Before we can understand which vitamins, minerals and compounds are effective at having an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, it is important to know what inflammation is and how it relates to our diet.
Inflammation is a perfectly natural immunological response to infections or injuries. This type of inflammation is usually short-term and is a defence mechanism necessary for our bodies to function and for us to heal ourselves.
However, chronic, or long-term systemic inflammation can increase your risk of several health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, cancer and mental health conditions.
Some foods can cause both short and long-term inflammation. This will depend on our personal genetic make-up, individual blood sugar responses to certain foods, the health status of our gut microbiome and of course, our general diet.
What are some common foods that are known to promote inflammation in the body?
The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a scoring algorithm that was developed to assess a diet and its effect on a range of inflammatory biomarkers in the body. Whilst this system doesn’t detect specific scores for foods or nutrients, it can give an idea of which diets and eating patterns are the most inflammatory.
Eating a Western diet compromised of mainly ultra-processed foods, and foods that are high in total fat, saturated fat and sugar lead to high DII scores.
Research associates Western diets with increased levels of inflammation as well as increased body weight and LDL, aka the ‘bad cholesterol’. These could potentially increase the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Foods that comprise a typical Western diet and increase inflammation include:
· Sweets/confectionery
· Biscuits
· Cakes
· Mass-produced breads and bread products
· Crisps
· Breakfast cereals
· Sugary soft drinks
· Alcohol
· Ready-to-heat products like pizza, chicken nuggets, pies and burgers.
· Processed meats like ham, bacon, salami and sausages.
So, what foods can be considered as anti-inflammatory?
Studies have associated an increased consumption of fruit, vegetables and fish with lower levels of a protein called CRP. C-Reactive Protein is a protein your liver makes in response to high levels of inflammation. The higher levels of CRP = the higher levels of inflammation in the body.
Research has shown that a high intake of dietary fibre is associated with low levels of the inflammatory marker CRP.
A high intake of dietary fibre is also associated with decreased risk of chronic inflammatory conditions such as cardiovascular disease and inflammatory bowel disease.
Examples of high-fibre foods:
· Beans
· Lentils
· Whole grains (oats, barley and rye)
· Berries
· Apples
· Pears
· Avocados
· Artichokes
· Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and kale)
Other foods such as ginger, garlic, green tea, turmeric, cherries, tomatoes, berries and extra virgin olive oil all have anti-inflammatory effects. This is largely down to the high levels of different types of antioxidants they contain.
Well known antioxidants include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, the minerals selenium, zinc and manganese and compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids and phytoestrogens.
Antioxidants play a protective role in reducing levels of inflammatory markers by helping to protect our cells from damage from free radicals.
Oxidative stress caused by free radical damage has been linked to the development of some chronic and degenerative illnesses, including:
• Alzheimer’s and other dementias
• Cardiovascular disease
• Degenerative diseases such as Huntington’s or Parkinson’s disease
• Certain cancers
• Autoimmune disorders
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Age-related concerns
What role do antioxidants play in reducing inflammation?
Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body.
Free radicals are molecules that contain an uneven number of electrons, making them highly unstable and reactive, meaning they will seek out other atoms or molecules to bond to, damaging our healthy cells in the process.
Antioxidants are molecules that are able to donate an electron to a free radical without making themselves unstable. This then causes the free radical to become stable and less reactive, meaning they won’t cause inappropriate damage to our healthy cells and induce an inflammatory response.
The combination of turmeric and black pepper is particularly effective for inflammation due to the synergistic effect of their active compounds, curcumin (found in turmeric) and piperine (found in black pepper).
- Curcumin (from turmeric):
Curcumin is the main bioactive compound in turmeric, and it has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It works by inhibiting molecules that play a key role in inflammation, such as NF-kB (a protein complex involved in regulating the immune response). It can also reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines (signaling proteins that promote inflammation).
- Piperine (from black pepper):
Piperine enhances the bioavailability of curcumin by up to 2,000%. Curcumin, by itself, is poorly absorbed in the digestive system, meaning that the body has difficulty in processing it and being able to get the most from it benefits.
Piperine helps increase the absorption and circulation of curcumin in the body, ensuring it can have a stronger and more impactful effect on reducing inflammation.
So, when you combine turmeric with black pepper, piperine significantly boosts the absorption of curcumin, allowing its potent anti-inflammatory properties to work more effectively. This is why the combination is often recommended for managing inflammation-related conditions, such as arthritis, digestive issues, and even certain chronic inflammatory diseases.
Some Vitamins, especially Vitamin D, can help manage inflammation through its effects on the immune system and its ability to regulate inflammatory responses.
- Vitamin D plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system. It can influence the activity of various immune cells, such as T-cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. These immune cells are involved in both the initiation and resolution of inflammation.
- Vitamin D helps to keep inflammation in check by modulating the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses. It tends to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (molecules that promote inflammation) while increasing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (molecules that help to reduce inflammation).
- Research has shown that vitamin D can downregulate key signalling pathways involved in inflammation, such as the NF-kB pathway. This pathway is often activated during chronic inflammation, and its inhibition by vitamin D can help reduce the inflammatory process.
Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with increased markers of chronic inflammation, and several studies suggest that supplementing with vitamin D can help reduce these markers. This is particularly helpful for conditions where inflammation is a key factor, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular disease.
Certain foods naturally contain vitamin D such as oily fish e.g. sardines, mackerel and salmon, egg yolks, red meat and liver.
Mushrooms and wild mushrooms that have grown outside are also a source of vitamin D and many foods such as plant-based milks and cereals are now fortified with vitamin D.
Xuxa Milrose,
Registered and Accredited Nutritional Therapist (mBANT, rCNHC, mANP)
Instagram @feedhappynutrition
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