Chronic Inflammation: The Importance of Dietary Changes

By Erin Peisach, RD, LDN and William Rollow, MD

In the past month, we have seen many patients in our clinical practice who presented with a variety of symptoms, including pain, lack of energy, nausea, and irritability.  In conventional medicine, these symptoms often are evaluated independently with diagnostic tests for specific diseases, and many such patients have hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, migraines, etc.  In an integrative approach, we look at the whole person and for underlying issues that are capable of affecting multiple organ systems.  As a result of the comprehensive assessment, many times we suspect that the person has triggered a chronic inflammatory state.  

Inflammation is the process by which the body protects and heals itself in response to infectious, traumatic, or toxic insults.  Acute inflammation can be highly beneficial and necessary, although it may cause symptoms that are unpleasant—pain, swelling, fever, etc.  When the inflammation becomes chronic, however, these and related symptoms also become chronic, and the inflammation may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and other chronic illnesses.

Chronic inflammation results from persistence of the initial insult (e.g., infection or toxicity), but are also highly influenced by dietary and lifestyle factors.  Diet promotes chronic inflammation in several ways:
     • Sugar or high glycemic foods increase insulin and lead to obesity; fat cells make inflammatory             mediators
     • Saturated fats or inadequate intake of omega 3 fats promote inflammation
     • Foods that one is sensitive to, or that leak through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream                   cause inflammatory reactions 

In addition to diet, chronic stress, lack of physical activity, and poor sleep are controllable lifestyle factors that negatively impact the body’s inflammatory response.  Here are some tips to heal and prevent chronic inflammation in your body:

Work it out:  Exercise can be helpful in managing stress, improving sleep quality, and burning calories to promote weight loss.   150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week is recommended for those who have no medical contraindications.

Shop the perimeter:  Consuming a diet with excessive amounts of sugar and simple carbohydrates, hydrogenated and damaged oils, caffeine, and alcohol also promote chronic inflammation.  Purchasing from the perimeter of the grocery store is one useful strategy for avoidance—most packaged and shelf-stable foods found in the aisles of the grocery store contain potentially harmful ingredients. Conversely, food that comes from the produce, meat, seafood, deli, and dairy departments typically provides more nutrient-dense, less processed options. 

Embrace an “anti-inflammatory diet”:  Not only is it vital to avoid foods that cause inflammation, but it is also important to consume adequate anti-inflammatory foods and nutrients. Consume adequate omega 3 fatty acids from foods like wild salmon, sardines, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. Monounsaturated fatty acids from avocados, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and macadamia nut oil are also important to control inflammation.  Consume a variety of organic, local and fresh vegetables and fruits such as dark leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables.  Eating at least 6 to 12-cups per day ensures the diet is plentiful in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Cook your food with herbs and spices like ginger, rosemary, and turmeric to additionally boost its anti-inflammatory power. Lastly, it is crucial to identify and eliminate all foods that may promote an adverse food reaction (i.e. allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance). Common trigger foods include dairy, gluten, soy, and peanuts. 

One small change at a time:  Whether you “feel it” or not, inflammation is occurring inside us all. Making just one small change at a time will help you to achieve long, lasting change in the long run. Pick one aspect of your life that may cause inflammation and make a change today. Add in an extra vegetable serving at dinner to replace the usual starch.  Go to bed an extra hour early so you can attain at least 7-hours of sleep. Use garlic and rosemary on your chicken at dinner time and place it on top of a bed of spinach.  

Making changes can be hard, but they can have huge benefits for people with chronic inflammatory diseases.  The University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine clinic specializes in helping people make healthy changes.  To get help, talk with a practitioner or make an appointment directly with Erin Peisach, the clinic’s Registered Dietitian, by calling 410-448-6361 or emailing CIMClinicInfo@som.umaryland.edu.