Anti-inflammatory diet: which foods to favor?
Our lifestyles and our diet based on processed foods promote inflammation in our microbiota. Fortunately, there is a way to protect yourself from this by balancing the contents of your plate. Discover foods that protect against chronic inflammation.
Studies are increasing to support the idea that the intestinal microbiota plays a major role in the body. The billions of bacteria, present in the small intestine and the colon, play an essential role in intestinal transit, digestion, neurological balance and the body’s immune defense. Precisely, the evolution of our eating habits and in particular the consumption of processed foods rich in additives, sugars and fats, would be a real “inflammatory bomb”. In fact, if inflammation is a defense process supposed to protect the body from foreign bodies, it becomes problematic when it becomes chronic. However, processed food, stress, pollution and a sedentary lifestyle are all factors that contribute to the activity of inflammatory processes in an inappropriate manner.
Numerous studies have shown that chronic inflammation is the cause of several diseases such as type 2 diabetes , obesity and even certain cancers.
Hence the importance of maintaining the consumption of anti-inflammatory foods capable of counterbalancing these effects on the microbiota. Foods rich in antioxidants, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins are at the heart of this anti-inflammatory dietary pattern that is very protective for health.
Anti-inflammatory diet: what is it?
It is a diet that favors the consumption of foods that limit inflammation in the body. Concretely, it consists of eating a wide variety of foods, as fresh as possible and cooked at home, with a significant proportion of fruits and vegetables, foods rich in antioxidants and omega 3, while limiting the consumption of “processed” foods, too fatty, too sweet. This anti-inflammatory diet is broadly similar to the Mediterranean diet.
Anti-inflammatory diet: what are the health benefits?
“The anti-inflammatory diet is for everyone but it is particularly recommended in cases of chronic inflammatory disease: Crohn’s disease , endometriosis, osteoarthritis, asthma, psoriasis, in order to slow its progression, or to prevent diabetes type 2, overweight and certain cancers, when there is a family predisposition” , explains Dr Catherine Lacrosnière, nutritionist, author of “The secrets of anti-inflammatory diet” (Albin Michel edition).
Sport and meditation complementary to an anti-inflammatory diet
Besides diet, there are other natural ways to protect yourself. Practice regular physical activity, at least 30 min. per day, and get enough sleep, i.e. 7 to 8 hours. by night. Manage stress through meditation, yoga or sophrology. And limit exposure to pollutants, by eating organic if possible, by preferring glass containers to plastic ones and by using the most natural cleaning products possible.
