The Common Denominator
True or false:
Chronic inflammation is linked to cancer.
The National Cancer Institute explains that chronic inflammation can cause cancer because of its long-term damage to DNA, which causes problems in the replication of cells that can lead to cancers.
These anti-inflammatory compounds are found in foods such as berries, apples, and dark leafy greens.
What are antioxidants?
Ginger, garlic, turmeric.
What are anti-inflammatory spices and seasonings?
True or false:
High inflammation is tied to depression.
True.
High levels of inflammation, specifically in the brain, have been shown to be tied to depression, though it's not clear whether it's cause or effect — whether people who have depression have higher inflammation in their bodies because of their mental health, or if inflammation causes neurological symptoms that influence depression.
This type of fat, found in foods such as salmon, nuts and seeds, has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties in both animal experiments and clinical trials.
What is omega-3 fat, or omega-3 fatty acids?
You can find them in fatty fishes such as mackerel, salmon, sea bass, oysters, sardines and shrimp. You can also find them in vegetarian sources such as seaweed, hemp and flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans/edamame, kidney beans and wheat germ (one of many reasons whole grains are better choices than products made with refined white flours.)
True or false:
Reducing stress can slow or reduce chronic inflammatory processes in the body.
True.
Clinical trials have shown that reductions in perceived stress are correlated with reductions in measured inflammatory markers in the body.
True or False:
You always know if you have inflammation in your body because you can feel it.
False.
This is generally true with acute inflammation related to infections and injuries. It also may be true for some conditions. People with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, know when their joints are inflamed because they experience more pain, swelling, and stiffness. But the type of chronic inflammation seen in diabetes, obesity or cardiovascular disease, for example, causes no specific symptoms you can feel.
Which of the following is NOT considered to be an anti-inflammatory food: Broccoli, potato chips, sardines.
Potato chips.
Why? High in simple carbohydrates, salt and omega-6 vegetable oils (which can be inflammatory).
True or false:
Taking antioxidant supplements is an effective way to get the same healthful benefits as you would get from eating anti-oxidant foods such as berries and dark leafy greens.
False:
Most clinical research on antioxidant supplements did not find the hoped-for benefits. Most research teams reported that vitamin E and other antioxidant supplements didn’t protect against heart disease or cancer.
True or false:
Inflammation is always a problem in the body.
False:
Inflammation is the body's natural way of defending itself against tissue damage, as well as against viruses and bacteria. It's governed largely by the immune system. But when factors such as genetics, aging or an inflammatory diet confuse the way your cells communicate with them, your immune system may not shut down, and inflammation may become chronic. Chronic inflammation plays a role in many common diseases and conditions.
True or false:
Replacing sugary foods and processed foods with whole-grains, fresh fruits and vegetables is a great step toward an anti-inflammatory diet.
So true!
True or false:
Sleep quality has nothing to do with chronic inflammation.
False:
Research has linked poor sleep to increased levels of inflammation markers in the body. Treating sleep apnea, for example, has been shown to help control chronic inflammation. The connection between sleep and inflammation can also work the other way: high inflammation levels can cause poor sleep quality.
True or False:
Chronic inflammation may be a factor in around 80% or more of noncommunicable diseases.
True. Ongoing research is identifying the role of inflammatory processes in the following diseases and conditions:
This common way of eating is low in fruits and vegetables, and high in fat and sodium. It tends to consist of large portions, high calories, and excess sugar. This excess sugar accounts for more than 13% of the daily caloric intake with beverages constituting 47% of these added sugars.
What is the Western standard diet, or the standard American diet?
This way of eating -- it may be the way many of us grew up eating -- has been associated with increased chronic inflammation in the body, and many diseases in which chronic inflammation is a primary process, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, some types of arthritis.
Doing a moderate amount of this as little as 20 minutes per day may help reduce chronic inflammation in the body.
What is exercise?
Large population-based cohort studies consistently show an inverse association between markers of systemic inflammation and physical activity or fitness status, and data from several small-scale intervention studies support that exercise training diminishes inflammation.