Diet gun

Inflammation is our body’s defense mechanism against incoming external threats such as stress, bacterial or viral infection, and toxic chemicals.

When the immune system detects one of these threats, it activates substances that protect cells and tissues.

This inflammatory response is beneficial because it aims to fight and destroy these substances by the body.

If the immune cells begin to overreact (which is quite common), inflammation can turn against the body itself. This creates chronic inflammation that can be the result of many causes, such as viruses, bacteria, excessive stress, and poor nutrition.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation can be: chronic fatigue, frequent or recurring infections, joint and muscle pain, gastrointestinal diseases (reflux, constipation, diarrhea, colitis), insomnia, anxiety, depression.

The 6 types of foods that cause inflammation include:

1. Red meat and processed meats (bacon, sausages, cold
    cuts)

2. Processed grains, such as white bread, white rice,
    pasta and breakfast cereals

3. Snacks, such as chips, cookies, crackers, cakes,
    all sweets

4. Soft drinks and other sugary drinks

5. Fried foods

6. Alcoholic beverages

What almost all of these foods have in common is that they contain added sugars, saturated fats and/or trans fats. Alcoholic beverages also contain a large amount of ethanol, which is not healthy for the body.

Your body’s cells absorb and react to processed foods differently than they do to natural foods, and our bodies don’t always know what to do with these processed foods, especially when consumed in large quantities.

A pro-inflammatory state in the body also leads to oxidative stress, which can lead to more inflammation and ultimately chronic inflammation. If left untreated, the damage caused by inflammation and oxidative stress can lead to serious diseases, such as: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer.

That’s why eating foods rich in antioxidants, which help fight oxidative stress, is a cornerstone of an anti-inflammatory diet.