4 Foods That Cause Inflammation
Have you ever felt like your fingers swelled up as big as sausages? Are knees struggling to bend because of swelling? You know, me too. I can feel the pressure in every joint so much that it hurts to touch even. These symptoms are typically due to an inflammatory response in the body. Often for me, this happens when I am hiking at higher altitudes. My joints swell and make my hike harder.
On occasion, I experience inflammation during times when I am not hiking. This got me thinking: what is going on inside my body? Why are my joints swelling, and how can I cause it to stop? Once I realized it was due to an inflammatory response to the foods I was eating, I realized that an elimination diet could help determine what foods are causing the inflammation in my body.
Even though inflammation is a super important part of the body’s immune response to heal injuries, some foods cause inflammation to linger. Typically it’s an excess of these foods that cause an excessive inflammatory response. But everyone is different; someone may experience a reaction to food. One person may find that a small amount of sugar is too much and causes significant inflammation, whereas another may be okay with added sugars in moderation. Read this article if you want more information about inflammation in the body.
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A combination of the following foods may cause inflammation and maybe not just caused by one single food. It is typical for most people that excessive amounts of inflammatory foods experience prolonged discomfort due to inflammation. This is not a complete list; these are the most common inflammatory foods.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional dietitian or a doctor. These are just my own experiences and research about inflammatory foods. If you are experiencing any symptoms of concern, you should consult a professional dietitian or a doctor before starting any new diet plans.
Sugar
Natural sugar is naturally found in whole foods, such as fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy, and may be considered anti-inflammatory. Since raw sugar is consumed in addition to foods containing other nutrients such as protein and fiber, the sugar is absorbed much slower, lowering the chance of blood sugar spikes.
The body does need sugar to function, but there is a difference between added sugars and natural sugars. Added sugar comes in table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose, and corn sugar. The added sugar causes inflammation due to the following additions to the body.
ConsumingConsuming excessive amounts of added sugar can cause the overproduction of AGEs (advanced glycation end products) formed on the end of protein and fat. Excessive amounts of AGEs can lead to inflammation.
The added sugars can weaken the gut allowing bacteria, toxins, and undigested foods to “leak” into the bloodstream. Which then may cause inflammation.
Added sugar causes weight gain, which, excessive body fat, creates insulin resistance and can cause inflammation.
Read this article from Healthline for more information about how sugar causes inflammation.
Other foods that may cause inflammation include:
Refined Carbohydrates
Saturated Fats, Trans-Fats & Omega-6 Fatty Acid
Salt
An elimination diet may help determine what foods cause inflammation for you personally.
This is an expert from my full blog post in My Active Life, LLC Members, where I post exclusive blog posts with nutrition and fitness tips and full workout videos and programs. Click here to join My Active Life, LLC Members, and read the full post.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional dietitian or a doctor. These are just my own experiences and research about inflammatory foods. If you are experiencing any symptoms of concern, you should consult a professional dietitian or a doctor before starting any new diet plans.
The most common foods that cause inflammation are sugar and refined carbohydrates. Excessive added sugar and refined carbs cause an increased insulin production in the body and thus causing inflammation and then other major health problems. Stay tuned for my next post about anti-inflammatory foods.
What is your take on inflammatory foods? I know that excessive amounts of sugar and sweets (high in refined carbohydrates) cause an excessive amount of inflammation. So even though I LOVEEEEEE some sweets, I try hard not to consume them in excess. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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