A new study from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease has taken an in-depth look at which foods can help prevent chronic inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to many chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, and fatigue, so it is important to know which foods cause inflammation and which foods fight it.
Inflammation is a natural bodily process, and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When the body is injured, inflammation signals the immune system to send white blood cells to begin healing. But when inflammation continues for too long, that is when it can trigger disease processes. In order to fight this inflammation, it is important to eat a diet full of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
Anti-inflammatory foods contain polyphenols, which protect our bodies from disease. Evidence shows that polyphenols can help prevent cancer. The study published in the British Journal of Nutrition looked at potencies of various polyphenols, to see which are most effective at reducing inflammation.
Study author, Sian Richardson, said: “The results of our study suggest that (poly)phenols derived from onions, turmeric, red grapes, green tea and açai berries may help reduce the release of pro-inflammatory mediators in people at risk of chronic inflammation.
“Older people are more susceptible to chronic inflammation and as such they may benefit from supplementing their diets with isorhamnetin, resveratrol, curcumin and vanillic acid or with food sources that yield these bioactive molecules.”
The full study can be found here.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.
