4 ms·

Are there any foods we can eat to lower inflammation in general?

bad_user 7y ago
The study was done on mice and the metabolism of mice is different from ours. In humans refined carbohydrates and hyper-processed food in general (which includes hyper-processed meat) contributes the most to inflammation.
- Aromasin 7y ago
  There's growing research to say that eating any meat (specifically red meat) increases inflammation. Among other things, it elevates levels of C-Reactive protein, which the liver makes when there is inflammation in the body.[1] Another studied suggests that meat intake increases levels of arachidonic acid, which is another mediator in inflammation and aging.[2] Those are just a couple of studies. There are plenty more where they came from. I highly suggest reading 'How Not to Die' by Dr. Michael Greger, to all those that are interested in way of reducing inflammation in the body. The book is incredibly well referenced, and a joy to read. [3] [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284436 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284436 [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28146136 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28146136 [3] https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically/dp/1250066115/&tag=httpwwwdrgreg-20?pldnSite=1 https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically/d...
  - bad_user 7y ago
    First of all, humans have been eating red meat for literally millions of years. Both those links are observational studies. The first link even admits that the association is weak. And the second link is a population-level study. Observational studies are important clues, but too weak to base conclusions on, as in such studies it's hard to isolate the variables. For example given that red meat has been a scare crow, you've got the "healthy user bias" [1], in other words the people that tend to eat red meat are also those that tend to engage in unhealthy activities like smoking, eating junk food or not exercising. Scientists of course try to take such factors into account, but that's really hard to do. Also such science is reductionist because it uses markers that may or may not have an impact on all cause mortality on or the quality of life, as such markers need to be read in context (often in relation to other markers). And since you mentioned "arachidonic acid", its rise isn't necessarily unhealthy. Here's an article that debunks the notion that red meat is inflammatory: https://chriskresser.com/does-red-meat-cause-inflammation/ https://chriskresser.com/does-red-meat-cause-inflammation/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_user_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_user_bias
    - Aromasin 7y ago
      “For example, the traditional diet of the Masai was composed almost entirely of red meat, blood, and milk – all high in Neu5Gc – yet they were free from modern inflammatory diseases. (7)” I get why people keep trying to fall back on Price’s research into the Masai, but I’m afraid it’s misleading. The Masai actually had significant rates of atherosclerosis, they just didn’t die from it, at least not the ones that otherwise lived long enough to matter. [1] To say that article 'debunks' it is disingenuous regardless. It is simply a counter-argument in article form; part of a debate that could well be retorted by someone more intelligent than myself (I'm sure Greger could give it a good rebuttal). I think we can all agree that the best way to reduce inflammation is simply to exercise. It's been shown time and time again. By using the Masai as an ideal, we're simply looking at healthy user bias but in reverse. Justifying meat consumption with a tribal population that often runs marathons to catch said meat is baffling to me; it is not an excuse to dismiss a vast amount of research, both observational and otherwise. I've latched on to meat and its markers of inflammation because it's relevant to the OP topic, but if we're going down the route of history, really we should be basing diet on our genetic biomarkers. "First of all, humans have been eating red meat for literally millions of years." should really be "First of all, small populations of certain humans have been eating red meat for literally millions of years." From my studies on ancestral human eating patterns, it seems that most