{"id":17656,"date":"2021-07-29T18:58:22","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T16:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neolifesalud.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/influencia-de-la-dieta-antiinflamatoria\/"},"modified":"2021-11-11T11:44:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T10:44:14","slug":"the-effects-of-an-anti-inflammatory-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neolifesalud.com\/en\/blog\/nutrition\/the-effects-of-an-anti-inflammatory-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"The Effects of an Anti-inflammatory Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Inflammation is the physiological response of the body to an infection or condition. But chronic inflammatory processes are involved in many health problems.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Chronic systemic inflammation is the leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases are all related to inflammation. Experimental research has shown that food components may have adequate anti-inflammatory effects and could reduce the risk of disease.<\/p>\n

Alejandro Monz\u00f3 – Neolife Nutrition Unit<\/em><\/p>\n

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50% of all deaths are attributable to inflammation-related diseases<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

Inflammation<\/strong> is the immune system’s response to injury or infection. An inflammatory process begins when chemical compounds are released by the damaged tissue, and, in response, white blood cells produce substances that cause cells to divide and grow to rebuild the tissue and help repair the injury (1). Chronic inflammation<\/strong> often begins with a similar cellular response; however, it develops into a persistent state<\/strong> over a much longer period of time.<\/p>\n

It may be caused by infections that do not go away, by abnormal immune reactions to tissues or by conditions such as obesity<\/strong>. Over time, oxidative stress<\/strong> resulting from inflammation may cause DNA damage and eventually lead to disease. Therefore, an anti-inflammatory diet consists of eating foods that prevent and reduce inflammation in our body (1,2).<\/p>\n

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Currently, our diet allows us to incorporate into our body foods with not only nutritional<\/b> but also protective properties<\/b>, like phytochemicals<\/b>, capable of reducing the risk of developing various pathological conditions, including inflammatory-based diseases. Experts at Harvard Medical School<\/i> point out that inflammation is an important underlying mechanism for the development of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes<\/b> and heart disease<\/b> (3).<\/p>\n

Among the factors that promote chronic inflammation, the current dietary profile of the general population stands out, characterized by a higher consumption of industrial foods<\/strong>, trans fats<\/strong>, salt<\/strong>, refined cereals<\/strong>, additives<\/strong>, and sugary drinks<\/strong>, together with a high consumption of alcohol<\/strong> and low consumption of fruits, vegetables and foods rich in dietary fiber (4,5). Decreasing the consumption of these pro-inflammatory foods and increasing the consumption of healthy, anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, and vegetables, especially leafy greens<\/strong>, may be effective in reducing these chronic diseases and associated mortality (4,5). This healthy diet should be accompanied by additional measures, such as avoiding smoking<\/strong>, alcohol<\/strong>, and chronic stress<\/strong>, combating overweight<\/strong>, and doing regular physical<\/strong> activity<\/strong> and exercise<\/strong> (2).<\/p>\n

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One of the long-term harmful elements of chronic inflammation is an acceleration of the oxidation processes of our cellular structures, which, in practice, is equivalent to accelerating their aging<\/strong>. The Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition<\/em> (SEEN) points out the importance of respecting the nocturnal fasting period within the wake-sleep cycle to prevent oxidation<\/strong> (6). Within the normal biological cycle, the human being alternates between periods in which food is ingested and processed with periods of fasting in which metabolic pathways change and balance. If we\u2019re always ingesting food, at night or throughout the day nonstop, the mechanisms of hormonal regulation of the metabolism are profoundly altered, since processing food means setting in motion the necessary oxidative processes<\/strong>. Therefore, the presence of antioxidant substances<\/strong> in certain foods can be a good defense strategy from a nutritional point of view.<\/p>\n

Food thus becomes a factor in the modulation of the inflammatory response. Phytochemicals<\/strong> present in food, in their original form or when metabolized, can form active metabolites and behave as intracellular messengers activating or inhibiting the expression of genes involved in inflammatory processes. Therefore, one of the diets that has this characteristic is the Mediterranean diet<\/strong>, rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts and healthy oils, which promotes the reduction of cardiovascular events, cancer, and chronic diseases (3,4,7).<\/p>\n

An anti-inflammatory diet<\/strong> offers benefits to all age groups of the population, regardless of their health or physiological condition (8). It requires eating more fresh<\/strong>, seasonal foods<\/strong> and avoiding processed foods<\/strong>. The goal is to eat foods rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and healthy fatty acids, especially omega-3, such as those presented below (3,5,7):<\/p>\n