Foods That Can Increase Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can have so many health effects and can make you more likely to develop a ton of health conditions. Lots of foods can contribute to this and you’ll definitely want to avoid them! The effects of anti-inflammatory foods can be hugely negated if you’re also consuming plenty of inflammatory foods. Here are a few of the worst culprits for increasing inflammation. 

Refined carbohydrates

Not all carbs are bad but refined carbs can raise inflammation levels. Research has suggested that they can increase levels of inflammatory gut bacteria that can make you more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease and be obese. 

In a study involving young, healthy men who ate 50g of refined carbs had higher blood sugar levels and certain inflammatory markers had also increased. 

Bread and pasta are common examples of refined carbs. Swap them for gluten free alternatives to give yourself a fiber boost and more nutritional value. Look for pasta made from chickpeas, lentils, or black beans.

Vegetable/seed oils

All vegetable and seed oils are highly inflammatory, including sunflower oil or canola oil. They can contribute to a ton of omega-6 fatty acids. 

Given that the typical Western diet is already full of omega-6 fatty acids and often doesn’t include adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, cooking with these types of oils may increase inflammation levels even more. 

In a study on rats, consuming a lot more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids increased inflammatory markers. 

Ideally, you want to be getting a lot more omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6 fatty acids to keep inflammation in check. Eating wild salmon, sardines, white fish or mackerel twice a week will help with this! Also, it’s as easy as taking a high-quality Omega-3 supplement or testing your inflammation levels.

Trans fats

There’s a ton of evidence to say that trans fats are one of the worst things you can eat when it comes to inflammation. They’re hugely inflammatory and raise the risk factor for many conditions. 

They can lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and have negative effects on endothelial cells in the blood vessels. The latter is one of the risk factors for heart disease. 

They can also raise inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). In one study, women with high levels of CRP also consumed large amounts of trans fats in their diet. 

Trans fats are found in so many processed foods, including margarine, cookies, donuts, crackers, breakfast products, and processed snacks. Fried foods and fast food are also culprits. 

Scan food labels and swerve anything with “partially hydrogenated fats” on the label. This is a big giveaway that trans fats are lurking. 

Saturated fats

Saturated fats can be a problem too. According to some research, it can “short circuit” immune cells, which can cause an inflammatory response. This can raise the risk factor for heart disease and arthritis, amongst other conditions.

Full-fat dairy products, sausages, fatty cuts of red meat, and cheese are some of the biggest sources of saturated fat. Eat these sparingly, and remember that read meat is harder for your body to digest, processed meat can cause cancer, and dairy should be avoided!

Sugar 

Sugar is hugely inflammatory and is a common culprit for raising inflammation levels and keeping them high. 

High-fructose corn syrup can be a big problem here, not least because it’s added to tons of processed foods. 

Research has shown that a high-fructose diet can lead to inflammation in the endothelial cells in the blood vessels and raise the risk factor for developing heart disease. 

A high-fructose diet has also been linked to increased inflammatory markers in both mice and humans. 

Mice that were given a high-fructose diet didn’t see as much anti-inflammatory effect from omega-3 fatty acids. 

The bottom line? If you’re already getting plenty of fructose from fruits and vegetables, you don’t want to be getting a ton from elsewhere too. Added sugars, in general, encourage the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. 

Processed meats

Processed meats are linked to inflammation. They tend to contain a whole heap more advanced glycation end products (AGEs) as they cook, and this can be inflammatory. Eating a lot of processed meat can be a risk factor for certain types of cancer, including colon cancer. 

Processed meats can include bacon, ham, sausages, and deli meat. Swap processed and fatty meats for fish or lean protein. Poultry and lean cuts of grass-fed beef can work great for the latter.

Alcohol

Alcohol can trigger systemic inflammation through many pathways, leading to an overall increase in inflammation in the body. This can contribute to a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. It can also cause imbalances in your gut flora.

Cutting back on your alcohol consumption will drastically improve your health! Try some alcohol alternatives or a new mocktail recipe. You can never go wrong with soda water, lime, and a splash of cranberry!

The best way to know your inflammation levels is to test! It will tell you your current level of Omega 3 to Omega 6’s in your body. Send me a message with your questions and I’d love to help.