were almost entirely vegetarian, and may have only eaten meat during celebrations a few times in a year. Scientific American had a great article on the topic [3]. To quote a favoured read of mine, "Human gene variants promoting veggie-rich and meat-rich diets are still distributed among modern humans. They fall into patterns one might expect given modern cultural dietary traditions. A gene variant that promotes conversion from plant based dietary food sources to omega 3 and 6 fats necessary for brain development is found more often in India, where many people are vegetarian. A different variant that slows this conversion is found among arctic people who eat a fish-heavy diet already very rich in these fats, according to a recent Cornell study." [2] This is why nutrition science is so difficult. However, I still believe that with the modern human exercising a little as we do - even 2 hours 7 days a week, a massive amount to us now unless you're an athlete, is very little compared to our meat eating ancestors - that a need for a plant based diet is higher than ever, and that applies to everyone. [1] http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/95/1/26.abstract http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/95/1/26.abstract [2] https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/03/30/why-humans-started-eating-meat-critical-diet/ https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/03/30/why-humans-sta... [3] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/human-ancestors-were-nearly-all-vegetarians/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/human-ancest...
hudbuddy 7y ago
I have been researching this as a hobby for several months now and have landed on a few "truths" which I will hold dear to me. - The average human needs far more Omega-3 and far less Omega-6. Supplements of Omega-3 have been proven to help with inflammation (and heart disease, et al). - Supplementing Omega-3 through fish oil or algae oil, etc. is proven to be effective, in a world where often times supplementation is not a substitute for diet. - The Western world is less enraptured by spices and vegetables that are proven to reduce inflammation. I know this addresses your question, but does not answer it - there are many foods of this category. Turmeric, ginger, and maqui come to mind. This is one of many considerations for our higher prevalence of heart disease. - Supplementing extracts of anti-inflammatory/antioxidant plants has been shown to improve oxidative status in controlled studies. - Diets low in carbohydrates have been shown to reduce inflammation. ^ I would share links, but I have hundreds of bookmarks and I wouldn't really know where to begin. I'd suggest just starting with searches on Pubmed or other scientific bodies and letting your exploration grow organically. It's a bit of a journey of understanding, and a whole lot of "what seems to make sense". Much of this stuff can not be proven except through trial - the fact of the matter is that there are too many intricacies, unless you care to devote your life to understanding it. There are sure to be a lot of surprises in terms of what we have taken as truths, along with their dubious conceptions. You might find studies that are counter to what I've stated, or it might be that your body composition doesn't respond as impactfully to these things as mine has. I am open entirely open to the idea that there are misfires in much of the research I have held dear. Only within the past few years has there been a concerted push toward studies on low-carb diets and the effects of inflammation, but they generally seem to point to these very important truths. I am crusading a bit because I've been struggling with depression and anxiety my entire life - it took 27 years for me to consider that my diet might be the culprit, and with these changes I have an entirely new outlook on life. I understand that not everyone has these battles, and so do not need to seek these solutions. But for those that do or must, it's been such a dramatic shift that I hope they will find hope in a possibility, that through research they can find a solution of their own. I never imagined that my mental health could be so influenced by my diet. As they say (and which I never truly acknowledged): Your gut is a second brain.
mmerlin 7y ago
turmeric, ginger, basil, sage, rosemary

