Inflammation is the body's normal response to injury. While it may be a
natural defense system, it can lead to disease development if it becomes
chronic. A University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) expert says one way to
fight inflammation is with food.
"The inflammation process has one goal: to respond immediately to
detect and destroy the toxic material in damaged tissues before it can spread
throughout the body," explained Lauren Whitt, Ph.D., UAB Employee Wellness
director and adjunct professor of personal health. "The trouble with
inflammation occurs when the defense system gets out-of-control and begins to
destroy healthy tissue, causing more damage than the original issue."
Obesity has even been found to cause inflammation, and it can lead to
the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, according to the National
Council on Strength & Fitness. But weight loss is related to reduction
of inflammation, and Whitt says the right anti-inflammatory foods are the
answer.
"I encourage people to focus on eating whole foods and foods that
are high in fiber," Whitt said.
Anti-inflammatory foods to try:
• Citrus fruits -- Vitamin C
and Vitamin E are essential antioxidants
• Dark, leafy greens -- High
in Vitamin K
• Tomatoes -- The fruit's
red pigment, lycopene, is a potent antioxidant
• Wild-caught salmon --
Contains a rich concentration of omega-3 fatty acids*
Whitt added that eating anti-inflammatory foods should not be viewed as
daunting.
"Eating to minimize inflammation doesn't have to be an
overwhelming task," she said. "Take baby steps by incorporating leafy
greens into a salad at lunch, or add a piece of whole fruit to your
breakfast."
In addition, Whitt said to consume more foods straight from the farm,
as well as fewer processed and fried foods. Doing so may reduce the need for
some medications.
"Americans are constantly on the lookout for a quick-fix, so when
our immune systems kick into overdrive, we would generally prefer to pop a pill
and keep moving," Whitt said. "But if we focus on our diets, we can
alleviate the need for the anti-inflammatory medications in many cases."
###
The above story is based on the March 22, 2013 news release by University of Alabama at Birmingham.
* Although the amount of fish lipids in Malaysian fishes is generally low
when compared to fishes from temperate countries, terubok and patin contain
high amount of lipid in their tissue muscle.
Nur Airina Muhamad, Jamaludin Mohamad. Fatty Acids Composition of Selected Malaysian Fishes. Sains Malaysiana 41(1)(2012): 81–94.
Click HERE to read the full paper.
Dwelling on stressful events can also cause inflammation leading to various disorders and conditions such as heart disease, as well as cancer, dementia and autoimmune diseases.
Click HERE for an easy way to de-stress and progress further to realise your full potential
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