Inflammation Foods - Anti Inflammatory Diet Nutritionist
Your body uses inflammation to fight off everything from infection, to allergies, to tissue injury.
But when any of those things goes undiagnosed or untreated, inflammation becomes chronic, exacerbating pain levels and other symptoms. And the foods you eat can either help or hurt your healing potential.
Inflammation Foods to Avoid
Inflammation hits in so many ways, but easily the most obvious manifestation of inflammation is pain. Whatever the cause of your pain symptoms, it’s important to recognize pain as your body’s alarm system. Your body uses inflammation to fight off everything from infection, to allergies, to tissue injury.
But when any of those things goes undiagnosed or untreated, inflammation becomes chronic, exacerbating pain levels and other symptoms. And the foods you eat can either help or hurt your healing potential.
Hi friends. I’m Hilary Beckwith, ex-dieter and holistic nutrition expert. Clients come to see me with signs of adrenal stress and inflammatory conditions, and my job is to find the root causes so we can address their symptoms more effectively and fill in the gaps between what their doctor is saying and what their body is saying. Click here to read my Medical Disclaimer.
In this article, you’ll learn:
signs of inflammation
causes of systemic inflammation
when to seek help
foods that reduce inflammation
signs of inflammation
Ironically, and perhaps inspirationally, I am writing this blog from my bed as I keep my recently fractured ankle elevated. Needless to say, it got me thinking about the process of pain and healing. And since I love working with clients who have inflammatory conditions, I thought this a great time to share some tools that might help you.
To start, pain is not the only sign of inflammation, just as nutrition is not the only solution for it. Let’s talk about what defines inflammation.
An inflammatory response is when your body sends white blood cells (from the immune system) to a specific area, or systemically, in order to heal tissue or fight off foreign invaders like viruses, parasites, dysbiotic bacteria, or mold toxins.
Probably the easiest way to visualize inflammation that most of us can relate to is a cold or sinus infection. That snot you’re blowing out and that stuffs you up and keeps you from breathing? This is acute inflammation.
That’s your mucous membranes being activated due to an immune system response to an unwanted pathogen. And as miserable as you might feel in those times, it’s your body is doing what it’s supposed to.
However, when you have chronic sinus infections, seasonal allergies, or chronic “stuffy head” - this is chronic inflammation.
Inflammation plays an important role in healing and helping us to survive as a species. But what’s missing is the regulation of inflammation. Our modern lifestyle of processed foods, unaddressed complex trauma, and excess busyness, fosters chronic inflammation. And unfortunately our American healthcare system does very little to address root causes of inflammation, focusing only on treating the symptoms.
Keep reading so you can be better informed and advocate for your health at your next doctor’s visit.
SIGNS OF INFLAMMATION (acute or chronic):
pain
localized swelling
acne
eczema
sinus congestion
seasonal allergies or food allergies
fatigue
restless sleep or insomnia
digestive symptoms (bloat, diarrhea, indigestion, abdominal pain)
brain fog
excess appetite
craving carbs or sweets
female reproductive hormone imbalance (irregular periods, infertility, painful periods, etc.)
causes of chronic inflammation
When the causes of acute inflammation go unaddressed, we get chronic inflammation.
The body is still trying to fight, but is running out of resources, so it tends to trickle in support, rather than offer a full-fledged army. Over time, your body does what it can to preserve energy, and so it activates the Cell Danger Response [1].
During Cell Danger Response, or CDR, your cell walls stiffen in an effort to prevent nutrients from entering the cell for energy production, they send out hormone signals to summon your immune system for additional support, and an enzyme called deiodinase 3 is activated, which deactivates thyroid hormone, converting it to its opposite, reverse T3. Click here to read more about thyroid conditions.
This chronic inflammatory response is commonly referred to as low-grade inflammation, or systemic inflammation. While it may have started in a specific area of the body, left unaddressed, it can become a low-grade inflammation throughout the body.
This is where we begin to see conditions like:
pain that will not go away
autoimmune disease activation
abnormal thyroid levels being misdiagnosed as a thyroid issue
treatment for symptoms without addressing underlying cause (acne, digestive symptoms, allergies)
chronic fatigue
COMMON CAUSES OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION
So, what is behind all these symptoms? It’s true that chronic pain can come from a tissue injury that didn’t heal properly, excess scar tissue, nerve damage, or possibly more overlooked, your nervous system trying to protect you even after the tissue has healed.
