The Anti Inflammatory Diet

The anti inflammatory diet, is there such a thing? The answer to that question is yes, and it is important because of the way it will impact your health and chances to live a long and active life.

There are inflammatory foods, although this will differ with the individual. An anti inflammation diet will consist of the foods that you react positively to. Over time you will become more familiar with how foods affect you and avoid the ones which are a problem.

For people with rheumatoid arthritis these food sensitivities are especially troublesome and have a huge impact on their level of pain and stiffness on a daily basis.

The list of foods which can cause inflammation would be too long to mention here, so I will focus on ones that are known to cause some people problems.

• Fast foods
• Trans fats
• Saturated fats
• Refined sugar
• Nightshade plants
• Dairy products
• Processed foods

Why these foods are a problem

An anti inflammatory diet will have you avoiding many of these inflammatory foods, because they can cause chemical reactions in your body, which will promote inflammation. There are several reasons for these reactions.

• Trans fats (synthetically produced) increase free radicals in the bloodstream
• Saturated fats can increase pro-inflammatory fatty acids called eicosonoids
• Refined sugars cause rapid insulin release which has pro-inflammatory effects
• Nightshade plants act through a chemical called solanine which acts as an irritant in some individuals
• Pasteurized and homogenized dairy products may be a problem because of their saturated fat content and processing which causes unnatural alterations both fat and protein structures
• Processed foods are a problem in general because the processing removes beneficial nutrients and damages fats and proteins in the process

The Blood Type Connection

My personal belief is that an anti inflammation diet should follow the guidelines of Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s blood typing system. The blood type antigen/lectin interactions are a source of systemic inflammation and his food lists provide a valuable guide to avoiding food based inflammation.

Blood Type Food List

As you click on each food, the recommendations for all four blood types will be displayed, enabling you to avoid inflammatory foods and choose beneficial ones. This list is where your efforts to eat an anti inflammatory diet should begin.

The basis for this approach rests upon the theory that food borne proteins called lectins interact with your immune system causing an inflammatory response. Frequently eating these food would thus cause chronic inflammation in certain specific tissues of the body.

Foods that fight inflammation

There are actually foods that help to combat inflammation in the body. They do this by provided things like beneficial fatty acids Omega-3, and monounsaturated fatty acids in the case of olive oil.

Dark green vegetables balance the acidity of the body because they are more alkaline, and certain dark colored berries provide polyphenols, which also have anti inflammation diet and anti-oxidant benefits.

Here is a short list of beneficial foods providing anti inflammatory benefits

• Dark colored berries
• Fresh vegetables
• Dark leafy greens
• Nuts and seeds
• Cold water fish such as mackerel, bluefish, and salmon
• Oils such as olive, flax, hemp, borage, and evening primrose

There are more beneficial foods for your anti inflammatory diet, but the above list is a good starting place. Remember to cross reference with the blood type food list at the link above to ensure these foods are compatible with your unique blood chemistry.

To sum up…

Avoid the types of inflammatory foods mentioned above, and try to make your food choices using foods that are either neutral with regard to their effect of inflammation or even better ones that actually combat inflammation through the various cytokine pathways that mediate inflammatory responses.

Food can be one or the most powerful weapons in your antiaging arsenal, and an anti inflammatory diet is one of the most effective ways you can ensure a long and healthy life, free from the limitations of chronic pain caused by inflammation.