Artemis Morris - Anti-Inflammatory Diet For Dummies

A major forgotten part of the immune system is the digestive tract. In fact, 80 percent of your immune system is found there. The digestive tract contains the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), a type of tissue that monitors and protects the body against pathogens (germs). There is a high concentration of GALT in the small intestine, where your food gets absorbed.

Due to oral tolerance, the GALT doesn’t respond to most foods you eat as foreign invaders. That’s why you don’t mount an immune system response to everything you eat. However, the GALT is the same part of the immune system that overreacts to food and mediates the hyperreactive immune response in food allergies, where the food is seen as an invader.

The intestines also offer a safe haven for beneficial bacteria, called the gut microbiome, which aid in digestion and occupy prime real estate so other, harmful microorganisms can’t move in. Dysbiosis is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Because many of its symptoms seem to be normal reactions to some foods, many people shrug off the condition. But if left untreated, it can turn into leaky gut syndrome, a major cause of disease.

Leaky gut syndrome is part of the mechanism that contributes to inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and thus, the rest of the body. Inflammation in the intestines disrupts the tight junctions, the glue that holds the cells of the intestines together in a self-contained tube. Most molecules are too big to fit through these junctions, so the only way for them to escape the intestines and enter the blood is to be ferried through the intestinal cells, from one side to the other. With inflammation, the junctions become too “leaky” and let things such as large food particles and bacteria out into the rest of the body, where the immune system can attack them (see Figure 1-1). In this way, leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal hyperpermeability, contributes to autoimmune disorders, joint pains, food allergies and sensitivities, neurodegenerative disease, and most chronic disease.

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FIGURE 1-1:With leaky gut syndrome, large particles can escape the digestive tract.

A lot of recent research has turned to the relationship between what people eat and how it affects their inflammation levels. Many foods common in most kitchens promote inflammation, and others have a noticeable diminishing effect on inflammation and may prevent it altogether.

In this section, we look at foods that can cause discomfort and how they’re linked to inflammation. We tell you how to restructure your diet long-term to maintain good health and help you avoid sometimes-hidden internal inflammation.

Creating an anti-inflammatory diet based on the foods your body accepts most helps you stay in good health while maintaining — or retaining — energy levels and ensuring you get an ample supply of vitamins and minerals.

Sometimes you may feel gassy or bloated or get a headache after eating, but have you ever stopped to think that it’s a specific food that’s causing those symptoms, and it very likely causes the same symptoms every time you eat it?

No one diet or menu works for everyone. Your needs are different from your neighbor’s and different still from those of the person who lives down the street. If you’re allergic to dairy products, it’s a safe bet that foods made with cow’s milk aren’t going to top your list of foods to eat. People with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities aren’t going to be eating a lot of breads or baked goods.

The first step in tailoring an anti-inflammatory diet is to determine which foods are good for you — which ones don’t cause you pain, bloating, gas, or other feelings of discomfort. Read the list of toxic foods (see Chapter 2) to determine which foods to avoid and create a menu that helps your body and also tastes good.

Inflammatory foods can create instant symptoms as well as long-term effects. What’s the damage in the long term? Inflammatory foods can speed the aging process, contribute to rheumatoid arthritis and other joint problems, and stimulate inflammation in a variety of ways (see Chapter 3).

Knowing which foods are inflammatory can be as simple as keeping a few general rules in mind. The less it looks like it did originally, and if you don’t know how it was produced, the more inflammatory it likely is. Whole grains such as bulgur, brown rice, and oats that haven’t been massively genetically modified, especially when complete with the germ and the entire grain kernel, look most like they do prior to harvest, are likely to be okay if prepared in a traditional manner.

Sometimes you can’t tell if your whole food has been tampered with, which is the case with many foods that aren’t organic or come from the supermarket rather than a local farm or your own backyard. For example, you may have an inflammatory reaction to a food because it was sprayed with a glyphosate or another toxic chemical to prepare it for harvest and prevent bugs from attacking it, such as is the case wheat and even many vegetables.

Glyphosates, a commonly used chemical in nonorganic agricultural production, can contribute to low-level inflammation and leaky gut in an otherwise healthy food. Whole, natural foods still contain many, if not all, of the vitamins and minerals they should have. Eating these foods is especially important for people with chronic diseases, genetic disorders, chronic stress, or metabolic disorders. These conditions increase the need for the vitamins and minerals that reduce inflammation and help the body work properly.

Splurging — or treating yourself — is okay now and then if you don’t have a chronic inflammatory disorder, but you should avoid certain inflammatory foods (see Chapter 4). Foods to avoid include high-omega-6 oils, such as those made from corn, safflower, sunflower, and cottonseed; inflammatory saturated fats from animal sources, as found in processed meats like bologna and hot dogs; trans fats; and refined sugars.

Striking the right nutritional balance is just as important as knowing which foods to eat. Make sure you’re getting the right amount of proteins, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, and other nutrients.

Creating an anti-inflammation diet is more than changing the foods you eat; it’s committing to a change in lifestyle to give you a healthier life. Here are a few areas of change that go hand-in-hand with the anti-inflammation diet:

Exercise at least 45 minutes three times a week.

Reduce stress and be mindful.

Relearn how to cook; if you’re fond of deep-fried foods or even battered vegetables cooked in oil, get used to eating a little differently.