Anti-inflammatory diet

The term "anti-inflammatory diet" is somewhat tricky in nutrition. It generally refers to situations where an individual is troubled by various forms of inflammation, and there is a belief that dietary adjustments can alleviate, suppress, or even eliminate (cure) these symptoms. The issue is that the label "anti-inflammatory diet" is too general to be successfully applied to all these situations. The basic problem is that inflammations accompany a wide range of different diseases, which have different causes, thus requiring a somewhat different dietary concept for each. The fact that inflammation is their accompanying symptom, and in some situations even the cause, excludes the possibility of a universal diet.

To correctly understand the situation, it is first necessary to understand the meaning of the term "inflammation":
Inflammation is essentially a natural process that is, from a physiological standpoint, a defensive function of the body. This means it helps to combat foreign agents and protects it from damage. Put another way, it is the body's means of protecting itself from infection, disease, or injury. During the inflammatory response, the production of white blood cells (cytokines) increases, whose task is to resolve (suppress) the inflammatory situation. The basic symptoms of acute inflammation include pain, redness, swelling, or warmth in the affected area.

If it happens that inflammatory reactions persist, acute inflammation develops into chronic inflammation, which then leads to many different health complications. Inflammation (acute and chronic) can also occur silently, meaning without noticeable symptoms.

Chronic inflammations are very dangerous for several reasons:

1. They are subjectively difficult to define (unlike acute inflammations, they do not hurt and are not localized),

2. They accompany many diseases and have the ability to exacerbate their course,

3. Conventional treatment cannot resolve them (= there are no medications that would restore the situation to its original state; these drugs only suppress symptoms and manifestations).

We know that chronic inflammations are present in diseases such as:

• diabetes,
• cardiovascular diseases,
• cancerous diseases,
• liver steatosis,
• obesity,
• arthritis.

The range of factors that contribute to the onset and development of chronic inflammations is also wide:

• poor dietary concept,
• stress,
• increased physical stress, or lack of activity,
• usage of certain medications,
• imbalance in microbiota (oral, intestinal, vaginal, etc.).

The Influence of Diet on Inflammations

There are foods that today are believed to regularly provoke and support the onset of inflammations (have pro-inflammatory effects):

• alcohol,
• sugars,
• higher proportion of carbohydrates in the diet,
• processed and canned foods (especially those containing unsuitable additives),
• cured meats,
• overheated fats (as a source of trans fatty acids),
• grilled and fried foods,
• certain forms of fats and oils (with an excess of saturated or omega-6 fats),
• protein concentrates (in excess).

At the same time, anti-inflammatory foods are also presented:

• vegetables,
• fruit in moderation,
• cold-pressed oils (with the condition that their consumption maintains an appropriate ratio between individual groups of fatty acids, the most important being the ratios between saturated and unsaturated fats, and omega-3 and omega-6),
• selected types of nuts and seeds,
• dark chocolate,
• spices,
• herbal teas, green tea,
• selected types of mushrooms (containing beta-glucans),
• sprouts.

With the groups of foods that were not mentioned, one must work judiciously in an effort to suppress chronic inflammation. Their influence on the manifestations of chronic inflammations depends on their quantity and form (method of preparation).