Inflammation occurs when the body responds to a threat. If you stub your toe, pain signals are sent to the brain, the immune system is alerted, and the body sets about repairing itself.
The same process happens when bacterial or viral infections invade the body – white blood cells flood the area to deal with the problem. Inflammation becomes an issue when this response continues without an actual injury or infection to address. White blood cells gather with nothing to repair, and can end up attacking healthy tissue instead, leading to chronic inflammation – an ongoing, low-grade immune response that can affect health over time. Diet is one major driver of chronic inflammation, but it isn't the only one – stress is a significant factor too, and worth understanding alongside dietary changes.
What Are the Symptoms of Inflammation?
Common signs of inflammation to watch out for include:
- Heartburn or chest-related discomfort
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Energy crashes and general fatigue
- Fever or flu-like symptoms
- Sores or rashes, particularly around the mouth
- Aches and pains throughout the body, especially in the joints and back
If you notice these symptoms persisting, it's worth discussing them with your GP. Chronic inflammation is often connected to diet, though it can have other underlying causes too.
What Foods Can Contribute to Inflammation?
If you're looking to reduce inflammatory triggers in your diet, a few food groups are worth paying particular attention to:
- Sugar. Whether from sweets, fruit juice, cakes or fizzy drinks, excessive sugar intake is one of the most well-established dietary contributors to inflammation. Artificial sweeteners aren't necessarily a safer substitute either, since the body can struggle to process some artificial substances.
- Refined carbohydrates. White bread, white rice, white pasta and refined flour can cause similar blood sugar spikes to sugar itself, with a comparable inflammatory effect.
- Trans fats. Not all fat is harmful – a moderate amount is essential – but artificial trans fats, commonly found in fast food, pre-packaged baked goods, margarine and processed ready meals, are worth minimising. Some dairy products also contain natural trans fats, so it's worth being mindful of overall intake.
- Processed and red meat. Processed meats in particular contain Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), which have been associated with increased inflammation. Red meat more generally is also worth moderating as part of a lower-inflammation diet.
- Alcohol. Excessive alcohol intake can contribute to gut inflammation. You don't need to avoid it entirely, but keeping intake moderate is worthwhile.
None of this means these foods need to be eliminated completely – the goal is to avoid making them a dietary cornerstone, not to cut them out entirely.
What Can You Eat Instead?
Reducing your intake of the foods above is a good starting point, but a broader shift in diet can help more, particularly if you're prone to chronic inflammation.
For snacking, flaxseeds, walnuts and almonds are useful inflammation-friendly options to reach for instead of processed snacks high in trans fats.
For something sweet, berries – particularly blueberries, blackberries and strawberries – are a good substitute, whether eaten on their own, as a dessert, or blended into a smoothie.
Natural fats also play a role. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, found in oily fish, can meaningfully support a lower-inflammation diet, and swapping some red meat for fish is a reasonable starting point. The Mediterranean diet is a well-established model for this kind of eating pattern. Swapping fried side dishes for leafy greens, and using extra virgin olive oil in place of standard vegetable oil, are both simple, sustainable changes.
On drinks, keeping alcohol within recommended limits, and swapping sugary soda for green tea or water, can also make a meaningful difference – along with being mindful of sugar added to tea and coffee.
What Are the Benefits of Reducing Dietary Inflammation?
Reducing chronic inflammation is linked to a number of potential health benefits.
One of the most significant is a reduced risk of musculoskeletal issues. Persistent inflammation is associated with muscular aches and stiffness, which if left unaddressed can contribute to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Better heart health is another well-established benefit, since chronic inflammation has been linked to increased risk of stroke and cardiac events, partly through its role in blood clot formation.
Inflammation has also been associated with increased risk in certain cancers and autoimmune conditions, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, though the relationship is complex and not the same as a direct cause.
If you're concerned about inflammation, it's worth speaking to your GP, who can run appropriate tests and advise on next steps. Depending on the underlying cause, treatment may include prescribed anti-inflammatory medication as well as dietary and lifestyle changes – it isn't accurate to say no medical treatment exists for it.
Inflammation is worth taking seriously rather than ignoring. Combined with appropriate dietary changes, it's often manageable, and doing so can support a healthier, more active day-to-day life. If you suspect a specific food is contributing to ongoing symptoms, a food intolerance test can help identify the trigger more precisely than diet alone.
