Inflammation and Food

Our body’s response to infection or injury is inflammation. The initial trigger sets off chains of immune system responses in order to promote healing or to repair affected tissues. Unfortunately, the body’s inflammatory responses are sometimes triggered inappropriately or run out of control, which is a major cause of ill health and impaired quality of life. It is hard to list the range of conditions which involve inflammation, mainly because the list is so long and wide-ranging, but joint pain, including arthritis, has a prominant place on it. Some foods can contribute to joint pain, while others can have an anti-inflammatory effect, and relatively minor adjustments to the diet can have a positive effect.

We have all heard about fish oils and how good they are for joints. Fish oils, along with seeds and nuts, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which the body uses to make substances called anti-inflammatory prostaglandins – these are obviously good for damping down inflammation. However, the body struggles to make these prostaglandins if it also has to cope with fatty acids from saturated fats, trans-fatty acids (found in processed foods, including margarine), or excessive amounts of alcohol, stress or insulin.

So if you are suffering from joint pain, foods which you could increase in your diet include:
* Fish, seeds and unsalted nuts, as they contain omega-3 fats
* A wide variety of fruit and vegetables. These contain many anti-inflammatory nutrients, including vitamins B, C and E and minerals such as zinc and manganese. They also contain sterols, which can reduce an excessive immune response, and less well known nutrients such as quercetin and bioflavonoids.
* Olive oil contains a compound called oleocanthal which acts like ibuprofen, and oleic acid which is also anti-inflammatory. Fish oils actually reduce the level of oleic acid in body tissues, so if you are eating oily fish or supplementing with fish oils, it is worth making sure that you eat olive oil regularly too.
* Herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, garlic, and rosemary can block inflammatory molecules in the body so use them generously in your meals. Healthy food certainly doesn’t have to be bland!

There are also foods of which you could try to eat less:
* Animal products containing saturated fat, like meat and cheese.
* Processed foods with trans-fatty acids.
* Too many sugary treats – this increases your body’s production of insulin, which then decreases its production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins.

If you are suffering from joint pain, you could try making a few simple changes to see if they help reduce inflammation and ease the pain. These changes won’t do the rest of your health any harm!