Such foods are known as “pro-inflammatory foods.” A meta-analysis found that those following a pro-inflammatory diet had a 1.4-fold increased risk of depression compared with those following an anti-inflammatory diet. So why do pro-inflammatory foods make people more and more depressed? What are some common foods that are “pro-inflammatory”?
Eat chicken and chips (photoAC)
As the name suggests, pro-inflammatory foods promote inflammation in the body, often chronically. The inflammatory response is a key component of our immune system.
A little known fact is that the brain has its own immune system.
Our diet and lifestyle choices can contribute to brain inflammation. Chronic inflammation in the brain is an important driver of many central nervous system disorders, including depression.
Many reports have shown that the levels of inflammation-related cytokines in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with depression are significantly increased. In addition, many clinical anti-inflammatory drugs can exert antidepressant effects by reducing inflammation.
So, what is inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s defense against injury and infection. Common inflammatory reactions in life include fever, redness, swelling, and pain. Once the body heals, the inflammation will improve. This is acute inflammation.
But sometimes the inflammation doesn’t go away and becomes chronic, where the body thinks it still has defense work to do and keeps sending inflammatory cells into the tissues to attack healthy, non-diseased tissue.
Chronic disease and pain may ensue.
Some researchers have pointed out that the mechanism by which a pro-inflammatory diet increases the risk of depression may be that certain nutrients activate the immune system in the brain, which triggers chronic inflammation of the brain.
Microglia, the immune cells in the brain, are the first and main line of defense of the central nervous system. Among them, the damaged blood-brain barrier is a direct factor of brain inflammation.
The blood-brain barrier is a finely woven network of specialized cells and blood vessels designed to keep foreign matter out of the brain. But this barrier can be damaged, making it permeable. This allows toxins and pathogens to enter the brain, which in turn activates microglia to produce inflammation.
This barrier permeability also allows inflammation originating elsewhere in the body to enter the brain and drive new inflammatory responses. Due to the two-way communication of the gut-brain axis, some molecules in the gut can cross the gut barrier, cross the circulatory system, cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the central nervous system.
Thus, diet promotes chronic inflammation in the brain.
Inflammation affects several neurotransmitter systems in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, and glutamatergic. These neurotransmitters are all involved in the development of depression.
Inflammation in the brain can also lead to the apoptosis of neurons, resulting in atrophy of local brain tissue, which can lead to depression.
milk tea (pixabay)
Our bodies are very smart and are always trying to protect us.
If there is chronic inflammation going on, it means there is something lurking in your body that shouldn’t be there. So your immune system is on high alert and tries to counteract and eliminate it by triggering a chronic, low-grade inflammatory response.
Many times, for the body, some delicious food in life is both rich in nutrition and “toxin” at the same time, making the immune system work hard to eliminate it.
For example, dairy products can supplement protein and calcium, but for those who are lactose intolerant, they cannot absorb them. The body works hard to get rid of it with diarrhea.
Additionally, the following are foods with higher pro-inflammatory potential:
(1) Added sugar, such as sugary drinks: cola, milk tea, etc.
Avoiding added sugar is becoming increasingly difficult and most processed foods in supermarkets are loaded with added sugar. However, consuming too much added sugar can lead to chronic inflammation.
To lower your intake of added sugars, it is recommended to pay close attention to food labels:
a. Ingredient List: If you see sugar or some form of syrup listed as one of the first three ingredients, there is a good chance that the sugar is over the limit.
b. Nutrition Facts: Look for foods with less than 4 grams of added sugar per serving.
(2) Trans fat
If the nutrient composition list or ingredient list of processed food contains “hydrogenated vegetable oil”, “hydrogenated soybean oil”, “hydrogenated palm oil”, “refined vegetable oil”, “vegetable creamer”, “vegetable shortening”, “margarine” And “cocoa butter substitute” and other ingredients, basically contain trans fat. Common foods are baked goods (such as biscuits, cakes), ice cream, pizza, and fried foods.
Although many food labels clearly indicate “no trans fat”, relevant food safety regulations still allow it to be marked as 0 when the trans fat in the food is ≤0.3g/100g. So don’t let go.
(3) Red meat and processed meat
Processed meats are cured, cured, fermented, or smoked for flavor or preservation purposes. Research shows that both processed and red meat are high in saturated fat, which can cause inflammation.
Red meat is any meat from cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Common processed meats include: bacon, hot dogs, jerky, sausage, sausage, and some deli meats.
It is recommended that everyone consider meat as a side dish rather than a main course. Instead, serve vegetables and fiber-rich carbohydrates as a main course.
hot dog (pixabay)
(4) Refined carbohydrates
Research shows that refined carbohydrates may cause inflammation in the body. This is similar to added sugars, they can spike your blood sugar. Elevated blood sugar produces an inflammatory response.
Instead of avoiding carbs entirely, replace refined carbs with 100% whole grain alternatives like quinoa, oatmeal, and brown rice. These take longer to digest, so they don’t spike your blood sugar as quickly.
To lower inflammation levels, it’s best to aim for an overall healthy diet. Generally speaking, the “Mediterranean diet” is an eating plan that basically follows the principles of an anti-inflammatory diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy oils.
So, in order to be less depressed and healthier, we still need to arrange our diet and avoid eating too much pro-inflammatory food!
references:
1. Tolkien K, Bradburn S, Murgatroyd C. An anti-inflammatory diet as a potential intervention for depressive disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis[J]. Clinical nutrition, 2019, 38(5): 2045-2052.
2. Bosma-den Boer M M, van Wetten M L, Pruimboom L. Chronic inflammatory diseases are stimulated by current lifestyle: how diet, stress levels and medication prevent our body from recovering[J]. Nutrition & metabolism, 2012, 9(1): 1-14.
2023-09-05 08:50:56
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