All non-communicable diseases, which are the main cause of death in the world, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis but also obesity and some forms of cancer, have inflammation as a common denominator. chronic which is like an acid that damages all organs causing damage to cells and making them age prematurely.
If it is true that heredity can partly influence the onset of these pathologies, it is above all incorrect lifestyles that cause serious damage to the organism and among these incorrect nutrition plays a leading role. A valid dietary and nutritional regime, and maintaining a healthy weight, are instead crucial to living longer in good health by slowing down aging, as some foods are able to extinguish inflammatory states, while others exacerbate them.
An increasing number of clinical studies demonstrate how good eating habits protect against dementia and cardiovascular diseases, as well as obesity and diabetes. Without being obsessed with diets, and even allowing yourself to bend the rules a little, because after all eating is one of life’s pleasures, you must therefore adopt a diet in which inflammatory “junk foods” are reduced to a minimum. and instead let the foods that have the power to extinguish inflammation be present on our table every day.
Junk food is refined carbohydrates such as sweets, sugary drinks, processed red meat, fried foods and hydrogenated fats. For these foods, as Paracelsus, a famous doctor of the 16th century, said, “it is the dose that makes the poison”, so consuming these foods once in a while for a healthy person is almost never a problem, while gorging on chips and orange sodas is days promotes the production of dangerous “inflammatory cytokines” that damage cells.
On our table every day there should never be a lack of some foods that combat free radicals, fight oxidative stress, interfere with DNA by regulating the expression of genes and positively influencing the state of health.
Firstly, good quality extra virgin olive oil, which contains polyphenols which are molecules capable of slowing down the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the bad one) which leads to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries. For this reason, EFSA (the European Food Authority) has long authorized producers to write on the labels of extra virgin olive oil that polyphenols promote protection from oxidative stress. Extra virgin olive oil has beneficial effects for the cardiovascular system, vision and skin, as it is rich in vitamin E which promotes cell renewal and improves the activity of neurons, slowing down cognitive decline.
Another important food, typical of our land and Mediterranean cuisine, is the tomato which, being rich in lycopene, inhibits the production of cytokines and has a powerful anti-inflammatory action. Raw tomatoes also contain many vitamins, but if cooked or transformed into sauces they contain even more lycopene because cooking breaks the walls of the plant cells, releasing it.
Other anti-inflammatory foods are green leafy vegetables rich in folate, substances not synthesized by the body and which therefore must be consumed through diet. A reduced presence of folates is associated with some forms of cancer, cognitive dysfunctions in old age and in some cases also with cardiovascular diseases.
Folic acid from vegetables is also important during pregnancy because in mothers it prevents the risk of hypertension and in children it prevents malformations and growth retardation. Vegetables are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (such as iron and potassium) and represent an army against free radicals by acting as “switches” capable of easily turning off acute inflammation. At the same time, they represent an exceptional immune barrier to defend the body from pathogens, reducing the risk of the onset of inflammatory diseases.
The only non-vegetable food with anti-inflammatory power is fish: the omega 3 fatty acids it is rich in have a proven anti-inflammatory and immune system regulating effect. Numerous scientific studies have documented the positive effects of omega 3 in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma and chronic intestinal disorders. At a cerebral level they are useful in the prevention of dementia and depressive states, while at a cardiovascular level they improve blood fluidity by preventing the formation of clots and favor the elasticity of the vessels by reducing blood pressure and triglycerides.
Not all fish are rich in omega 3: the best is blue fish from our seas such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel, but salmon (wild salmon), sea bass, sea bream, snapper and also molluscs.
Finally, don’t forget fruit, both fresh fruit, in particular oranges and red fruits such as strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries and currants rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins, and nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios ) rich in good fats, polyphenols and vitamin E with a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.
Gianfranco Beltrami
Vice President of the Italian Sports Medical Federation, scientific director of Terme di Monticelli.
Tags: Dont play fire Antiinflammatory foods
