Inflammation is our body’s response to injury, surgery or irritation. That is, it is the response of the immune system to any type of damage, caused by a blow, an allergy or a virus. Faced with these factors, the body defends itself through processes to detect, isolate and combat this harmful agent, triggering inflammation.
However, this process is not always a cause for concern. Despite the fact that sometimes it can be something normal, such as after an intervention, experts are concerned about other types of situations, such as that found at the cellular level, caused by a bad lifestyle and a harmful diet. .
What are anti-inflammatory foods
As an article published by Harvard University mentions, when inflammation persists day after day, it can be very detrimental to health: “Many major diseases that afflict us, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis , depression or Alzheimer’s have been linked to chronic inflammation.
Thus, Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition of the School of Public Health of the renowned educational center, says: “Many experimental studies have shown that the components of some foods or drinks can have anti-inflammatory effects.”
For this reason, the aforementioned article, which ensures that “the best way to reduce inflammation is not in the medicine cabinet, but in our fridge” recommends choosing anti-inflammatory foods for our daily diet. Among the foods that will help reduce the risk of disease are:
Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries or oranges.
Tomatoes.
Olive oil.
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach or cabbage.
Nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna or sardines.
“A healthy diet is beneficial not only to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, but also to improve mood and quality of life in general,” says the Harvard University professor.
The foods that inflame our body the most and we should avoid
Just like we find anti-inflammatory foods, from Harvard they also warn of the existence of others that accelerate the inflammatory process and could cause problems. “Some foods that have been associated with increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease are also associated with excess inflammation,” Dr. Hu notes.
Among the foods that cause inflammation and that Harvard recommend avoiding or limiting their consumption we find:
Refined carbohydrates: such as white bread or pastry.
Fried foods: among which are French fries and other snacks.
Sugary drinks: among which are some sodas, juices and shakes.
Red and/or processed meat: there are numerous studies that link the appearance of some health problems with an excessive consumption of red meat and the intake of prepared meats such as sausages and sausages.
Trans fats: such as those present in some margarines and shortenings and products that include them among their ingredients.