Anti-inflammatory Diet to Fight Chronic Inflammation

Antonella Giordano January 27, 2023 Eat Well, Health

Inflammation is a condition that can chronically affect any one of us, and is associated with premature aging and many other disorders. An anti-inflammatory diet can be helpful in controlling it.

A distinction can be made between acute and chronic inflammation:

• Acute inflammation: is a physiological response to a harmful stimulus of various types during which the distinctive signs of inflammation appear: redness, heat, swelling, and pain. This reaction is then followed by the process of resolving the inflammation. If this is not the case, it transforms into chronic inflammation
• Chronic inflammation: this prolonged state leads to certain metabolic alterations that seem to be at the root of certain chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes), neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. multiple sclerosis) and immune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis).

In the case of conditions related to chronic inflammation, in addition, of course, to the advice of the doctor, who will prescribe the appropriate therapy for each disorder, it is also recommended to act upon many factors that could be among the underlying causes, such as lifestyle, excess weight, lack of sleep, pollution, smoking, and physical activity. Nutrition plays a fundamental role.

Anti-inflammatory diet

In general, there are foods that have strong anti-inflammatory properties, so it would be useful to include these in your diet, while other foods should be limited, as they can contribute to increasing inflammation.

Foods to be prioritised

Among the most important foods to focus on, there are:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Fatty fish rich in omega-3 (salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring)
• Whole grain cereal products
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes
• Olive oil

The prominent place of vegetables in an anti-inflammatory diet should not be surprising, as these foods contain a wide variety of compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Author

Antonella Giordano

Antonella has 2 professional titles in nutrition because she graduated in Food Sciences (University of Genoa) and holds a master's degree in Nutrition (University of Bologna). She is also a biologist (University of Florence). She is a member of the Order of Biologists (ONB) since 2013 and a SINU member. Passionate about psycho-nutrition issues, her goal is to help her clients find a balance and a healthy and correct relationship with food and with their body.