What You Eat and How You Feel: Exploring the Link Between Diet and Inflammation
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Have you ever wondered the link between what you eat and how you feel? Next time when you stop at a fast food joint for lunch, pay attention to how your body feels after. The link between what you eat and how you feel has been extensively explored. To understand how the pendulum shifts towards a diseased state, it is important to consider the contribution of diet to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a significant contributor of the onset and progression of a whole host of diseased states.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your body's response to an illness or injury and occurs by activating your immune system and deploying the immune cells to site of injury or to fight an infection. This is a normal defense mechanism your body has in place to be allow your body to heal. However, if your immune system gets activated in healthy tissues in the absence of an infection or injury it can be harmful particularly if it goes on for too long.
What are the different types of inflammation?
There are two main types of inflammation:
Acute inflammation: Inflammation that is short lived and lasts a few hours or a few days is acute inflammation. This occurs when there is sudden injury (a cut on your finger) or illness ( bacterial or viral infection like strep throat or flu). Acute inflammation is essential for the body to heal. It activates the immune cells to help fight the infection and as a result you may experience symptoms such as a fever which is a good thing as you know your body's defense mechanism is working to get you better.
Chronic inflammation: Inflammation that goes on in your body even in the absence of any danger is chronic inflammation. As an example in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune cells are activated and attack the joints leading to inflammation and pain in the joints. Chronic inflammation can last for months even years.
How do you know you have chronic inflammation?
It may be hard to detect chronic inflammation. But some of the symptoms may include:
Skin problems
Gastrointestinal issues ( diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux)
Joint pain
Fatigue
Frequent infections
Weight changes (gain or loss)
Anxiety and depression
What are some of the conditions associated with chronic inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is a significant contributor to many disease processes including
Autoimmune diseases
Cardiovascular disease
Gastrointestinal disease
Neurodegenerative diseases
Metabolic disease
How can your diet influence chronic inflammation?
Several factors contribute to chronic inflammation including diet, lifestyle, and stress. Diet is a well known contributor of chronic inflammation. Ultra processed foods rich in saturated fats and refined sugars influence your gut microbiome contributing to chronic inflammation.
Can an anti-inflammatory diet help?
Anti-inflammatory diets have garnered much attention as a an effective approach to managing chronic inflammation. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods include:
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes
Fatty fish and
Phytochemicals
A dietary approach to managing chronic inflammation should also include limiting foods that contribute to chronic inflammation (pro-inflammatory) such as red meat, refined carbohydrates and alcohol. Anti-inflammatory foods provide nutrients to the body that help reduce the inflammatory response.
The table below summarizes some of the major anti-inflammatory food components and their sources:
Category | Source |
Omega-3-fatty acids | Salmon, fish oil, walnuts chia seeds, flaxseeds |
Monounsaturated fats (MUFA) | Olive oil, nuts and seeds |
Antioxidants | Berries, green leafy vegetables, herbs like turmeric and ginger |
Polyphenols | Green tea, dark chocolate |
Dietary fiber | Whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables |
Phytochemicals | Herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, cinnamon |
Probiotics | Yogurt, kefir, and fermented foods |
Table adapted from: Yu X, Pu H, Voss M. Overview of anti-inflammatory diets and their promising effects on non-communicable diseases. Br J Nutr. 2024;132(7):898-918. doi:10.1017/S0007114524001405
Conclusion
Chronic inflammation may be the root cause of many disease states and a dietary approach to managing chronic inflammation may provide significant benefits. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods and low in pro-inflammatory foods may be effective in dampening the chronic inflammatory signals.
References:
Yu X, Pu H, Voss M. Overview of anti-inflammatory diets and their promising effects on non-communicable diseases. Br J Nutr. 2024;132(7):898-918. doi:10.1017/S0007114524001405
Chavda VP, Feehan J, Apostolopoulos V. Inflammation: The Cause of All Diseases. Cells. 2024;13(22):1906. Published 2024 Nov 18. doi:10.3390/cells13221906
Cleveland Clinic. Inflammation: What is it, causes, symptoms & treatment. Cleveland ClinicMarch 22, 2024. Accessed August 23, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation
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