The study was done on mice and the metabolism of mice is different from ours. In humans refined carbohydrates and hyper-processed food in general (which includes hyper-processed meat) contributes the most to inflammation.

Aromasin 7y ago
There's growing research to say that eating any meat (specifically red meat) increases inflammation. Among other things, it elevates levels of C-Reactive protein, which the liver makes when there is inflammation in the body.[1] Another studied suggests that meat intake increases levels of arachidonic acid, which is another mediator in inflammation and aging.[2] Those are just a couple of studies. There are plenty more where they came from. I highly suggest reading 'How Not to Die' by Dr. Michael Greger, to all those that are interested in way of reducing inflammation in the body. The book is incredibly well referenced, and a joy to read. [3] [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284436 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284436 [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28146136 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28146136 [3] https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically/dp/1250066115/&tag=httpwwwdrgreg-20?pldnSite=1 https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically/d...
- bad_user 7y ago
  First of all, humans have been eating red meat for literally millions of years. Both those links are observational studies. The first link even admits that the association is weak. And the second link is a population-level study. Observational studies are important clues, but too weak to base conclusions on, as in such studies it's hard to isolate the variables. For example given that red meat has been a scare crow, you've got the "healthy user bias" [1], in other words the people that tend to eat red meat are also those that tend to engage in unhealthy activities like smoking, eating junk food or not exercising. Scientists of course try to take such factors into account, but that's really hard to do. Also such science is reductionist because it uses markers that may or may not have an impact on all cause mortality on or the quality of life, as such markers need to be read in context (often in relation to other markers). And since you mentioned "arachidonic acid", its rise isn't necessarily unhealthy. Here's an article that debunks the notion that red meat is inflammatory: https://chriskresser.com/does-red-meat-cause-inflammation/ https://chriskresser.com/does-red-meat-cause-inflammation/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_user_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_user_bias
  - Aromasin 7y ago
    “For example, the traditional diet of the Masai was composed almost entirely of red meat, blood, and milk – all high in Neu5Gc – yet they were free from modern inflammatory diseases. (7)” I get why people keep trying to fall back on Price’s research into the Masai, but I’m afraid it’s misleading. The Masai actually had significant rates of atherosclerosis, they just didn’t die from it, at least not the ones that otherwise lived long enough to matter. [1] To say that article 'debunks' it is disingenuous regardless. It is simply a counter-argument in article form; part of a debate that could well be retorted by someone more intelligent than myself (I'm sure Greger could give it a good rebuttal). I think we can all agree that the best way to reduce inflammation is simply to exercise. It's been shown time and time again. By using the Masai as an ideal, we're simply looking at healthy user bias but in reverse. Justifying meat consumption with a tribal population that often runs marathons to catch said meat is baffling to me; it is not an excuse to dismiss a vast amount of research, both observational and otherwise. I've latched on to meat and its markers of inflammation because it's relevant to the OP topic, but if we're going down the route of history, really we should be basing diet on our genetic biomarkers. "First of all, humans have been eating red meat for literally millions of years." should really be "First of all, small populations of certain humans have been eating red meat for literally millions of years." From my studies on ancestral human eating patterns, it seems that most were almost entirely vegetarian, and may have only eaten meat during celebrations a few times in a year. Scientific American had a great article on the topic [3]. To quote a favoured read of mine, "Human gene variants promoting veggie-rich and meat-rich diets are still distributed among modern humans. They fall into patterns one might expect given modern cultural dietary traditions. A gene variant that promotes conversion from plant based dietary food sources to omega 3 and 6 fats necessary for brain development is found more often in India, where many people are vegetarian. A different variant that slows this conversion is found among arctic people who eat a fish-heavy diet already very rich in these fats, according to a recent Cornell study." [2] This is why nutrition science is so difficult. However, I still believe that with the modern human exercising a little as we do - even 2 hours 7 days a week, a massive amount to us now unless you're an athlete, is very little compared to our meat eating ancestors - that a need for a plant based diet is higher than ever, and that applies to everyone. [1] http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/95/1/26.abstract http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/95/1/26.abstract [2] https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/03/30/why-humans-started-eating-meat-critical-diet/ https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/03/30/why-humans-sta... [3] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/human-ancestors-were-nearly-all-vegetarians/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/human-ancest...

hudbuddy 7y ago

I have been researching this as a hobby for several months now and have landed on a few "truths" which I will hold dear to me. - The average human needs far more Omega-3 and far less Omega-6. Supplements of Omega-3 have been proven to help with inflammation (and heart disease, et al). - Supplementing Omega-3 through fish oil or algae oil, etc. is proven to be effective, in a world where often times supplementation is not a substitute for diet. - The Western world is less enraptured by spices and vegetables that are proven to reduce inflammation. I know this addresses your question, but does not answer it - there are many foods of this category. Turmeric, ginger, and maqui come to mind. This is one of many considerations for our higher prevalence of heart disease. - Supplementing extracts of anti-inflammatory/antioxidant plants has been shown to improve oxidative status in controlled studies. - Diets low in carbohydrates have been shown to reduce inflammation. ^ I would share links, but I have hundreds of bookmarks and I wouldn't really know where to begin. I'd suggest just starting with searches on Pubmed or other scientific bodies and letting your exploration grow organically. It's a bit of a journey of understanding, and a whole lot of "what seems to make sense". Much of this stuff can not be proven except through trial - the fact of the matter is that there are too many intricacies, unless you care to devote your life to understanding it. There are sure to be a lot of surprises in terms of what we have taken as truths, along with their dubious conceptions. You might find studies that are counter to what I've stated, or it might be that your body composition doesn't respond as impactfully to these things as mine has. I am open entirely open to the idea that there are misfires in much of the research I have held dear. Only within the past few years has there been a concerted push toward studies on low-carb diets and the effects of inflammation, but they generally seem to point to these very important truths. I am crusading a bit because I've been struggling with depression and anxiety my entire life - it took 27 years for me to consider that my diet might be the culprit, and with these changes I have an entirely new outlook on life. I understand that not everyone has these battles, and so do not need to seek these solutions. But for those that do or must, it's been such a dramatic shift that I hope they will find hope in a possibility, that through research they can find a solution of their own. I never imagined that my mental health could be so influenced by my diet. As they say (and which I never truly acknowledged): Your gut is a second brain.

mmerlin 7y ago

turmeric, ginger, basil, sage, rosemary