The sweet pain of inflammation

Is too much of a good thing bad? Philosophers have pondered this question for centuries. In the case of inflammation, it is absolutely true. Inflammation is how your body fights infection. However, sometimes your body continues to create inflammation without anything to combat. This can become chronic inflammation, and that can cause pain, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, depression and more – all bad things.  

The good news is there are steps you can take to reduce your odds of chronic inflammation. According to multiple studies, including a review of the effects of dietary sugar from 2018, eating less sugar can decrease your chance of developing chronic inflammation.  

When you digest sugar, your blood glucose spikes, and your body produces insulin, leading to the creation of inflammatory hormones. If you are consuming too much sugar, your body can create too many inflammatory hormones, and that can lead to chronic inflammation.

However, sugar is not the only thing to avoid. It is generally acknowledged certain types of food can lead to inflammation. Try to avoid refined carbohydrates that include white bread and bakery items, fried foods, soda, red meat and margarine.

The sweetest news is not only can you avoid certain foods to reduce your chances of developing chronic inflammation, you can also eat your way to good health. A Mediterranean diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy oils is widely accepted to decrease inflammation.  

For more tips on dealing with inflammation, talk to your family doctor.