TOMATOES. AUBERGINES. BELL Peppers. what do all these vegetables have in common? If you guessed they all caused inflammationyou would be wrong
Sure, many celebrities who claim to follow an anti-inflammatory diet avoid foods like nightshades. Tom Bradyfor example, you supposedly don’t eat (or didn’t eat at some point) tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants because they supposedly trigger inflammation.
The truth is, “there is absolutely no science to show that the nightshade family has any impact on inflammation,” says Leslie Bonci, RD, MPH, a nutrition consultant for the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, she says, “all of these foods have phytonutrients that are anti-inflammatory.”
so what exactly are anti-inflammatory foods? Simply put, anti-inflammatory foods help fight inflammation. But to understand that, you’ll first need to learn what exactly inflammation is.
Inflammation is seemingly responsible for just about everything these days. Joint pain. Heart disease. Depression. But the truth is that inflammation is not always a bad thing. In small doses, it can actually help protect you from injury and infection.
When you cut your finger, for example, your immune system is activated by sending inflammatory cells to the injured area. These cells then begin the healing process, causing pain, swelling, and redness in the meantime. This is called “acute” (or short-term) inflammation.
The real problem occurs when the immune system keeps sending inflammatory cells throughout the body, even when there are no external threats. For example, people with arthritis experience chronic (or long-term) inflammation in their joint tissues that can damage the joints over time. And chronic inflammation has been linked to more than just arthritis. It may also play a role in causing or worsening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and depression, among others.
What causes all this long-term inflammation to occur? Sometimes the inflammation is caused by diseases; other times it is caused by pollution. But our diet, exercise regimen, and lifestyle habits can also trigger, or help alleviate, inflammation. That’s where an anti-inflammatory diet comes in. By eating anti-inflammatory foods, we can help counteract inflammation in our bodies, allowing us to heal faster and live longer.
What can you eat on an anti-inflammatory diet?
An anti-inflammatory diet consists mainly of plants and some fatty fish. Plant foods are not only rich in antioxidants, they also contain compounds called flavonoids, which can help block the release of certain inflammatory cells, based on a 2016 review.
Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and bluefin tuna, are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which, according to research published in the journal PLUS ONEthey have been shown to reduce the levels of three markers of inflammation in the blood: C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6 (interleukin-6), and TNF-a (tumor necrosis factor alpha).
Some studies also show that foods like tart cherry juice and tart cherries, as well as ginger root, turmeric and saffron may have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, says Bonci.
Of course, if you want to follow an anti-inflammatory diet, you’ll also need to eliminate foods that have been shown to increase inflammation—meaning foods that stimulate certain enzymes in the body that cause inflammation, says Bonci. That list, however, is relatively short. (And no, nightshades aren’t in it.)
Research shows that “the only foods that can trigger inflammation are large amounts of sugar and trans fats,” says Bonci. There’s no good science to show that eating dairy, meat, or gluten (unless you have celiac disease) can trigger inflammation, she says.
All it takes is one look at the anti-inflammatory diet—eating mostly plant-based foods and fatty fish, and not eating processed foods high in sugar and trans fat—and the benefits are self-explanatory. Even so, some research has confirmed many of them.
for example, one 2018 study in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that people who ate an anti-inflammatory diet were more likely to live longer than those who did not. Other investigations has found that those who ate more pro-inflammatory diets had a higher risk of heart disease. There’s even some evidence showing that an anti-inflammatory diet can help control conditions like arthritis, according to the arthritis foundation.
How to follow an anti-inflammatory diet
There is no established “anti-inflammatory diet”; the diet consists mainly of eating whole foods of plant origin, as well as fatty fish, but Mediterranean diet is a good example of what it might look like. That means filling up on whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, olive oil, fish, and poultry. (A word of warning: Alcohol can cause inflammation, so you may want to skip the wine, Bonci says.)
Think beyond Italy and Greece, and beyond pasta bowls. Look at countries like Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey, and try to eat more turmeric, saffron, and za’atar.
There’s also no reason to avoid foods like whey protein, milk, chicken or eggs, especially if you’re currently injured or experiencing inflammation, she says. “When your body is in a state of inflammation, it’s in breakdown mode and it’s important to get enough protein,” says Bonci. “That’s not the time to cut out chicken or dairy.”
Eating enough protein and calories while experiencing inflammation will help “minimize pain, but maximize your gains,” she says.
Are you still worried about tomatoes? Just remember: Tom Brady may not eat them, but Patrick Mahomes it certainly does.
Maria Masters is a contributing editor and writer for Everyday Health and What to Expect, and has held positions at men’s health Y Family circle.
