While eating the right foods can certainly transform your body, making poor food choices can wreak havoc on your body, in more ways than one.
For instance, think about inflammation. When inflammation hits your joints throughout your body, they stiffen and swell and the pain can make anything from taking a stroll to simple daily chores miserable. While there’s no sure way to rid yourself of joint pain forever, if you’re one of the 1 in 5 American adults to suffer from some form of arthritis, paying close attention to your diet may bring great relief (or pain flare-ups).
7 Foods That Cause Inflammation
Here are foods that can increase inflammation (Number 7 is a shocker):
1. Tomatoes
In most cases, tomatoes are considered an anti-inflammatory food, but they can be bad news for those who suffer from gout. Per researchers at the University of Otago, among 2,051 people who have the specific form of arthritis, 20 percent reported that tomatoes are a trigger. Of the data analyzed from another 12,720 people who did not have gout, study leaders found that eating tomatoes increased the levels of uric acid found in their blood – a major underlying cause of gout.
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2. Potato Chips
Research by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine showed that “cutting back on the consumption of fried and processed foods, such as potato chips, can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body’s natural defenses.”
No foods are truly off-limits, but trans fats (also called partially hydrogenated oils), found a lot in our favorite salty snacks are fats that are chemically altered to remain solid at room temperature. They raise inflammation and increase risk for heart disease, so steer clear of them as much as possible. This includes margarine and shortening, processed snacks, fried foods, and store-bought baked goods.
3. Soda
It’s not just bad for your waistline. Not only do sugary drinks like diet soda put you at risk for diabetes and heart disease, but sugar consumption can trigger the release of inflammatory “messengers” called cytokines, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says.
After analyzing data from two large studies spanning 30 years, researchers discovered a link between soda pop consumption and arthritis risk. In fact, women who drank one pop or more daily, had a 63 percent increased risk of developing arthritis than those who shied away from the bubbling beverage.
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4. Alcoholic Drinks (More Than Two)
According to a 2019 review published in Molecules, a glass of wine contains compounds that can fend off inflammation and oxidative stress, which can help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Resveratrol is a plant compound in red wine (and grapes) that’s credited with anti-inflammatory effects. But, when you start to have more than two drinks, that’s where it goes bad.
It can be easy to cross the line from beneficial to harmful. And when you cross that line, not only are the anti-inflammatory perks lost, but research published in the International Review of Neurobiology in 2022 shows that alcohol then triggers further inflammation in the body.
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Though artificial sweeteners are all deemed relatively safe by the Food and Drug Administration, most of the ones you see on restaurant tables and in food products are sweet-tasting synthetic chemical compounds like aspartame and saccharine. And—particularly if there’s already some low-level inflammation—the body may consider these foreign bodies or irritants.
6. Fruit Juices
Some people say that drinking juice is better than drinking soda. Well, that’s not really true when we talk about inflammation–and it all depends on what kind of juice you’re talking about. Fruit juices you buy in the store are primarily sugar without the beneficial fiber from the fruit so these should also be kept to a minimum. But if you make your own juice at home, it’s bound to be healthier.
7. Mayonnaise and Most Salad Dressings
Mayo can be high in omega-6 fatty acids that are known to cause inflammation. While omega-6 fatty acids are essential for your body, they need to be balanced out with omega-3 fatty acids and most diets have an excess of omega-6 with not
enough omega-3. Too much omega-6 contributes to inflammation, high cholesterol, hormone imbalance, and obesity.
Foods that are GOOD for Inflammation
Now that we’ve talked about the bad stuff, here are the good foods we should be eating:
– Fish
The Arthritis Foundation urges sufferers to eat at least 3 to 4 ounces of fish, twice a week. Omega-3-rich fish include salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring, all which boast a healthy dose of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.
– Nuts
Packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, nuts and seed help the combat and repair damage caused by inflammation. Per a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, those who consumed the most nuts (over a 15-year period) had a 51 percent lower risk of dying from an inflammatory disease when compared to those who ate the least nuts.
– Onions
They may be tearjerkers, but this veggie is an abundant source of quercetin. According to a 2006 study published in Biological Pharmacology, researchers reported that consuming quercetin orally lowered arthritis symptoms in mice. While the results don’t guarantee the same outcomes in humans, the study suggests that the antioxidant may be a beneficial treatment for inflammatory diseases. The University of Maryland Medical Center also states that the flavonoid reduces common allergy symptoms, lowers cholesterol, and prevents certain cancers.
