{"id":104090,"date":"2025-12-29T20:56:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/104090\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T20:56:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:56:18","slug":"which-foods-can-reduce-inflammation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/104090\/","title":{"rendered":"Which foods can reduce inflammation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inflammation<\/a> is the body\u2019s response to injury and infection<\/a>. Without it, we would be defenseless against everything from bee stings and broken bones to food poisoning<\/a> and the common cold<\/a>.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

But many factors affect the body\u2019s inflammatory response, and diet<\/a> is just one of them. Depending on what you eat, your diet could either be causing or reducing inflammation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cInflammation is basically an immune response<\/a> to any kind of threat your body detects, like bacteria, toxins or allergens<\/a>,\u201d says Lindsey Wohlford, a wellness dietitian at MD Anderson. \u201cSometimes, food is the threatening agent<\/a> that causes your body to react.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why managing inflammation is important<\/p>\n

Inflammation can make existing illnesses<\/a> worse and raise your risk for several diseases, including cancer<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you already have arthritis or another chronic disease related to inflammation, for instance, eating inflammatory foods may trigger the symptoms. Or, if you have irritable bowel syndrome<\/a>, you could see an increase in bloating or intestinal pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, inflammation can cause cell damage<\/a> that increases your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease<\/a> and cancer,\u201d Wohlford says. \u201cMany cancers are thought to be triggered in response to inflammation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Foods that increase inflammation<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to manage inflammation, Wohlford suggests avoiding\u202fthe foods on the list below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trans fats<\/p>\n

Also called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats extend the shelf life of processed foods<\/a>. They also make your doughnuts airy and your French fries crisp. But these hydrogen-infused fats trigger inflammation, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saturated fats\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saturated fats are found in animal products<\/a> like meat<\/a> and cheese<\/a> \u2014 and even some plant-based products, like coconut oil.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Omega-6 fats\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Omega-6 fats are found in plant-based cooking oils like sunflower<\/a>, safflower, corn and soybean<\/a>. When consumed in large amounts, they may promote inflammation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carbohydrates\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carbohydrates<\/a> are a necessary part of a healthy diet. But refined carbs<\/a> that are low in fiber<\/a> and high in sugar<\/a> can cause weight gain<\/a> and promote inflammation. So, choose whole-grains<\/a> whenever possible, and skip the cake<\/a> and soda<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Red meat and processed meat<\/p>\n

Red meat includes cuts of beef, pork and lamb. Processed meat<\/a> describes products like hot dogs, lunch meats and sausage<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both red and processed meats are linked to inflammation and increased cancer risk<\/a>. The way you cook meat<\/a> can also increase your cancer risk. So, opt for fish<\/a> or plant-based proteins<\/a> like beans<\/a> instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Inflammation is the body\u2019s immune response to a threat.\u202f\u202f\u00a0
\nInflammation can make existing illnesses worse and raise your risk for several diseases, including cancer.\u202f\u00a0
\nYou can manage inflammation with your diet by limiting foods known to cause it and eating foods known to reduce it.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

Foods that reduce inflammation<\/p>\n

Avoiding inflammatory foods is a great start toward getting healthy. But Wohlford also suggests several foods that can pull double-duty \u2014 meaning they provide important nutrients and help reduce inflammation. Here are four of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Omega-3 fats\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

These fats are found in\u00a0flaxseed<\/a>,\u00a0walnuts<\/a>\u00a0and fatty fish like salmon. They are also found in olive and canola oils, which make healthier substitutes for sunflower, safflower, corn and soybean oils when cooking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vitamins C and E\u202f<\/p>\n

These are important nutrients that also fight inflammation. You can get more\u00a0vitamin C<\/a>\u00a0from\u202fcitrus fruits and green vegetables. To get more vitamin E, try\u00a0seeds<\/a>, nuts and\u00a0leafy greens<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Prebiotic foods\u202f<\/p>\n

These promote the growth of\u00a0good bacteria in your gut<\/a>.\u202fPrebiotic<\/a>\u202ffoods include artichokes, onions,\u00a0whole grains<\/a>, asparagus, leeks, garlic, sweet potatoes and legumes, such as peanuts and beans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Probiotic foods\u202f<\/p>\n

Probiotics\u202finclude fermented foods that contain healthy bacteria, such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and\u00a0kombucha<\/a>. But if you\u2019re going for yogurt, opt for plain and add your own fruit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The best way to reduce your risk through diet: variety<\/p>\n

There is no magic group of foods that will prevent cancer. But eating a variety of healthy foods like vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruit and lean proteins will reduce your risk for cancer and other diseases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLimit foods that come in bags, boxes and cans as much as possible,\u201d says Wohlford. \u201cThe more fresh, natural whole foods you consume, the better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online<\/a>\u00a0or call 1-877-632-6789.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Inflammation is the body\u2019s response to injury and infection. Without it, we would be defenseless against everything from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104091,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1145,1142,6636,56,58,57,13396,1148,2822],"class_list":{"0":"post-104090","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-caregivers","9":"tag-family-friends","10":"tag-healthy-living","11":"tag-houston","12":"tag-houston-headlines","13":"tag-houston-news","14":"tag-nutrition","15":"tag-patients","16":"tag-survivors"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}