Hi everyone and welcome back to another episode of Fresh Focus. I’m Megan, a dietetic intern at the VA in Marion. Today we are going to be talking about inflammation. Specifically, what it is and what contributes to it.

To start off this podcast, we’ll begin by defining inflammation, which fun fact means “to set on fire”. In simple terms, inflammation is the body’s protective response against injury, infection, stress, or foreign substances. This response can occur for a variety of reasons, such an acute injury or infection, or a health condition linked to chronic inflammation. Inflammation in the body can also occur due to obesity and unhealthy eating.

Another way to describe inflammation is to utilize the four pillars of inflammation, which is characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and heat.
• Redness caused by dilation of small blood vessels
• Swelling is caused by the accumulation of fluid outside the blood vessels
• Pain is caused by chemical substances, for example, prostaglandins
• Heat is caused by increase in blood flow

So, what causes chronic inflammation? A diet full of highly processed foods, high sugary foods, or typical junk foods is the number 1 contributor. Some examples would be bakery items, fast food, and lots of sugary drinks. Have you ever heard of a SAD diet or what some refer to as the standard American diet? The standard American diet is pretty much what I just described a few seconds ago. It is a diet that is full of highly processed, high sugar, high saturated, and trans-fat foods.

Now let’s dig a little deeper into the 9 contributors to a “pro inflammatory” lifestyle, in other words, the contributors that cause inflammation. The Standard American Diet that we just went over is the number one cause of inflammation, along with 9 other potential causes.

1. High-sugar foods: I know I mentioned this as a contributor a bit earlier, but that means it’s important, right? Consuming high-sugar foods will suppress your immune system for two to four hours after eating, therefore, causing your immune system to be less likely to detect and fight off foreign substances or illness. If you’re thinking ‘oh no my diet is full of high-sugar foods’, you’re not alone. According to the American Heart Association, the average American consumes about 77 grams of sugar per day! Over a year, that’s about 60 pounds of sugar, which is equivalent to six 10-pound bowling balls!

2. Unhealthy fat foods: These foods can cause inflammation in adipose tissue otherwise known as fat in the body (arthritis.org). This is especially true for foods with arachidonic acid, which can be found in cured meats and fats that are heated to high temperatures.

3. Foods that promote bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel: Foods that fit under this category would be simple sugars. For your reference, simple sugars are a type of carbohydrate that digests quickly and includes bakery items, juice, soda, and really any food item with added sugar. I know I mentioned both simple sugars and simple carbohydrates when describing this topic, so I want you to know that simple sugars and simple carbohydrates are the same thing and can be used interchangeably. Now let’s move onto the better source of energy, complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates take longer to digest and provide a more stable source of energy. Foods that fit into this category include apples, brown rice, spinach, and pears. In general, complex carbohydrates are mostly found in grains, nuts, and vegetables.

4. Insufficiency of fiber: Inadequate fiber consumption, can also cause inflammation. One of the purposes of fiber is to pull toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and remove them. For a visual representation, fiber acts like a broom and sweeps out the toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it is important to consume enough fiber to keep toxins out of your GI tract. Now you might be thinking “I’d love to keep toxins out of my body but how much fiber is enough?” According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the recommended daily amount of dietary fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men each day. Consuming this much fiber is considered enough, which will help to prevent those toxins we discussed earlier from staying in your GI tract. If you’re interested in learning more about fiber, be sure to listen to Tori’s Fresh Focus episode #22.

5. Insufficient phytonutrients: A phytonutrient is a substance that is found in certain plants and can be beneficial to human health and can help prevent various disease. Be sure to go back and listen to the previous episode to hear about a dietitian’s favorite phytonutrient fruit and vegetable sources. The key take away is that I want you to eat enough fruits and vegetables every day to get enough phytonutrients.

6. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies: Specifically vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies. Not getting enough vitamin D can cause inflammation, promote autoimmunity, and make the progression of osteoarthritis occur faster. Examples of foods with vitamin D include yogurt, egg yolks, cheese, oatmeal, and other food sources fortified with vitamin D. Magnesium deficiencies tend to be seen in 20-40% of most “industrialized” populations. Consuming enough fruits and vegetables per day should help you to avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies as they are typically found in these foods. Once again, for your reference, women should consume at least 1 ½ cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day. Men should consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 3 ½ cups of vegetables each day.

7. Fatty acid imbalances: Americans tend to consume a disproportionate ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids compared to Omega-3 fatty acids. This ratio can be an issue because excessive amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids can be pro-inflammatory. To combat inflammation, you want to be sure to include good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids into your diet. This can be through foods such as salmon, oysters, walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds. Omega-6 fatty acids that you want to try to avoid include trans-fats, fried foods, and foods with partially hydrogenated oils. Foods such as baked goods, frozen pizza, butter spreads, chips, crackers, and frozen foods fall into this category.

8. Insufficient exercise: Getting enough physical activity is effective in reducing adipose tissue, otherwise known as fat. Fat is pro-inflammatory, therefore, reducing the amount of fat in your body will reduce the amount of inflammation. As an FYI, exercise will acutely cause an increase in inflammation, but the body responds with beneficial adaptation. In the long run, this results in a net decrease in inflammation. Physical activity can also be helpful in reducing inflammation due to the release of a protein called interleukin 6, which plays a role in fighting inflammation. After hearing about exercise, you might be wondering what the recommended amount of exercise is. According to the American Heart Association, individuals should be getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as walking, jogging, riding a bike. If you are experiencing inflammation and pain, stay tuned for a later episode regarding exercise tips and inflammation.

9. Tobacco use and excessive alcohol use: These habits can also result in chronic inflammation. The toxic chemicals in tobacco, both smoke and smokeless tobacco, can damage the body’s cells and trigger an immune response of inflammation. Alcohol can also trigger an immune response of inflammation due to cell damage, as well as produce reactive oxygen species that can stimulate inflammation. Finally, the metabolism of alcohol result in lack of oxygen in tissues, therefore, causing inflammation.

So, like I said, those are the top 9 contributors to causing inflammation in the body. If you are looking to reduce inflammation, try out one or two of the suggestions before jumping into all 9 suggestions. Once you become comfortable and feel successful with one suggestion, then incorporate a new one into your lifestyle.

If you have any questions regarding what we discussed, please contact your clinic dietitian and he or she can answer your questions and/or provide more guidance. Thank you for listening in on this podcast! Please be sure to subscribe to the Fresh Focus podcast, rate the series, and leave a review. Have a great rest of your day.