The first thing to know about the so-called “anti-inflammation diet” is that it’s nothing to do with weight loss. And despite the vast number of anti-inflammatory products now available, such as drinks, supplements and diet books, there’s no single surefire way to avoid it.
In fact, a true inflammation diet – which is really an anti-inflammation diet – is designed to ward off chronic inflammation, a slow and long-term condition with fatal consequences. Chronic inflammation leads to an increased likelihood of the diseases that will end up being the cause of death for most of us, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
It is also thought to play a role in chronic conditions such as long Covid, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome and MS.
No wonder inflammation has become such a hot topic in the health and longevity arena. But what causes it? And how can diet help?
“Inflammation happens in everyone, whether you are aware of it or not,” explains dietitian Dr Linia Patel, an expert in women’s health and the author of Food for Menopause. “It is not always a bad thing. There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic.”
Acute inflammation is something that most of us have experienced – the redness, heat or swelling around tissues and joints when we cut ourselves, or get a bump. In such cases, inflammation is a critical mechanism that protects our health.
“Chronic inflammation on the other hand is a long-term physiological response that can last anywhere from weeks to years,” says Dr Patel. “It is now well established that low-grade chronic inflammation is a common feature of pretty much all metabolic, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease.”
Chronic inflammation can be caused by a range of things, from an illness, infection or virus to stress and a poor diet.
Why should I be worried? At 44, I am at least midway through my life, and have devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to certain things said to increase inflammation, such as pastries, bacon, burgers and wine. What’s more, inflammation is said to exacerbate the various symptoms of perimenopause – which I’d like to get ahead of.
Luckily for me, the foods that are said to help reduce or prevent inflammation are all things I enjoy, and already eat plenty of. Tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, almonds and walnuts, fatty fish including tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel, fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges, along with herbs and spices are important foods in an anti-inflammatory diet. This way of eating is popular with people who suffer from arthritis and endometriosis, who say it alleviates their pain.
I ask Dr Patel for further guidance and she explains it also contains low amounts of ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, trans fats, processed meals and excess alcohol.
It’s less about banning carbs and more to do with balancing your blood sugar, she explains. It is also important to feed your gut bacteria with plenty of fibre, at least 30g a day.
It’s a very similar approach to the Mediterranean Diet, which focuses on fruit, veg, fish and legumes and is the dietary darling of health institutions the world over. “An anti-inflammatory diet does not follow strict rules about calories or portion sizes,” says Dr Patel. “It suggests a variety of anti-inflammatory foods to eat daily, rather than focusing on eating one or two specific foods or nutrients.”
I decide to add a few extra anti-inflammatory foods to each meal, and book the test recommended by Dr Fernando, which claims to measure inflammation levels. The Advanced Well Women test costs £159 and it takes five minutes at my local hospital to give the blood samples. (You can have a nurse visit your home if you can’t get to a clinic). The test looks at 47 “biomarkers”, one of which is C-Reactive Protein (CRP). This will indicate if low-level inflammation is evident in your body, but not where.
“This kind of inflammation doesn’t always show obvious signs, so it can be hard to catch early,” says Dr Natasha Fernando, medical director of Medichecks.
“Research published in The Lancet showed that people with persistent chronic inflammation were twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as those without it. This is why monitoring inflammation levels is crucial. It helps us detect signs of serious conditions before they become full-blown diseases.”
Although I eat in a similar pattern to the Med Diet roughly five days a week, I know I need to change a few things for this experiment. Alcohol is the first to go, except on weekends. Next, I focus on increasing the variety in my diet. “Eating the rainbow” is recommended for all kinds of good health outcomes, in particular because it is an easy way to increase diversity of nutrients, antioxidants and polyphenols. I’ll often eat the same breakfast or lunch for a week, because of what’s in the fridge. So instead of eating blueberries for breakfast every day, I mix it up with plums, apples and raspberries. At lunch, I cut back on the bread and build meals around avocado and tinned fish. In the evening, I bulk up whatever I’m eating with beans or chickpeas. This means that one day it’s a chickpea and tomato stew with cavolo nero and fresh mackerel fried in lots of olive oil, the next I make coconut milk dahl to eat with roast pumpkin, stirring in three whole tablespoons of turmeric.
A week in, I do feel somewhat rested, but I put this down entirely to cutting back on wine. I don’t feel like I’ve denied myself, possibly because I’ve been focusing more on cramming things onto my plate rather than taking them off. But I have become slightly obsessed with turmeric, well known as an anti-inflammatory, and add it to anything I can, from porridge and yoghurt to soup and stews.
Turmeric has been used all over south-east Asia for centuries as an anti-inflammatory medicine, in particular to help with period pain. “Several trials suggest that curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) has beneficial effects in a range of inflammatory diseases,” says Dr Patel. “However, it is not easily absorbed by the body, meaning you have to eat a lot of turmeric to have any impact whatsoever.” She also urges caution, explaining that inflammation is a complicated process and the connection between food and inflammation is still being researched.
I also learn that the anti-inflammatory diet may not reduce inflammation for everyone, and may even exacerbate symptoms for those with gut disorders and inflammatory bowel disease.
If you have a medical condition, always consult your doctor or dietitian before altering your diet.
Before I get my results, which arrive within three working days as advertised, I start to worry. The strange thing is, I’m not thinking about my health exactly, but about the fact I don’t want to be stuck following one eating regime for a long period. I believe in eating what I desire at any given time. Very often this means whole, fresh food. But it also includes anything else I enjoy, such as wine or cheese or chocolate. What’s the point in improving longevity if you’re bored for your extended stay on this fine planet?
More to the point, we know that diet is not the only cause of inflammation; stress is a huge factor, too. So if a little bit of wine relaxes me, isn’t that good?
Dr Patel says that I shouldn’t worry. “There are many foods that are believed to impact the inflammatory process, although the mechanism is not conclusive. What is clear is that there is no single anti-inflammatory eating plan.”
I feel lucky and relieved when I open my results to a clean bill of health, with very low levels of overall inflammation, and nothing showing in my liver, either. Hurray! What now? Medichecks recommends regular testing, from every six months if you have a higher risk of heart disease, to once a year for people who think they’re healthy.
Of course they do – they want to sell more tests! That said, I do discover I have low levels of some vitamins, and I plan to rectify this. It’s unclear how much an anti-inflammatory diet might affect your health, but to me it seems obvious that, for those who can, eating a variety of seasonal, whole foods and cutting back on ultra-processed junk is a smart way to eat that will also make you feel good. Even if you have a sweet tooth, there are plenty of recipes for brownies and cookies that are easy to make and UPF-free.
For me, getting a good result has an unexpected consequence. It makes me feel that I should preserve this clean bill of health, and respect the luck I’ve been granted. Therefore I’m already thinking about new colours to add to my diet before testing again in 12 months time.
