Thursday, October 13, 2011

What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Inflammation following an injury is a pretty straight forward and understandable response of the body to defend and repair itself, as described in a prior post.  Rest, perhaps application of ice and a little time are usually enough for the inflammation to subside and for healing to take place.

But what about long-term, low levels of inflammation that simmer, sub-clinically (without obvious symptoms)? This type of inflammation is now thought to underlie or promote many illnesses and conditions including arthritis, Alzheimer’s Disease, cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer.  Rather than taking drugs to fight inflammation, a better choice is diet, specifically an anti-inflammatory diet, which can keep excess inflammation in check.

What exactly is an anti-inflammatory diet?