At its best, inflammation is a normal and necessary part of getting through life.
When you exercise, for instance. Sore muscles can be a sign you are repairing and strengthening yourself.
When your body is fighting a virus, you get a fever. Higher temperature is an indication that immune cells are being activated while at the same time making it more difficult for unwanted bacteria to replicate and make more trouble.
These are examples of good inflammation. Chronic inflammation, however, can come with long-term, sometimes permanent damage to your health. Symptoms include fatigue that doesn’t go away, body pain all over and digestive problems.
The list of major diseases and conditions where chronic inflammation can be a factor is long and familiar. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, depression and dementia are just a few of the disorders that can be connected to chronic inflammation.
Sarah Hamad, M.D., is a board-certified internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician at Sanford Thief River Falls Clinic in Minnesota who applies longevity-focused lifestyle principles in her practice. She can help patients find ways to prevent or minimize the negative impact inflammation can have on your quality of life.
“Inflammation is a natural physiologic response by which our body defends and repairs itself,” Dr. Hamad said. “When the inflammation becomes chronic, however, it causes a low-grade dysfunction process that leads to chronic diseases. Chronic inflammation is not as benign as some might think. Unlike good inflammation, it’s not just about soreness or not feeling well. It can carry many other consequences.”
What causes chronic inflammation?
Some of the causes of chronic inflammation are largely outside our control. Your genetic makeup is inherited from your parents, with prenatal care and the environment you grew up in also influencing your long-term health early in life.
There are factors we can determine on our own, however. Dr. Hamad offers expertise that can steer you toward a best-practices plan that can reduce the ways chronic inflammation can affect your health.
There are many lifestyle guidelines that can improve your health, but a healthy diet can be a smart place to start.
“When I meet with patients, I try to meet them where they’re at,” Dr. Hamad said. “Then we try to implement one thing at a time and make it sustainable.”
Which foods are anti-inflammatory?
- Fruits and vegetables have substances that may help fight inflammation. They should make up about half of every meal. Sample the whole rainbow of colorful fruits and veggies. Good choices include blueberries, cherries, strawberries, broccoli, kale, spinach, carrots, and onions.
- Whole grains are linked to lower levels of inflammation than refined or processed grain foods. Choose a variety of whole grains. Examples are brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, and whole grain cereal and pasta.
- Fish are rich in inflammation-fighting fats called omega-3 fatty acids. That’s especially true of certain fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, anchovies, herring, mackerel, and sardines. Aim to eat about two 4-ounce servings of fish per week.
- Lean protein foods don’t contain much saturated fat — a type of fat that may promote inflammation. Fish are a great choice. Other good options include beans, tofu, skinless chicken and turkey, and leaner cuts of beef and pork.
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy products are also lower in saturated fat than the full-fat versions. Examples are low-fat milk and nonfat yogurt.
- Healthy fats have a different effect than saturated fat. In fact, they may help lower inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, and walnuts. Monounsaturated fat is found in avocados, peanut butter, many nuts, and some plant oils (such as olive and avocado).
- Fresh herbs and spices give these healthy foods a flavor boost. Some, such as ginger and turmeric, might help reduce inflammation, too.
Which foods contribute to inflammation?
Some substances in foods increase the risk for long-term health problems. One way they may do this is by promoting chronic inflammation. Limit the substances below.
- Saturated fat is found in foods such as fatty cuts of beef and pork, whole milk, cheese, cream, butter, and lard. Many fried foods and baked goods are also high in this type of fat. Some tropical oils also contain saturated fat, such as palm and coconut oils.
- Trans fats were previously found in a wide range of processed foods before the FDA banned partially hydrogenated oils as of Jan. 1, 2021. For example, they were used in many brands of cookies, crackers, doughnuts, shortening and stick margarine. They may still be found in foods manufactured or purchased before the ban or in some fried foods. Small amounts of trans fats are also naturally present in some dairy or meat products. But there are not enough studies to know if they have the same effect as artificial trans fats or not.
- Refined grains are found in white breads, tortillas, and pasta, white rice, baked goods made with refined (white) flours, and many breakfast cereals.
- Added sugars are found in non-diet soft drinks, fruit drinks, desserts, ice cream, sweetened yogurt, fruit spreads, and sugary cereals.
- Excessive alcohol may also increase inflammation. That’s defined as more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women.
Promoting energy with better habits
Chronic inflammation and the accompanying discomfort can divert energy needed to sustain how you function. This can lead to things like fatigue, brain fog, hormonal imbalance and accelerated aging – sometimes accompanied by depression, anxiety and poor sleep.
Dr. Hamad often encourages her patients to take the lead in improving their own physical and mental health. That can mean re-balancing immune responses via sustainable daily habits rather than quick fixes.
“We will have patients come in here and say, ‘I did everything and nothing is working,’” Dr. Hamad said. “Then I’ll ask, ‘Well, what did you do?’ And they will tell me they are eating better and they’re moving more but they’re not losing weight. Then I’ll ask them if they’re feeling better and they will say they are and they’ll tell me they’re sleeping better.”
Dr. Hamad will then ask them if they’re empowered by that. “Yes,” will be the reply. She will tell the patient it’s not so much about losing pounds as it is living healthier, something that they are clearly accomplishing.
“It’s best to choose baby steps you can sustain rather than extremes we will never maintain,” she said. “When we try to go to those extremes, we can hurt ourselves. Then we might end up weighing even more. We talk a lot about the concept of smart goals with patients. Focus on things that are specific, measurable, achievable and realistic.”
Finding your strength
Building an anti-inflammatory lifestyle can take time and may not always be intuitive. A treatment strategy that focuses on a patchwork of prescription and over-the-counter medicines to reduce inflammation symptoms might not be the best way to feel better, Dr. Hamad said.
Likewise, a patient’s decision to dwell on specific weaknesses and expect to eliminate them doesn’t always work out.
“I love to talk about positive psychology,” Dr. Hamad said. “Find your purpose, volunteer, participate, give back to your community. … Find your strengths and utilize them.”
In support of the benefits of staying engaged in your community, Dr. Hamad cites Malcolm X’s well-known quote: “When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we,’ even illness becomes wellness.”
“As doctors we will sometimes think about psychology only in terms of depression and anxiety,” she said. “In a positive way, let’s talk about how to improve their own mental health. Things like daily gratitude, journaling, positive affirmations, meditation, prayers – we were forbidden in medicine to talk about spirituality for a long time, but it can be a very crucial part of life.”
Getting help
Sanford Health provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to treat inflammation that can reduce swelling, alleviate pain, and improve function. If you’re not feeling like yourself, it’s best to start by contacting a Sanford Health provider.
Learn more
- A healthy diet: Your first line of defense against disease
- Is it aging? Gut health symptoms you shouldn’t ignore
- You don’t have to be tired: Fatigue is treatable
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Posted In Family Medicine, Healthy Living, Internal Medicine, Nutrition, Thief River Falls
