Covid-19 & Health Update: Diet vs. Chronic Disease
Hello once again:
Thanks for reading our blog, we hope it helps protect your health. I am continuing along the path of how diet can influence our inflammatory burden, and as you know, inflammation is a key driver of many chronic health conditions. When we look out at the published information on diet, it would be easy to be overwhelmed with so much data that it appears that there is no real scientific consensus about what makes a good food plan. To be sure, that impression is not accurate as there is a large and growing body of scientific literature that supports an anti-inflammatory approach as the optimal way to support overall health. Here are some quotes from a 2014 paper that help put it in perspective (1) :
“Dietary patterns high in refined starches, sugar, and saturated and trans-fatty acids, poor in natural antioxidants and fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and poor in omega-3 fatty acids may cause an activation of the innate immune system, most likely by excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines associated with a reduced production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Several epidemiological studies have evaluated the effects of a Mediterranean pattern as protective against several diseases associated with chronic low-grade inflammation such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome and cognition disorders. The adoption of this dietary pattern could counter the effects of several inflammatory markers, decreasing, for example, the secretion of circulating and cellular biomarkers involved in the atherosclerotic process.
Dietary patterns high in refined starches, sugar, and saturated and trasn-fatty acids, poor in natural antioxidants and fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and poor in omega-3 fatty acids may cause an activation of the innate immune system, most likely by excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines associated with a reduced production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.”
Bottom Line:
It should be apparent that what we eat is the basis for our health, and what we eat can either help us put out or create chronic low-grade inflammation that drives virtually all chronic health conditions. This includes heart disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, brain health of all types including mood and memory disorders, arthritis, weight issues and more. Thus, it may well pay you huge dividends to looking into making sure your diet is super clean and anti-inflammatory. This issue is so extremely critical, that the next several newsletters will be devoted to this topic. You can live your life in a way that actually protects and fortifies your health and minimizes the risks associated with aging. The science is there…we just have to live it and for me, I find it very tasty and rewarding to invest in myself in this way…plus I have seen it work for hundreds of people who have consulted our clinic. What’s on your plate?
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