The Anti-Inflammatory Eating Plan: A Life-Saving Diet
Recent research from Europe has found that adhering to an anti-inflammatory diet can lower your risk of dying from any cause, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Researchers came to this conclusion after following 68,273 Swedish men and women between the ages of 45 and 83 for 16 years. They reported that those who most closely followed an anti-inflammatory diet had an 18 percent lower risk of all causes of death, a 20 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, and a 13 percent lower risk of dying from cancer. They listed anti-inflammatory foods as fruits and vegetables, tea, coffee, whole grain breakfast cereals, low-fat cheese, olive oil and canola oil, nuts, chocolate and moderate amounts of red wine and beer. They categorized pro-inflammatory foods as processed and unprocessed red meat, organ meats, chips, and soft drinks. Study leader Joanna Kaluza of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences said her team’s analysis showed that even partial adherence to the anti-inflammatory diet may benefit health.
My take? This is encouraging news. In addition to reducing the chronic inflammation that influences the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as heart disease, cancer and other age-related disorders, following an anti-inflammatory diet is key to treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The diet is an evidence–based way of selecting and preparing foods that can help you achieve and maintain optimum health over your lifetime. You won’t miss out on good taste – the diet incorporates olive oil, herbs and spices, cooked Asian mushrooms (like shiitake, enoki, and maitake), as well as dark chocolate as an occasional sweet treat.
Source:
Joanna Kaluza et al, «Influence of anti-inflammatory diet and smoking on mortality and survival in men and women: two prospective cohort studies.” Journal of Internal Medicine, September 12, 2018; DOI: 10.1111/joim.12823
Also in this week’s bulletin:
