oil and other tropical oils like palm, as well as animal fats like butter, have very long shelf lives - and are, in fact, very good for you. (Do you see lots of obese southeast Asians? I didn't think so.) There is never a need to hydrogenate saturated fats. But hey, why not do it anyway, just for the sake of our one study. So of course it fared poorly. And from then on, based on this one flawed study plus millions of dollars worth of false advertising, saturated fat was not only demonized, but lumped together with transfats, which are definitely as terrible as they're made out to be.

    Oh, and by the way, it was the FDA who insisted that fast food joints use transfats for deep-frying, instead of the healthier saturated fats they'd been using. Yay, Amerika!

    As it turns out, fat doesn't make you fat. Bad oils start the process, and carbs and sugars finish it off. As a bonus, you get diabetes, cardiac arrests, and paralyzing strokes. But Big Agriculture did well, so what's your problem? Quit bitchin and eat some more canola. Which is made from rapeseed.

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  26. LOVE the writing - and the strikeouts! I'm cranky about one thing here. Not surprisingly, the study you quote follows the allopathic line, that is to say, the industry-driven propaganda.

    You know all those poly-unsaturated, hydrogenated vegetable oils that are supposed to be so good for us? Especially the one made from "canola?" Well, they're actually one of the biggest causes of ill-health out there. These oils are made from cheap, easy, crops like corn and soy, (most of which are now GMO) and are therefore highly profitable.

    But they become rancid quickly. [rancidity = oxidation = inflammation = plaque = clots = heart attacks & stroke.] So the industry changes the molecular structure, adding a hydrogen atom, giving the oils billion-year shelf lives. But darn, our metabolism can't handle those new molecules, which attach to receptors where they don't belong, messing up the in-and-out flow of our cells, and it's downhill from there. The fat our bodies need to feed on can't get into the cells, so instead they eat carbs/sugars instead... and crave more. Also, the magnesium and potassium that are supposed to be on the inside of the cells can't enter, leading to cramps and all sort of other deficiencies; and the calcium and sodium that are supposed to mainly be on the outside get stuck inside, contributing to hypertension, calcification, bone loss, etc etc.

    So if convincing everyone including dense doctors that oil made from Canola - which, btw, means "Canadian Oil Company" - wasn't enough, they also did a study - ONE study - on saturated fat, using coconut oil.

    [d'oh, I've just been informed I talk too much. Will try to break this into two parts...]

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  27. [this is part 2 of my cranky rant:]
    Well, coconut oil and other tropical oils like palm, as well as animal fats like butter, have very long shelf lives - and are, in fact, very good for you. (Do you see lots of obese southeast Asians? I didn't think so.) There is never a need to hydrogenate them. But hey, why not do it anyway, just for the sake of our one study. So of course it fared poorly. And from then on, based on this one flawed study plus millions of dollars worth of false advertising, saturated fat was not only demonized, but lumped together with transfats, which are definitely as terrible as they're made out to be.

    Oh, and by the way, it was the FDA who insisted that fast food joints use transfats for deep-frying, instead of the healthier saturated fats they'd been using. Yay, Amerika!

    As it turns out, fat doesn't make you fat. Bad oils start the process, and carbs and sugars finish it off. As a bonus, you get diabetes, cardiac arrests, and paralyzing strokes. But Big Agriculture did well, so what's your problem? Quit bitchin and eat some more canola. Which is made from rapeseed.

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  28. [part 3 of Woodshedding's rant] Gawwwwlee, how frustrating. After I'd made quite a few edits, entered the word verification etc, I was shown a page saying the comment was too large. So I pressed "Back" and divided it into two parts. But it turned out that was the unedited version. If I wasn't cranky before, I am now! So no - I realize you don't have to hydrogenate Southeast Asians. I'd changed that to be more clear. As well as several other things. Sigh.

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