09/15/2024
Having higher levels of C-reactive protein in your blood may increase your risk of dying prematurely by 42 percent. Those with the highest levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), another marker of inflammation, may increase premature death risk by 49 percent. What can we do to lower these levels?
The most pro-inflammatory food component is saturated fat, which is found in meat, dairy, eggs, and junk, along with other pro-inflammatory food components like cholesterol and trans fat.
The most anti-inflammatory food component is fiber. It appears that an increase of just 10 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories would equate to four fewer years of cellular aging. Now, of course, diets high in fiber and diets with significant amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains go hand in hand. So, fiber just may be a marker of eating lots of whole, healthy plant foods.
Anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments that give berries those bright red, blue, and purple colors, have been demonstrated in dozens of randomized controlled trials to reduce inflammation.
Half a dozen studies combined show that pomegranates, a fruit packed with anthocyanin pigments, can bring down inflammation over time. Turmeric, garlic powder, and ginger powder were also found to reduce IL-6. Antioxidant supplements, specifically vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium, as well as turmeric supplements, however, provided no benefit for reducing markers of inflammation.
How else can we bring down inflammation? When individuals switched to strictly plant-based nutrition, their diets flipped to become anti-inflammatory. Not all plant-foods are anti-inflammatory, though. If all you do is boost your intake of less healthy plant foods, like juice, white bread, white potatoes, soda, and cake, you can end up with more inflammation. A really clean diet of whole plant foods can significantly reduce levels of Lp(a) (which we didn’t even think was possible with diet), as well as drop LDL cholesterol. It can also reduce levels of inflammatory markers. We’re talking about a 30 percent drop in C-reactive protein and a 20 percent drop in IL-6. Cutting down on both animal products and processed foods may be the most effective dietary strategy to combat inflammation.
How Not to Age is out now! Borrow a copy from your local library or order one today: https://buff.ly/48XNwiN
Watch the videos “Which Foods Are Anti-Inflammatory?” at https://buff.ly/33YvZLW and “What to Eat to Prevent Telomere Shortening” at https://buff.ly/4ctCFQA. Learn more about anti-inflammatory diets at https://buff.ly/3Qoa1XT.
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