Reminder! If you eat like this for a long time, inflammation in your whole body will increase →

As the saying goes, "diseases come from the mouth, illnesses come from food", and the occurrence of many diseases is related to diet. Recently, a 22-year follow-up study found that people who have a long-term pro-inflammatory diet not only have increased systemic inflammation, but also have a greatly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.

What are pro-inflammatory foods? How can we eat to reduce the risk of inflammatory infections? Let's find out together↓

01. Eating like this for a long time increases the risk of dementia

Eating the wrong diet can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, especially a pro-inflammatory diet. In December 2024, a study published in the journal Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia conducted an in-depth study of 1,487 subjects through a 22.3-year follow-up and found that frequent pro-inflammatory diets significantly increase the risk of dementia.

02. What are pro-inflammatory foods?

Studies have shown that pro-inflammatory diets are associated with many diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. According to the dietary inflammation index scoring method, the following 6 types of food and drinks are all pro-inflammatory foods: Excessive red meat: Red meat includes commonly eaten pork, beef, and lamb . Excessive intake of red meat will promote the occurrence of inflammatory responses in the body and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and obesity.

Processed meat: such as smoked meat, sausage, ham, bacon , etc. Excessive consumption will increase the body's oxidative stress level and produce an inflammatory response. High-sugar foods: High-sugar foods can induce chronic inflammation by disrupting the intestinal flora environment. For example, refined staple foods and beverages, bread, cakes, etc. with high sugar content.

Trans fats: Regular intake of foods containing trans fatty acids can also promote the occurrence of inflammation, such as bread containing shortening, milk tea containing non-dairy creamer, chocolate containing cocoa butter substitutes, cakes containing margarine, etc.

Fried foods: Studies have found that reducing the intake of fried foods can also reduce inflammatory markers in the body. Many fried foods need to be fried repeatedly and contain a lot of saturated fatty acids. In addition, high-temperature frying also produces trans fatty acids.

Alcohol: Alcohol also has certain pro-inflammatory effects.

In addition, we should avoid unreasonable proportions of staple foods in our daily diet. Refined carbohydrates such as white rice and white flour have pro-inflammatory effects, so we should pay attention to the reasonable combination of coarse and fine grains.

03. What are anti-inflammatory foods?

To enhance immunity and reduce the level of inflammation in the body, you can eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Eat more vegetables and fruits: Eat 5 to 7 different colored vegetables and fruits every day, and the amount of vegetables should reach more than 500 grams. Dark-colored vegetables are especially recommended, such as cabbage, kale, broccoli , etc. These vegetables are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances.

In addition, berries are rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, which also have anti-inflammatory effects, such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries , etc.

- Eat more foods rich in dietary fiber: such as soy products, whole grains ( brown rice, oats, buckwheat, black rice, corn, barley, coix seeds, etc. ). Try to make whole grains 1/3 to 1/2 of your usual staple food.

Increase the intake of omega-3 fatty acids: Excessive intake of red meat is pro-inflammatory, while white meat ( fish, shrimp, shellfish, chicken, duck, etc. ) is anti-inflammatory, so it is recommended to eat seafood at least 2 to 3 times a week . In addition to fish, nuts are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids, and you can eat about 10 to 15 grams a day.

Increase the intake of spicy condiments: When cooking, you can add more condiments such as cloves, rosemary, turmeric, onions, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, etc. A large number of studies have found that these condiments have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, and even long-term consumption can prolong life.

Source: CCTV Finance, CCTV News Comprehensive Science Popularization China, Health Times

Image: Qianku.com