Health and nutrition experts disagree about many things, but there’s one topic on which there’s general consensus: the benefits of eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods. The evidence is now irrefutable, they say, that adopting this eating approach can reduce chronic inflammation and the risk of developing an array of diseases that go with it.
The foods that reduce inflammation
Twenty years ago, scientists started developing the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). Based on a wide range of robust scientific research, it identified foods, nutrients and compounds that are either anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory. The DII, which is constantly updated in line with the latest research, is used to give an individual’s diet a score, the lowest being anti-inflammatory and the highest pro-inflammatory.
“Many observational studies have reported lower rates of diseases such as colorectal cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and asthma with lower DII scores,” says Dr Fiona Malcomson, a lecturer in human nutrition at Newcastle University.
Development of the DII has revealed that plant foods in particular contain inflammation-fighting compounds including polyphenols, antioxidants and fibre. “A plant-based diet also promotes healthy gut bacteria, “ Dr Bains says. “And the higher fibre content helps slow down digestion, which prevents surges in blood sugar levels, another common cause of inflammation.”
