Top inflammatory foods to avoid eating

When it comes to health, preventing disease is far better than treating it. Recent research confirms that inflammation is a leading cause of illness and disease in adults. Experts now agree that eliminating or limiting exposure to the following seven foods can decrease inflammation and lead to better health.

Banish the sweet tooth

The obvious problem with eating too many sugary foods is weight gain. Bad enough as this is, excess sugar also leads to a variety of other health issues, such as anxiety, migraines, depression, fibromyalgia and type II diabetes. For example, diabetes occurs because inflammation causes insulin resistance, which, over time, causes diabetes. Likewise, sugar impairs the immune system, which can lead to fibromyalgia.

Dairy, which contains a form of sugar, also causes inflammation and should be avoided. Donald Abrams, M.D., and chief of oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, explains that the human body was not meant to ingest milk after weaning; milk therefore contributes to inflammation. Studies have shown that excess dairy can lead to breast, prostate and bladder cancer as well as lymphoma.

Skip the turf

Eating too much meat can also lead to inflammation. This includes beef, pork and chicken, all of which contain arachidonic acid. A 2006 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who ate 1.5 servings or more per day of beef were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer when compared to women who ate beef three times per week. This risk is in addition to the inflammation caused by the added sodium and nitrates in cured meats.

Not just for designated drivers

Alcohol, which raises estrogen levels, is another inflammation trigger. Breast cancer responds to alcohol in a negative way according to Carolyn Lammersfeld, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, National Director of Nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Just a drizzle, Please

Despite the fact that so-called good oils get high marks, this is an area where everyone should tread carefully. Only some oils are good, and only in very small quantities. Some oils contain omega-6 fatty acids. Consuming too many omega-6 fatty acids leads to inflammation. The same is true for coffee. Coffee beans contain oil, which can become rancid and clog the liver, leading to additional inflammation.

Amber Waves of Grain

Gluten, a protein composite found in wheat, causes inflammation in the digestive tract. According to experts, the body reacts to wheat as a foreign substance most likely because early civilizations did not eat wheat. To make matters worse, some forms of wheat have been biologically engineered, which adds to inflammation.

Staying healthy is important. Eliminating or limiting exposure to these seven inflammation-causing foods is a sure way to become healthier and stay healthy. Therefore, consuming less sugar, dairy, meat, alcohol, oil, coffee and wheat/gluten will lead to better health.

Source : http://www.naturalnews.com/042501_inflammatory_foods_disease_prevention_wheat_gluten.html