Chronic inflammation may be behind some of the most debilitating illnesses and health conditions—and in many cases, your diet may be an active contributor. Knowing the signs your diet is causing inflammation can help you make the necessary adjustments and tweaks to your meals to reduce inflammation and associated symptoms, helping you feel better.
That said, just as the food you eat can promote inflammation that exacerbates existing health conditions, it’s not the only contributor. “It can be difficult to pinpoint diet as the sole cause of inflammation,” says Sapna Peruvemba, M.S., R.D.N., a plant-based registered dietitian nutritionist in Loma Linda, CA. “Many health conditions, including infection, autoimmune disease, and chronic conditions, can elevate inflammatory markers.”
Meet the experts: Sapna Peruvemba, M.S., R.D.N., a plant-based registered dietitian nutritionist in Loma Linda, CA; Destini Moody, R.D.N., C.S.S.D., L.D., a registered dietitian nutritionist at VNutrition; Jamie Baham, M.S., R.D.N., L.D., a cancer prevention dietitian at Ladybug Nutrition.
To determine if your diet is causing inflammation, the best thing to do is talk to your healthcare provider, especially if you are experiencing a handful of the symptoms below. “They can evaluate overall health, run appropriate tests, and help rule out underlying medical conditions,” says Peruvemba. Read on for the most common signs that your diet may be causing inflammation, plus easy tweaks that may help fight it.
Signs your diet might be causing inflammation
“People with a diet full of inflammatory foods may not see very profound symptoms,” says Destini Moody, R.D.N., C.S.S.D., L.D., a registered dietitian nutritionist at VNutrition. “This is why chronic inflammation is often called ‘the silent threat’ to long-term health.” Moody adds that in many cases, this is simply because you’ve been eating foods that contribute to inflammation for so long that you don’t even register that something is wrong. “You just accept the dysfunctions of your body as a default, or as a result of aging,” she says. But often this is not the case, and symptoms may be treated and potentially reversed. Here are the most common ones to watch for.
High blood pressure or cholesterol
High blood pressure and elevated triglyceride or cholesterol levels may be linked to inflammation, says Jamie Baham, M.S., R.D.N., L.D., a cancer prevention dietitian at Ladybug Nutrition. According to the American College of Cardiology, chronic, low-grade inflammation is strongly linked to the development and worsening of cardiovascular disease, as well as the development of high blood pressure in particular.
Joint pain or arthritis
“In research, a common symptom of inflammation is arthritis and joint pain. I have also seen this in my clients,” says Baham. “I’ve had multiple clients initially complain of inflammation, take my advice to increase fruit and vegetables in their diet while reducing added sugars, and then return celebrating reduced inflammation and pain.” According to UCLA Health, your joint pain may be caused by inflammation if you have multiple achy or painful joints at once, if your pain is relatively constant, and if it’s at its worst first thing in the morning.
Persistent fatigue and low energy
Moody says that while fatigue and low energy have a host of possible causes, inflammation caused by your diet may be one of them. Research in the journal Brain, Behavior, & Immunity–Health found a direct association between higher levels of inflammation and greater fatigue in older adults, suggesting that inflammation may be a stronger contributor to fatigue as you get older.
Digestive woes
“Constipation, diarrhea, and generally rough digestion could be signs of chronic inflammation from diet,” says Moody. Digestive symptoms may point to the presence of an inflammatory bowel disease, a condition that causes inflammation in the digestive tract, but they may be linked to chronic inflammation as well.
Frequent illness
If you get sick often, it may be another sign of inflammation caused by your diet, says Moody. Acute inflammation is a natural part of the immune system’s response to invaders, infection, and injury. But when inflammation becomes chronic, the immune system’s ability to respond effectively to invaders begins to weaken, which can damage the body’s tissues and increase the likelihood of illness.
Diet tweaks to fight inflammation
The good news: If your diet is in fact causing inflammation, making simple adjustments may help. The first step is reducing your intake of foods that cause inflammation. “Dietary patterns high in ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, fried foods, and red and processed meats have been linked with higher levels of inflammatory markers,” says Peruvemba. Baham adds that the foods that are lowest in fiber and highest in salt and sugar tend to be the most inflammatory.
The second step is increasing your intake of anti-inflammatory foods. These include antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods, as well as fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
If you’re experiencing some of the symptoms above but don’t want to call your doctor just yet, Moody suggests making some of these tweaks to your diet and seeing if you notice any changes. “If your symptoms still do not resolve, it would be a good idea to visit your doctor,” she adds, as there may be something else going on.
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