The Anti-Inflammatory Diet - Can it Help Defeat Arthritis, Lupus and Other Chronic Diseases?

According to some proponents of an Anti-Inflammatory diet, low grade inflammation may be at the root of everything from heart disease and diabetes to arthritis and Alzheimer's disease. Inflammation is the way the body's immune system responds to attack, injury or infection. Symptoms include swelling, pain, sometimes loss of movement or function and red coloration.

The immune system is a complex system of organs, tissues and specialized cells that protects the body from invasions by viruses, bacteria and allergens as well as harmful insiders such as infected cells and toxins. Autoimmune diseases are a result of the system turning on itself and damaging tissue and creating substances that result in chronic health conditions. Type 1 diabetes, arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus are all examples of autoimmune diseases.

The immune system response to an unhealthy diet can lead to this chronic inflammation. Although an anti-inflammatory diet cannot eradicate inflammation, it purportedly can reduce the inflammation that causes autoimmune disease.

Aren't there drugs that can do this? Yes, of course there are. That is what NSAIDs (NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are for. And they work; sort of. There are mixed reports on NSAIDs effect on inflammation. Some evidence shows that people on NSAIDs for long periods have a lower incidence of autoimmune disease. Other studies show that long term use can actually lead to cardiovascular problems.

What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet ?

Any food with refined sugar or white flour in it tends to be inflammatory. Fast foods, deep fried foods, fat and processed foods all are considered inflammatory. An anti-inflammatory diet would exclude these items and include fresh fruits and vegetables, Omega 3 oils such as found in salmon, and a minimum of red meat. In other words this diet is no different from what we have constantly been told is a healthy diet. There are popular diets that are good examples.

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  The DASH Diet...DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This diet consists of whole grains and grain products, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, low or non-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes with a very limited amount of fats and sweets.


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  The South Beach Diet...This diet boasts a life changing regimen that allows you to live contentedly without eating bad carbohydrate and fats. It works in three phases. Phase One lasts two weeks and consists of normal portions but all carbohydrates are restricted. In Phase Two some banned foods are introduced. This phase lasts until desired weight is reached. Phase Three is for maintenance and should be followed indefinitely.


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  The Mediterranean Diet...Key components of this diet include:
  
  Getting plenty of exercise and eating your meals with family and friends
  
  Eating a generous amount of fruits and vegetables
  
  Consuming healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
  
  Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
  
  Eating small portions of nuts
  
  Drinking red wine, in moderation, for some
  
  Consuming very little red meat
  
  Eating fish or shellfish at least twice a week
  
  This has proven to be one of the healthiest diets in the world.


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  The Zone Diet...Described by it's creator Barry Sears not a diet but a healthy, balanced lifestyle he says it can best be described as a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, moderate-fat diet that has approximately one gram of fat for every two grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates (The Zone Diet 1-2-3 Method). It is promoted as an anti-inflammatory diet .

Whether inflammation actually causes chronic diseases or merely accompanies them is probably not well established. However, like many preventable diseases, if inflammation can be controlled with a healthy diet, exercise, and a positively altered life style, isn't it worth a try?