Food and Nutrition
5 Foods That Lead to Inflammation
How your diet may be putting you on the fast track to disease.
Can your dinner lead to your demise? People who eat foods that spur inflammation, such as those high in fat and sugar, have a greater risk of dying sooner than folks who stick with fruits and vegetables, finds new research from the University of South Carolina.
Chronic low-grade inflammation can bring on cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or even death, says study author Susan Steck, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D. The study found that people with diets most associated with inflammation were four times more likely to die of gastrointestinal tract cancers.
Watch out for these common, inflammation-causing offenders:
Chronic low-grade inflammation can bring on cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or even death, says study author Susan Steck, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D. The study found that people with diets most associated with inflammation were four times more likely to die of gastrointestinal tract cancers.
Watch out for these common, inflammation-causing offenders:
Vegetable oil
Although
they're unsaturated, corn and safflower oils are made up largely of
omega-6 fatty acids and are tied to inflammation and an increased risk
of coronary artery disease, report University of Toronto researchers.
Reach for omega-3-rich canola and olive oils instead.
Red meat
Consuming a meal packed with saturated fat reduces the
anti-inflammatory potential of “good” HDL cholesterol and impairs blood
vessel function, contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease,
according to Australian researchers. There’s no need to entirely
eliminate steak, but keep your portion to 3 ounces—the size of a deck of
cards—and choose lean cuts that contain the words “round,” “loin,” or
“sirloin.”
Refined grains
Downing cookies,
breads, crackers, and other packaged foods boost levels of an
inflammatory protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1),
that’s associated with developing type-2 diabetes, finds research by the
University of Toronto.
Chinese food
When
Japanese researchers injected the food additive MSG into mice, it caused
the rodents to develop significant inflammation, obesity, liver
disease, and type-2 diabetes. The FDA has deemed MSG safe, but a study
at the University of North Carolina found that people who consume the
most—about 5 grams per day—are 33 percent more likely to become
overweight compared to those who eat the least. An occasional Kung Pao
chicken is fine, but read ingredient labels. MSG also lurks in salad
dressings, sauces, canned broth and soups, and deli meats.
Soft drinks
In
a Swiss study, young men who downed the equivalent of about two daily
cans of Coke saw levels of c-reactive protein—a sign of inflammation
that’s been correlated with heart disease, heart attack, and
stroke—climb by as much as 109 percent in 3 weeks. Swap your soda habit
for sparkling water with a squeeze of citrus.
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