THE HEALING DIET

The theory goes that long after the invading bacteria or viruses from some infection are gone,the body’s defenses remain active. The activated immune cells and hormones then turn on the body itself,damaging tissues. The process continues indefinitely,occurring at low enough levels that a person doesn’t feel pain or realise anything is wrong. Years later,proponents say,the damage contributes to illnesses such as heart disease,neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease or cancer.

In general terms,following an anti-inflammatory diet means increasing intake of foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. (Antioxidants reduce the activity of tissue-damaging free radicals at sites of inflammation.) The diet includes vegetables,whole grains,nuts,oily fish,protein sources,spices such as ginger and turmeric and brightly coloured fruits such as blueberries,cherries and pomegranates.

Foods that promote inflammation — saturated fats,trans fats,corn and soybean oil,refined carbohydrates,sugars,red meat and dairy — are reduced or eliminated.
It would seem logical that a diet that could dampen an overactive immune system could help prevent or slow diseases that are caused or exacerbated by inflammation. And evidence is certainly mounting that such diseases include heart disease,cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Studies with animals suggest that the diet’s followers may be on to something. “If you feed rodents different diets,you can very strongly modulate inflammation,” says Dr Andrew Greenberg,the director of the Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Ageing at Tufts University in Boston. “Fish oil,for example,ameliorates inflammation in rodents.”

Resveratrol,found in grape skin and red wine,has been shown to improve blood vessel function and slow ageing in rats.Pomegranate juice decreases atherosclerosis development in mice with high cholesterol. Garlic improves blood vessel functioning in the hearts of rats with high blood pressure. And curcumin (an antioxidant chemical found in turmeric) improves ulcerative colitis,rheumatoid arthritis and pancreatitis in mice and has anti-cancer effects in the animals too.

Curcumin has also been shown to ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in people,reducing joint swelling,morning stiffness and walking time. But though curcumin’s effects are being tested in several clinical trials addressing various diseases,rigorous human results are lacking — as is the case for most anti-inflammatory foods.
Large,careful human clinical trials are expensive and few have been designed to test dietary interventions. Small trials on individual supplements have been done,though. And scientists have learned a lot from studying populations — chronicling the natural habits of people and seeing what diseases they get and which they don’t.

It makes sense that anti-inflammatory methods might help the heart,says Dr Robert H. Eckel,a past president of the American Heart Association. and professor of physiology and biophysics at University of Colorado Denver’s Health Sciences Center.
Fish oil,rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and derived from oily fish such as tuna,salmon and mackerel — is already recommended by the American Heart Association. to help prevent cardiovascular disease. It has been shown to reduce blood triglyceride levels and slightly lower blood pressure,lowering the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

There is also reason to believe that anti-inflammatory substances would help to ward off cancers.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to prevent tumors with people with inherited colorectal cancer,for example.
The Mediterranean diet,named for the region in which it originated,has many anti-inflammatory features. It includes fruits,vegetables,nuts,fish,whole grains,alcohol,and healthful fats like olive and canola oil. It has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduce the risk of blood clots.

At the end of the day,there is evidence to suggest that your best bet at curbing inflammation is to eat a healthful diet — and keep your weight in check — without specifically thinking about anti-inflammatory foods. “There is no doubt that if you lose weight,inflammation is dramatically improved,” Greenberg says. When a person is overweight or obese,body fat breaks down into fatty acids,which circulate in the blood. These fatty acids promote an immune response in the same way that infection does,increasing inflammation.”
_Shara Yurkiewicz, LA Times