Eat healthy fats, fruits and vegetables to combat inflammation

by Emily Canning-Dean

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to certain types of ailments, but a poor diet and other bad habits can lead to too much inflammation, according to health experts.

“Acute inflammation is just the response you get out of your body when you are addressing something like a virus or a wound,” said Alexis Supan, a registered dietician with the Cleveland Clinic. “But chronic inflammation is the bad kind of inflammation where your body keeps receiving inflammatory signals and then it ends up damaging your healthy cells.”

Supan explained that chronic inflammation can cause a multitude of health issues, including pain in the joints, stomach and chest.

“People can also experience low energy and fatigue,” she said. “Depression and anxiety have also been linked to chronic inflammation. But a good anti-inflammatory diet can lessen the symptoms. Nearly anyone with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis could benefit from that.”

Supan said that foods rich in Omega 3 fats can help shield our bodies and cells from chronic inflammation.

“So that includes fatty fish like salmon or sardines and also some seeds like flax seeds or chia seeds. Even walnuts are a good option,” she said.

Supan also said a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables are a good idea.

“The variety of vital nutrients and antioxidants can help treat any damage to our cells,” she said. “So, we really want to have that whole rainbow of colors when it comes to fruits and vegetables. A good guideline is to try a different color at least once a week. One good option might be to make a very colorful stir fry.”

Supan explained that each color category of fruits and vegetables is rich in specific nutrients, so by selecting produce from each color category, an individual will be taking in a good variety of nutrients.

“Even with something like bell peppers you are getting different vita nutrients depending on the color,” she said. “It is different for green compared to red or compared to yellow.”

Supan said there are also foods to avoid when it comes to combating and preventing chronic inflammation.

“In the American diet, one of the big things that can be inflammatory to our body is added sugars,” she said. “When we have too much added sugar, it can really ramp up the damage to our cells. Men should have no more than 36 grams of added sugar a day, and women should have no more than 24 grams.”

Ultra-processed foods, foods high in saturated fat and red meat can also cause inflammation, Supan said.

Supan said anyone who wants to learn more about inflammation can find more information on Cleveland Clinic’s website, my.clevelandclinic.org.

“Also, if you are looking up recipes, anything that says ‘Mediterranean diet’ or ‘DASH diet’ is a good choice,” she said.

Besides diet, Supan said adequate sleep and proper management of stress can help to prevent chronic information.

“Maintaining a healthy weight can also help to control inflammation,” she said. ∞