Persistent inflammation can lead to various health issues, including fatigue, sleep disturbances, tissue damage, and an increased risk of diseases such as asthma, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
According to nutrition expert Ginger Hertin from Champagne Nutrition in Seattle, chronic inflammation is not caused by indulging in an occasional piece of candy. Instead, it is primarily influenced by overall eating patterns and the quantity of certain foods in one’s diet.
Here are seven high-inflammatory foods that can contribute to sluggishness and raise the risk of various diseases:
1. Grilled Meats:
Grilling or pan-searing meat can result in the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds that oxidize fats and proteins, leading to cell damage and oxidative stress. Red meat is particularly concerning as it is classified as a substance with a high probability of causing cancer. Additionally, grilled meats can contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are also found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust. To counteract the inflammatory response, marinating the meat in lemon juice and antioxidant-rich herbs like black pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, and marjoram can help reduce the damage.
2. Processed Meats:
Bacon, hot dogs, and salami are high in saturated fat, which can cause inflammation in adipose tissue. Processed meats also contain sodium nitrite, which can be converted to nitrosamines, increasing the risk of stomach cancer. When cooked at high temperatures, processed meats can produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs), leading to oxidative stress, inflammation, and age-related diseases like macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology supports the connection between red and processed meats and an increased risk of colon and rectal cancer.
3. Alcohol:
While moderate consumption of certain alcoholic beverages like red wine, which contains the antioxidant resveratrol, may have anti-inflammatory effects, excessive alcohol consumption can trigger an inflammatory response. Alcohol enters the digestive tract through various routes, causing inflammation. Chronic heavy drinking is closely associated with cancer, liver disease, and nervous system damage. To minimize the risk, it is recommended that men consume no more than two drinks per day, and women limit themselves to one drink per day.
4. Fried Foods:
Repeated use of oil without changing it in restaurants can lead to the creation of inflammatory molecules when frying food. When cooking at home, it is essential to be cautious with oil, as even healthy options like extra virgin olive oil can trigger an inflammatory response when heated to high temperatures. It is better to cook at lower temperatures or use avocado oil, which has a high smoke point.
5. Sweet Foods and Drinks:
While sugar itself may not always cause inflammation, excessive consumption can elevate inflammation levels. Research suggests that consuming 20% of daily calories from high-sugar drinks can increase levels of C-reactive protein, indicating higher inflammation. The American Heart Association recommends men consume no more than nine tablespoons of sugar a day and women limit themselves to six tablespoons. It’s essential to be mindful of added sugar, especially in beverages like cider, which can contain more than 10 tablespoons per serving.
6. Highly Processed Foods:
Packaged foods with lengthy ingredient lists are likely to cause irritation and disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to chronic inflammation. Moreover, such foods can contain chemicals and harmful ingredients. For instance, salty snacks often use cottonseed oil, which can be sprayed with toxic pesticides not typically used on food crops. The refining process of cottonseed oil at high temperatures produces substances that cause inflammation.
7. Highly Refined Carbs:
Consuming foods high in refined carbohydrates, such as cookies, crackers, and white bread, can spike blood sugar levels, prompting an inflammatory response to regulate them. Instead of eliminating all carbohydrates, opting for whole grains like quinoa or brown rice is a better choice. Whole grains are more satiating and have a gentler impact on blood sugar levels.
By being aware of and moderating the consumption of these high-inflammatory foods, individuals can minimize the risk of chronic inflammation and its associated health issues.
/ Fortune Korea Reporter Lee Se-yeon mvdirector@fortunekorea.co.kr
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A persistent inflammatory response causes fatigue, sleep disturbances, tissue damage, and increases the risk of many diseases, including asthma, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
“Chronic inflammation is caused by eating too much of certain foods,” says Ginger Hertin, a Seattle-based nutrition expert at Champagne Nutrition. “Eating a piece of candy does not cause inflammation.” In other words, you don’t have to eat perfectly, but your overall eating pattern and amount in your diet is very important.
Introducing 7 high inflammatory foods that make people sluggish and increase the incidence of various diseases.
1. grill
Whether grilled or pan-seared, char marks and charred bits of meat indicate that the food contains heterocyclic amines (HCAs). It is a compound that oxidizes fats and proteins and causes cell damage and oxidative stress.
Any animal protein can form HCAs when cooked at high temperatures, but red meat is the most serious. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a ‘substance with a high probability of carcinogenicity’.
You can also commonly find polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in grilled meats, which are also found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust.
If you like this food, you can reduce some of the damage by marinating the meat in lemon juice and herb seasoning. Black pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, and marjoram are full of antioxidants that help counteract the inflammatory response.
2. Processed meat
Think twice before eating bacon, hot dogs, or salami. Processed meats are high in saturated fat, which can cause inflammation in the body’s adipose tissue.
These foods are also high in sodium nitrite, a compound that can be converted to nitrosamines, which increases the risk of stomach cancer.
In addition, when cooked at high temperatures, large amounts of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are produced, which not only cause oxidative stress and inflammation, but also accelerate aging diseases such as macular degeneration (blindness) and Alzheimer’s disease .
According to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2020, red meat and processed meat have a significant effect on the increased risk of colon and rectal cancer.
3. Alcohol
A moderate glass of red wine is not bad. Red wine contains resveratrol, a plant polyphenol with antioxidant properties. Other types of alcohol, even strong alcohol, can have anti-inflammatory effects when consumed in small amounts.
However, alcohol is still classified as a highly toxic substance. Excessive use can cause an inflammatory response. According to Hultin’s research, alcohol enters the digestive tract through different routes and causes inflammation.
That is why heavy drinking is closely linked to cancer, liver disease and damage to the nervous system. If you must drink alcohol, it is recommended that men drink no more than two drinks a day, and women no more than one drink a day.
4. Fried foods
Most countries now ban the use of trans fats, but that doesn’t mean you can safely order oversized chips. This is because inflammatory molecules are created when the oil is used repeatedly without changing the oil in the restaurant.
You should also be careful when frying food in oil at home. Extra virgin olive oil is healthy but has a low smoke point. No matter how good the ingredients, smoke from cooking will eventually trigger an inflammatory response.
Therefore, it is better to cook at a lower temperature or use avocado oil with a high smoke point.
5. Sweet Foods and Drinks
Sugar doesn’t always cause inflammation, but eating too much of it can increase inflammation levels.
According to Hultin’s study, consuming 20% of daily calories from high-sugar drinks increased levels of C-reactive protein, which indicates higher levels of inflammation.
The American Heart Association recommends 9 tablespoons of sugar a day for men and 6 tablespoons for women. FYI, more than 10 tablespoons of sugar are added to a can of cider.
6. Highly processed foods
If the food is in a box or bag with a long ingredient label attached, it is very likely to cause irritation. These highly processed foods can alter the composition of the gut microbiome and lead to chronic inflammation.
Another problem is that packaged foods can contain chemicals and other harmful ingredients. Salty snacks, for example, are made from cottonseed oil, which can be sprayed with toxic pesticides that are not normally used on plants because cottonseed is not food.
In addition, cottonseed is refined at very high temperatures, and in this process, a large amount of substances that cause inflammation are produced.
7. Highly Refined Carbs
Highly refined carbohydrate foods, such as cookies, crackers, and white bread, increase blood sugar levels, causing your body to launch an inflammatory response to keep blood sugar levels normal.
Instead of avoiding all carbohydrate foods, it is a good idea to eat whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice. This is because it is high in satiety and does not raise blood sugar quickly.
/ Fortune Korea Reporter Lee Se-yeon mvdirector@fortunekorea.co.kr
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