More and more research suggests that an anti-inflammatory diet may play a key role in scores of health conditions. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2017, for instance, assessed the association between dietary inflammation (measured by a dietary inflammatory index) and atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in the arteries) in women over the age of 70. Researchers found that dietary inflammatory index scores were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and heart-disease-related death.
Adhering to an anti-inflammatory diet may help reduce levels of certain inflammatory markers (such as a substance called C-reactive protein) in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in Endocrine in 2016. For the study, people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes followed the Mediterranean diet or a low-fat diet. After one year, C-reactive protein levels fell by 37 percent in people on the Mediterranean diet but remained unchanged in those on the low-fat diet.
Tips on Following an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Eat five to nine servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables each day.
- Limit your intake of foods high in omega-6 fatty acids while increasing your consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such as flaxseed, walnuts, and oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring).
- Replace red meat with healthier protein sources, such as lean poultry, fish, soy, beans, and lentils.
- Swap out margarine and vegetable oils for the healthier fats found in olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
- Instead of choosing refined grains, opt for fiber-rich whole grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice, bread, and pasta that list a whole grain as the first ingredient.
- Rather than seasoning your meals with salt, enhance flavor with anti-inflammatory herbs like garlic, ginger, and turmeric.
Stay happy, healthy and ready to enjoy the glorious greens of spring time in not only what you eat, but look around and witness the new growth around you!
