Inflammation do’s and don’ts after surgery

Sources;

Harvard Health Publishing - 2021 studies

Anti-inflammatory vitamins;

- Magnesium

- Vitamin D3

- Omega 3fats

- B Vitamins

- Quercetin

- Bromelain

Anti-Inflammatory foods for your diet

Berries

-Strawberries

-Blueberries

-Rasberries

-Blackberries

Fatty fish

-Salmon

-Tuna

-Sardines

Veggies / Fruits

-Broccoli

-Avocado

-Bell peppers

-Spinach

-Kale

-Collards

-Cherries

-Oranges

Nuts

-Almonds

-Walnuts

Dressings

-Olive oil

-Vinegar

-Lemon (citrus)

Drinks

-Green tea

-Coffee (no milk)

To reduce levels of inflammation, aim for an overall healthy diet. If you're looking for an eating plan that closely follows the tenets of anti-inflammatory eating, consider the Mediterranean diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and healthy oils.

Foods that cause inflammation;

Refined carbohydrates- white bread and pastries

French fries- any fried foods

All Soda and extra sugar-sweetened beverages (stay away from double-digit sugars found on labels)

Red meats (burgers, steaks) including processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)

Margarine, shortening, and lard are also causes of inflammation

Don't eat these

Stay away from "ultra-processed" foods, which include just about anything that comes in a package — like microwaveable dinners, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, dehydrated soups, baked goods, sugary cereals, processed meats, biscuits, and sauces.

These foods have little nutritional value. Worse, they're high in salt, added sugars (which can spike your blood sugar), and saturated fat (which can increase your "bad" LDL cholesterol). All of these ingredients are associated with promoting inflammation in the body. "The biggest offender is anything with added sweeteners, whether that means cane sugar or any compounds used to add sweetness," Rimm says.

A report published in December 2019 in Nature Medicine notes that sugars, grains, and extra salt in ultra-processed foods can change the bacteria in your gut, damage the gut's lining, and switch on inflammatory genes in cells. Other studies have linked ultra-processed foods to shorter life spans, cancer, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

Inflammation-promoting foods include white breads, cereals, white pasta, and other products made with refined flours, as well as white rice. "White flour leads directly to a pro-inflammatory state," Rimm says.

Other offenders include soda, juices, cookies and other baked goods, butter, cheese, ice cream, coconut products, candy, salad dressings, jarred tomato sauces, and processed and cured meats.

Do eat these

To fight inflammation, go for whole, unprocessed foods with no added sugar: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, a little bit of low-fat dairy, and olive oil. "To these, many people add herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric. There are a few studies that suggest modest benefits," Rimm says.

How do they help? "It's believed that antioxidants in brightly colored fruits and vegetables [cooked tomatoes, carrots, squash, and broccoli] may lessen the effect of free radicals, which damage cells," says Liz Moore, a registered dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Other food components that may help fight inflammation include

fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and especially legumes and whole grains such as barley, oats, and bran omega-3 fatty acids found in fish (such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna), vegetable oils (flaxseed and canola), walnuts, flaxseeds, and leafy green vegetables (spinach and kale) polyphenols (plant chemicals) found in berries, dark chocolate, tea, apples, citrus, onions, soybeans, coffee, unsaturated fats found in almonds, pecans, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and plant oils (olive, peanut, canola).

The evidence that trying to minimize inflammation through dietary changes reduces the risk of diseases "is strongest for arthritis, gastrointestinal and heart health, and possibly auto-immune diseases," Moore says.

Disclaimer:

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.