Diabetes Diet
The Top 11 Anti-Inflammatory Foods
No, it doesn’t mean you can toss your Aleve — these foods fight the invisible inflammation that silently threatens our health.
By Jack Challem
Chronic, low-grade inflammation almost always lurks beneath the surface of diabetes and excess weight. You can’t usually see or feel the damage, but this type of inflammation significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. Low-grade inflammation has also been linked to an increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Your doctor can measure it with the “high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,” or CRP, test.
Processed sugars and other high-glycemic starches increase inflammation,
just as they raise blood sugar, according to an article in the March 2002 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and many other drugs reduce inflammation, but they pose a risk of side effects and no doctor’s going to suggest taking these drugs on a regular basis because your CRP is elevated. However, many foods have anti-inflammatory benefits, and the only side effects are other stellar health benefits. Here are 10 of the best:
Salmon. Coldwater fish, including salmon, contain anti-inflammatory fats called omega-3s. Wild salmon has more of these super-healthy fats than does farmed salmon.
Shopping tip: All salmon from Alaska is wild, whereas Atlantic salmon is usually farmed. Herring, sardines, and tuna also contain omega-3s.
Grass-fed beef and other animal foods. As opposed to traditional, grain-fed livestock, meat that comes from animals fed grass also contains anti-inflammatory omega-3s, but in lower concentrations than coldwater fish. Free-range livestock that graze in pastures build up higher levels of omega-3s. Meat from grain-fed animals has virtually no omega-3s and plenty of saturated fat. Cooking tip: Unless it’s ground, grass-fed beef may be tougher, so slow cook it.
Olive oil. Olive oil is a great source of oleic acid, another anti-inflammatory oil. Researchers wrote in the October 2007 Journal of the American College of Nutrition that those who consume more oleic acid have better insulin function and lower blood sugar. Shopping tip: Opt for extra-virgin olive oil, which is the least processed, and use it instead of other cooking oils. Other “cold-pressed” or “expeller-pressed” oils can be good sources, too. >>NEXT: Read More About Anti-inflammatory Foods!>>