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Foods That Cause Inflammation

December 30th, 2012 | By

Chronic Inflammation Is The Root Of Chronic Disease

Foods That Cause Inflammation
Foods That Cause Inflammation

Chronic inflammation happens when acute inflammation is not completely turned off. Under this condition pro-inflammatory cells are slowly and continuously released into the body and act like a slow-burning fire, slowly destroying the cells they come in contact with. This continuous release of inflammatory cells can lead to diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and arthritis.




Foods That Cause Inflammation

These foods have an inflammatory effect in the body

  • Foods Containing Processed And Added Sugars: Sugar gets a bad rap because all sugars are often lumped together. It is the processed or refined sugars and the large amounts of natural sugar that is added to foods that trigger the inflammation process. Sugar from plant life exists in a synergistic way with the other nutrients and fiber of the plant life it comes form. The nutrients and fiber regulate how the sugar is released into the body. That balance is thrown off in processed foods containing refined or added natural sugars, and the sugar from those foods do not enter the bloodstream in a regulated manner which triggers the inflammatory process:
    • Candy
    • Cakes
    • Sweetened Food
    Sugar from fruits are good for us. Fruits are our friends.
  • Vegetable Oils High In Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Most omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammatiron. Most of the common vegetable oils we use are high in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are necessary for healthy, but a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids promotes inflammation. Omega-6 fatty acids need to be balanced by the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid, and our diets should have a ratio of 3:1 omega-3 to omega-6. The high amount of omega-6 vegetable oils used in the western diet throws of the balance and produces and inflammatory diet. Vegetable oils high in omega-6:
    • Corn Oil
    • Cottonseed Oil
    • Grapeseed Oil
    • Safflower Oil
    • Soybean Oil
    • Sunflower Oil
    • Vegetable Oil
    I use coconut oil instead of these oils because it is made up mostly of medium-chain fatty acids compared to the long chain fatty acids of the above oils. The medium chain fatty acids of coconut oil are turned into energy and burned by the body quickly, in comparison to the long chain fatty acids of the above vegetable oils which are often not completely used and are stored as triglycerides in fat cells.
  • Trans Fats: Most trans fats we eat are made from processing vegetable oils and a very harmful to us. Trans fats promote inflammation, lower good cholesterol, raise bad cholesterol, promote obesity and resistance to insulin increasing diabetes risk. Watch out for products containing trans fats. Even watch out for products with labels claiming “0 Trans Fats!” The FDA allows products containing 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving to have that label. So manufacturers are allowed to continue to use trans fats in their products, but they make it appear that they are using any. Trans fats are used in processed:
    • Cereals
    • Cakes
    • Muffins
    • Cookies
    • Fat Food
    • Frozen Dinner Food
    • Margarine
    • Candy
  • Alcohol: Heavy alcohol consumption promotes chronic inflammation by interfering with the body’s natural defense against harmful microbes in the stomach. Is also interferes with the brain’s ability to regulate inflammation, the liver’s ability to detoxify bacteria, and the liver’s ability to regulate the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine cells.
  • Meat: Meat contains endotoxins that are released from bacteria in meat during the digestive process. These endotoxins trigger the inflammation process to release immune cells into the body to combat the endotoxins. I talk with my elders and they use the argument that they grew up on eating meat and it wasn’t a problem for them. They have a valid argument if we considered the meat they grew up on the same as the meat that is processed today. Livestock today are often raised on genetically modified soy and corn which causes inflammation, they develop excess fat because they are raised in confined ares, they injected with hormones to make them bigger and fatter, and they are dosed with antibiotics to combat the diseases they develop from these conditions. The diseases then become resistant to the antibiotics, and then we eat the meat that has antibiotic resistant bacteria in it, fat, and full of hormones. The livestock my elders grew up on were grass fed and were genetically modified, which studies are showing to cause cancer.
    • Beef
    • Pork
    • Chicken
    • Dairy
    • Eggs
  • Dairy: Hormones given to cows are passed into their milk. The Bovine Growth Hormone is given to cows to increase milk production but causes cows udder infections. This and other hormones and proteins specific to cow’s are passed on to cow’s milk and cause inflammatory reactions in the body.
  • Artificial Food Additives And Preservatives: Are perceived as foreign substances to the body and stimulate an inflammatory reaction to combat the the foreign and toxic substances.
    • MSG
    • Aspartame
    • Saccharine
  • Gluten Grains: Many people have allergic reactions to grains that contain gluten. The allergic reaction promotes an inflammatory reaction. Gluten allergies and sensitivities have been increasingly linked to autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, which results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints.
  • Refined Grains: The processing of refined grains removes most of the fiber, minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids and develops a high glycemic load. This spikes blood glucose levels, stimulates a high demand for insulin, and boosts levels of the inflammatory proteins.


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