Foods that fight inflammation are key to your longevity.
Picture this:
You cut or bite into an apple and let it sit. The flesh begins to brown. Happens all the time, right?
But then you sprinkle the apple with lemon or orange juice and voila, no browning
Why does this happen?
It turns out that oxygen from the air is reacting with the apple's cells, causing a breakdown of the plant tissue into a brown-colored product.
The lemon or orange juice coats the apple’s flesh with antioxidants (such as vitamin C) which protect the cells. The antioxidants react with the oxygen before the oxygen can get to the apple. It's a buffer.
Inflammation in the body
Well, guess what? The same thing is happening in your body.
We have free radicals bouncing around in our bodies. These naturally occur from eating certain foods, exercising intensely, and digestion. To an extent, we need free radicals to help with certain chemical reactions in the body, help with exercise recovery, and help fight infection.
Yet if we have an excess, these free radicals can cause damage.
You see, free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules. They’re missing an electron and will react with anything to become stable again. When overabundant, they can react with our cells and DNA, causing damage.
Think of this damage similar to how an apple turns brown in the presence of oxygen.
If left unchecked, this damage is what can lead to many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, liver problems, kidney problems, diabetes, and early aging; as well as pain and depression. Almost every disease state is related to the damage caused by these little molecules.
Diet to reduce inflammation
Foods that fight inflammation
We can help prevent free radical damage, and therefore reduce our risk of disease and early aging, the same way we prevent the browning of an apple: By eating more Fruits and Vegetables, and other plants with high antioxidant power.
Plants have antioxidants that help protect our cells and DNA from those nasty little free radicals. Antioxidants react with the unstable molecules before any damage can be done.
Every color fruit and veggie has a different array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, each helping to protect various tissues in our body. So be sure to eat a variety of colors to get the nutrients your body needs for optimal health.
Anti-inflammatory foods:
Fruits & vegetables of all colors
Nuts & seeds such as walnuts, almonds, ground flax, and pumpkin seeds
Healthy fats from oils such as olive and avocado
Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel
Spices such as turmeric and cinnamon
Green tea
Foods that cause inflammation
Foods that increase inflammation:
Refined carbohydrates & ultra-processed foods, such as white bread, chips, pastries, and other highly processed foods
Fried foods
Too much red meat (aim for only 1-2 servings of red meat per week)
Processed meats, such as bacon, deli meat, ham, hot dogs, and sausage
Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
Margarine, shortening, and lard
Alcohol
Bottom Line
As you eat your way to good health and energy, try to include plants with every meal.
Your goal is 2 cups of vegetables with lunch and dinner, 2-3 fruits per day, and 1-2 servings of nuts, seeds, or beans.
And anytime your diet starts to get a little off track, just think of the browning of the apple and how easy it is to prevent that damage. You can help prevent your own browning (aging and disease) with a hefty sprinkle of plants
Sources
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6. Taskinen RE, Hantunen S, Tuomainen TP, Virtanen JK. The associations between whole grain and refined grain intakes and serum C-reactive protein. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2022;76(4):544-550. doi:10.1038/s41430-021-00996-1
7. Della Corte KW, Perrar I, Penczynski KJ, Schwingshackl L, Herder C, Buyken AE. Effect of Dietary Sugar Intake on Biomarkers of Subclinical Inflammation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies. Nutrients. 2018;10(5):606. Published 2018 May 12. doi:10.3390/nu10050606
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