In many cases, the chronic inflammation requires a multifaceted approach:
physical medicine (PT, chiropractic, massage, trigger point injections, Platelet-Rich-Plasma, etc.) to heal the injured tissue
nutritional support to reduce inflammatory foods
functional support to find and address root causes of inflammation that have previously gone unnoticed
mental health support for nervous system regulation. Chronic cortisol production from a constant, or nearly constant, state of fight or flight activation (excess busyness, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, etc.) increases inflammation.
Although much of my career was spent working in physical medicine, I cannot expertly speak to the physical tissue healing or mental health aspects of inflammation. You can find support for those aspects here:
But I can speak to functional and nutritional causes of inflammation. Addressing these types of inflammation requires more strategy than simply avoiding high inflammation foods, or following an anti inflammatory diet.
Let’s talk about nutritional and functional causes of inflammation before we get into the possible solutions.
nutritional and functional causes of inflammation
There can be many causes of systemic inflammation that contribute to chronic pain, skin conditions like acne or eczema, digestive symptoms, chronic fatigue, or seasonal allergies.
This list is certainly not exhaustive, but these are common issues I find in many of my clients. And when we work to address these underlying issues, we often find that their symptoms reduce or dissipate altogether.
COMMON NON-INJURY CAUSES OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION:
pathogenic infection - I commonly find underlying infections that have previously gone unnoticed, undiagnosed, and thus, untreated, in my clients. Pathogens like parasites, mold, mold toxins, candida overgrowth, or dysbiotic bacteria. Left unchecked, these infections cause a constant stimulation of the immune system, and consequently, systemic inflammation.
food sensitivities - The ultimate chicken-and-egg scenario, food sensitivities are an immune response to foods that have not been properly broken down by the digestive system, and thus make it into the bloodstream, only to be responded to as a foreign invader - a threat. Food sensitivities are not to be confused with food allergies, and symptoms can often look like increased congestion, runny nose, achyness, stiffness, or increased pain, or reactive digestive symptoms like diarrhea.
poor digestive health - Sound too simple? Your digestive system is the first line of defense against pathogens that are ingested through foods. Poor digestion is one of the first things I address in clients with chronic inflammation for this very reason. Your body needs adequate stomach acid and digestive enzymes, a healthy mucosal lining, and good motility to prevent pathogens from getting into your system and to eliminate toxins. The overuse of antacids, eating on-the-go, and excess busyness inhibit your body’s ability to eliminate pathogens before they become a problem. Additionally, poor digestion is a common cause of food sensitivities. Addressing and optimizing digestive health is fundamental to reducing systemic inflammation.
poor quality diet - as we discussed, it’s not so much about following an anti inflammatory diet, but more about the quality of nutrition, and addressing gut health. If you are eating poor-quality foods, your body is getting poor-quality nutrients and overloading your liver.
A good example of this is fats:
Fats are broken down into fatty acids which are needed throughout the body for cell membrane structure, hormone production, vitamin D formation, bile production, and, yes, inflammation regulation. If you are eating poor quality fats, and if your body is not digesting fats well, of course your body is inflamed!
Fats are not the only culprit:
Refined grains, excess starches and sugars from plant-based meats and dairy products, food additives, emulsifiers, gums, even the cookware you choose, all contributes to inflammation by increasing toxic burden and oxidative stress. Learn more about how to choose quality foods here.
when to seek help
Addressing chronic inflammation requires more than just avoiding high inflammation foods, or following an anti inflammatory diet.
Yes, there are foods that can help lower inflammation, however, if you have sensitivities to those foods, or are not digesting them well, an anti inflammatory diet will not help you for very long.
You may notice some improvement initially, but it will likely be short-lived until you address underlying causes.
If you are already actively working with practitioners to address tissue injury, structure, nerve dysfunction, and your pain still persists, it’s possible there is an underlying cause that has gone unnoticed or unaddressed.
If you experience even a few of the symptoms below on a regular basis, it’s time to dig deeper into the root causes.
SIGNS OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION:
known food sensitivities or food allergies
suspected food sensitivities (you have noticed a pattern of symptoms within 24 hours of consuming specific foods). Click here to read more about symptoms of food sensitivities.
acne
eczema
chronic diarrhea or constipation (or alternating)
bloating after meals
excess hunger
craving carbs or sweets
pain that has been difficult to address, despite physical medicine efforts
chronic stuffy head or runny nose
seasonal allergies (while there may be an actual allergic reaction, seasonal allergies can also be an overreaction of the immune system due to overburden, and can be alleviated with proper support)
chronic fatigue
anxiety or other mood conditions
insomnia or other sleep issues
chronic heartburn or indigestion
abdominal pain or cramping
Working with a qualified practitioner to find and address root causes of inflammation can help alleviate chronic pain symptoms and may even reduce your need for pain medications.
foods that reduce inflammation
As I’ve pointed out, reducing systemic and chronic inflammation requires more than simply eating an anti inflammatory diet or avoiding high inflammation foods.
