FOODS THAT CAUSE INFLAMMATION

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response.

It can be beneficial when, for example, your knee sustains a blow and tissues need care and protection. However, sometimes, inflammation can persist longer than necessary, causing more harm than benefit.

• Wound healing

Our immediate reaction to a swelling is to try and decrease it. However, it is important to remember that inflammation is an essential part of the healing process.

The first stage of inflammation is often called irritation, which then becomes inflammation. Inflammation is followed by the discharging of pus. The granulation stage comes next, and new tissue is formed in the wound.

Without inflammation, infections and wounds would never heal.

• Innate immunity

When a person is born, certain defenses in the immune system are naturally present in the body. This is known as innate immunity.

It is different from adaptive immunity, which we develop after an infection or vaccination when the body “learns” to fight a specific infectious agent.

Innate immunity is generally nonspecific, while adaptive immunity is specific to a particular pathogen. Inflammation is one example of an innate immune response.

Symptoms

Symptoms of inflammation vary depending on whether the reaction is acute or chronic.

The effects of acute inflammation can be summed up by the acronym PRISH. They include:

• Pain: The inflamed area is likely to be painful, especially during and after touching. Chemicals that stimulate nerve endings are released, making the area more sensitive.

• Redness: This occurs because the capillaries in the area are filled with more blood than usual.

• Immobility: There may be some loss of function in the region of the inflammation.

• Swelling: This is caused by a buildup of fluid.

• Heat: More blood flows to the affected area, and this makes it feel warm to the touch.

These five acute inflammation signs only apply to inflammations of the skin. If inflammation occurs deep inside the body, such as in an internal organ, only some of the signs may be noticeable.

For example, some internal organs may not have sensory nerve endings nearby, so there will be no pain, such as in certain types of lung inflammation.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation present in a different way. These can include:

• fatigue

• mouth sores

• chest pain

• abdominal pain

• fever

• rash

• joint pain

Causes

Inflammation is caused by a number of physical reactions triggered by the immune system in response to a physical injury or an infection.

Inflammation does not necessarily mean that there is an infection, but an infection can cause inflammation.

Three main processes occur before and during acute inflammation:

• The small branches of arteries enlarge when supplying blood to the damaged region, resulting in increased blood flow.

• Capillaries become easier for fluids and proteins to infiltrate, meaning that they can move between blood and cells.

• The body releases neutrophils. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell filled with tiny sacs that contain enzymes and digest microorganisms.

A person will notice inflammation symptoms after these steps take place.

Acute inflammation

An acute inflammation is one that starts rapidly and becomes severe in a short space of time. Signs and symptoms are normally only present for a few days but may persist for a few weeks in some cases.

Examples of diseases, conditions, and situations that can result in acute inflammation include:

• acute bronchitis

• infected ingrown toenail

• a sore throat from a cold or flu

• a scratch or cut on the skin

• high-intensity exercise

• acute appendicitis

• dermatitis

• tonsillitis

• infective meningitis

• sinusitis

• a physical trauma

Foods That Cause Inflammation

Sugar and High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are the two main types of added sugar in the diet.

Sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose, while high-fructose corn syrup is about 55% fructose and 45% glucose.

In one study, when mice were fed high-sucrose diets, they developed breast damage that spread to their lungs, in part due to the inflammatory response to sugar.

In another, the anti-inflammatory action of omega-3 fatty acids was impaired in mice that were fed a high-sugar diet.

And in a randomized clinical trial where people were assigned to drink regular soda, diet soda, milk or water, only those in the regular soda group had increased levels of uric acid, which drives inflammation and insulin resistance.

Sugars can also cause harm because they supply excess amounts of fructose.

While the small amounts of fructose in fruits and vegetables are fine, getting large amounts from added sugars is a bad idea.

Artificial Trans Fats

Just about everyone agrees that artificial trans fats are the unhealthiest fats you can eat.

They’re created by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats, which are liquid, in order to give them the stability of a more solid fat.

Trans fats are often listed as “partially hydrogenated” oils on the ingredients lists on food labels.

Most mirgraines contain trans fats, and they are often added to processed foods in order to extend shelf life.

Unlike the naturally occurring trans fats found in dairy and meat, artificial trans fats have been shown to cause inflammation and increase disease risk.

In addition to lowering beneficial HDL cholesterol, trans fats have been shown to impair the function of the endothelial cells lining the arteries.

Ingestion of artificial trans fats has been linked with high levels of inflammatory markers such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and C-reactive protein (CRP).

In fact, CRP levels were 78% higher in women who reported the highest trans fat intake in the Nurses Health Study.

Vegetable and Seed Oils

Despite what we’ve heard for years, consuming vegetable oils isn’t healthy.

Unlike virgin olive oil and coconut oil, vegetable and seed oils are often extracted from foods using solvents like hexane, a component of gasoline.

The vegetable oils made this way include corn, safflower, sunflower, canola (also known as rapeseed), peanut, sesame and soybean oils.

During the 20th century, the consumption of vegetable oils increased by 130% in the US.

Due to the structure of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in these oils, they are very prone to damage by oxidation.

In addition to being highly processed, these oils promote inflammation as a result of their very high omega-6 fatty acid content.