Food, as we all know, is the basic necessity for all living beings, it provides nourishment for the functioning and proper working of our body, but their can be some food items that can prove to be barrier in our body’s functioning, making our body sensitive and prone to infections by triggering inflammation!
You may have come across the word ‘INFLAMMATION’ many times, but do you know what actually inflammation is?
What is inflammation?
To be more precise, inflammation is the way your body responds to some of the irritants like bacteria and viruses and other microbes. To kill these foreign organisms our body produces substances called antibodies which target these foreign species that results in redness, rash and pain on the affected part. In chronic Inflammation your body loses it’s power to fight back diseases reducing the immunity. According to some Nutritionists, food can also cause inflammation, but not every food triggers inflammation. If you eat a diet rich in macro and micro nutrients then their are lesser chances of you getting inflammation.
So, if your daily diet is loaded with any of the following nutrients then their are high chances that you may trigger inflammation.
1. Fried Foods
Those French fries and chicken wings may taste delicious and be irresistible, but they can cause inflammation.
Fried foods have the tendency to produce advanced glycation end products, commonly called as AGEs. These compounds are directly known to stimulate inflammation in the body.
Consuming too much fried food on the daily basis will not just make you fat and obese but it will also increase the inflammatory protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) in your body. So, next time when you overdo the fried foods just think of how your body will be affected with it.
2. Sugar
Well, it’s not a surprise, because too much sugar not only weakens the immunity but also triggers inflammation, especially refined sugar is the most harmful.
Sugar is known to stimulate the production of free fatty acids in the liver. When the body digests these fatty acids, the resulting compounds which are formed can trigger inflammatory processes in the body.
Sugars are basically only empty calories that contain zero nutritional value. The main reason behind why inflammation and swelling happens after eating too much sugar is because of fructose, as it affects the insulin levels in your body which disrupts the whole hormonal balance.
3. Alcohol
If you are in a habit of frequently consuming alcohol, then you should know that you are consuming empty calories that have zero nutrients in it. These calories are not absorbed in your body and they directly converts into fat. Also alcohol have a direct impact on your liver, due to which inflammation rises in the body and you feel stiffness and pain in your muscles.
Recent researches suggest that alcohol causes inflammation in the intestines and interferes in the body’s ability to regulate that inflammation. That results in worsened inflammation plus alcohol-related organ damage. Ultimately, excessive drinking can have serious effects for long term health.
4. Pizzas and Pasta
When on table, we can’t resist that extra cheesy pizza or that yummy pasta. But apart from giving us a delicious taste, it adversely affects our health, if you keep on eating them frequently.
Pizzas and Pastas are basically refined carbohydrates which are high in calories. According to a research published in the Journal Scientific American, refined carbs contain a really high glycemic index. If you eat them occasionally and in moderate amount, then their is no harm, But if you are allergic to gluten or eat them too much, then it increases the production of advanced glycation end (AGE) products that is known to stimulate inflammation in your body.
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Additives and artificial sweeteners are some compounds that our body cannot process, so artificial substances such as aspartame and mono-sodium glutamate may trigger an immune response in our body. Aspartame, the most common artificial sweetener is a known neurotoxin that the body frequently ‘attacks’ therefore causing inflammation.
Artificial sweeteners are known to mess up with your gut health by disrupting the composition and decreasing levels of the good bacteria called Bacteroides. These are the bacteria which are known to have control over the inflammation activity in your body.
So, be cautious of eating too much of these food items. If someone has chronic illness or autoimmune disease like arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, etc. then that person must avoid all of these foods as it can make the disorder worsen. Eat wisely!
For more information on this topic, watch this video.
