Chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease and cancer. We asked the experts which foods to eat — and avoid — to help tackle it. Ignore chronic inflammation at your peril.
Recognised as a contributor to many deaths globally, half of these are partly attributable to inflammation-related diseases such as heart disease , stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. “Whilst helpful in the short term as part of the body’s healing process in response to injury or an infection, inflammation becomes harmful if it becomes chronic,” says Dr Sammie Gill, a dietitian and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) specialist. “And it can cause damage to tissue and cause disease.
” Diet is a huge influence. “Some foods such as the highly processed Western-style diet, with high levels of saturated fat, fuel inflammation. Others, such as a Mediterranean-style diet with its plant-based healthy fats and lean protein content, have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can be helpful in preventing and managing chronic diseases.
” Understanding inflammation Chronic inflammation is low grade (most people won’t know they have it), but persistent and can cause long-term collateral damage to tissue and organs, as well as affect immune function, leading to increased susceptibility to infections and tumours . “Chronic inflammation can be silently damaging your body and the effects will only become noticeable over time,” says Gill. Conditions associated with chronic inflammation include: Cardiovascula.