It requires intervention from a qualified practitioner trained to find and address root causes of dysfunction and gut health in your body. This process often requires a proper assessment of the individual, including symptoms, health history, food and lifestyle habits, and functional lab testing.
Following an anti inflammatory diet may not be the solution, but it certainly can help if it’s part of the equation!
Here are some tips for lowering inflammation using nutrition:
eat real food: Even foods that are marketed as being “healthy” can be heavily processed, and a burden on your detoxification system. Not sure what makes food “processed”? Click here to learn more about what to look for on the ingredients list.
pay attention to fats: Put briefly, omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, and omega 6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. The most bio-available (can actually be used by the body without interference) and nutrient-dense sources of omega 3 fatty acids are found in animal sources, such as grass-fed beef and wild caught salmon.
fish oil supplements: As with food, when it comes to supplements, quality matters. There are many fish oil supplements on the market, and most are garbage. They use irresponsible fishing methods, and use ethyl (alcohol) ethers of the fatty acids, which are far less absorbable than triglycerides. But there is one fish oil supplement I love and recommend often that is ethically sourced and highly bioavailable. Click here to view and purchase.
eat brightly-colored whole foods: Brightly-colored vegetables, such as in-season tomatoes, red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, and purple cabbage, are loaded with antioxidants, such as bioflavonoids and polyphenols. While it’s important to find and address the root causes of oxidative stress (free radical damage), consuming lots of antioxidants can help mitigate the damage and lower inflammation.
eat better protein: While every body’s needs are different, my clients who are navigating inflammation, hormone imbalance, and digestive issues, get better results when they focus on getting enough good quality protein.
Getting adequate bio-available protein each meal helps reduce snacking, supports mood regulation, and reduces reliance on carby snacks, which lowers inflammation. Animal sources of protein are far more bio-available than plant-based (click here to learn more about that). Personally, I aim for 30 grams of protein in every meal, mostly animal-based.
hydrate: Yes, really! Good hydration promotes healthy lymphatic flow, which serves, in part, to transport components of your immune system and carry debris and waste to elimination sites. Hydration can also lower blood pressure and is important for liver function.
How much water should you drink? It varies from person to person. For the average active adult with no kidney problems, I typically recommend half your body weight, in fluid ounces of water, every day. It’s also important to minimize dehydrating factors, such as alcohol or caffeine. If you are someone who deals with chronic diarrhea symptoms, this may also be dehydrating you.
other supplements to lower inflammation: Taking supplements is a waste of your resources if you are not also doing the work to address the root cause. But symptomatically, there are some supplements that can help lower inflammation and help reduce pain symptoms. Here are some of my favorites.
boswelia - from the bark of a boswelia tree, this extract is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
pycnogenol - another park extract, from the French Maritime Pine tree, this nutrient is loaded with polyphenols and bioflavonoids to combat oxidative damage and reduce inflammation.
Oxicell-SE (Apex Energetics) - one of my favorite topical products from working in pain management, this product supports mitochondrial function at the site of pain, which helps to heal tissue faster and reduce inflammation.
curcumin - Curcumin is the active anti-inflammatory component of turmeric. It is widely known to be very effective at reducing inflammation [4], and because it is fat-soluble, it’s absorption significantly increases when taken with healthy fats [5].
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NUTRITION SERVICES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
BLOG REFERENCES
Naviaux, Robert K. “Metabolic Features of the Cell Danger Response.” Mitochondrion, Elsevier, 24 Aug. 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567724913002390.
Astrup, Arne, et al. “Dietary Saturated Fats and Health: Are the U.S. Guidelines Evidence-Based?” Nutrients, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 22 Sept. 2021, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8541481/.
Di Grigoli, Antonino, et al. “Effects of Grazing on the Behaviour, Oxidative and Immune Status, and Production of Organic Dairy Cows.” Animals : An Open Access Journal from MDPI, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 June 2019, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6617352/.
Zeng, Liuting, et al. “Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin and Curcuma Longa Extract in the Treatment of Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial.” Frontiers in Immunology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 22 July 2022, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9353077/.
Stohs, Sidney J, et al. “Highly Bioavailable Forms of Curcumin and Promising Avenues for Curcumin-Based Research and Application: A Review.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 19 Mar. 2020, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7144558/#:~:text=The%20various%20formulations%20designed%20to,a%20fatty%20meal%20enhances%20absorption.