{"id":94512,"date":"2023-02-26T21:47:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T01:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=94512"},"modified":"2023-03-09T09:35:04","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:35:04","slug":"anti-inflammatory-diet-for-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/anti-inflammatory-diet-for-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners: 4 Changes for a Healthy Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What should you eat (or not eat) if you’re fighting inflammation? What’s a good substitute for trans fats? Is intermittent fasting a good idea?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food you eat directly impacts the amount of inflammation in your body<\/a>. Inflammation damages cells and overloads your mitochondria, resulting in fewer antioxidants and more free radicals in your body. Ultimately, this leads to disease and makes you age faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to discover a practical anti-inflammatory diet for beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Anti-Inflammatory Diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Super Human<\/em>, Dave Asprey explains how inefficient mitochondria<\/a> initiate a cycle that accelerates biological aging<\/a>. One cause of mitochondrial inefficiency is consuming inflammatory foods. According to Asprey, foods that cause inflammation include wheat, grains, gluten, sugar, charred meat, fried foods, and crops sprayed with herbicides that contain glyphosate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that, with Asprey’s anti-inflammatory diet for beginners, you don’t have to make these changes all at once. Consider this a long-term strategy that constitutes true lifestyle change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The foods Asprey mentions cause inflammation because they contain unnatural<\/em> substances that your body classifies as threats<\/a> to your immune system. To protect itself, your body produces and sends out inflammatory cells to trap and neutralize these threats. The more unnatural substances you consume, the more inflammatory cells your body releases in response. These inflammatory cells build up and eventually start attacking healthy cells, tissues, and organs\u2014resulting in chronic inflammation. In other words, your body\u2019s attempt to protect your immune system from unnatural substances actually weakens it<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asprey suggests that, in addition to eliminating inflammatory foods, you can reduce inflammation in your body by implementing four dietary changes: Consume antioxidant-rich foods, replace trans fats with omega-3 fats, balance your protein intake, and metabolize glucose and ketones. Let\u2019s explore each of these dietary changes in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dietary Change #1: Consume Antioxidant-Rich Foods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first dietary change for reducing inflammation is to c<\/strong>onsume antioxidant-rich foods<\/strong>. This will support your mitochondria in reducing the number of free radicals and damaged cells in your body. According to Asprey, good sources of antioxidants include coffee, tea, berries, herbs, spices, and dark chocolate. Additionally, he suggests that you can eliminate excess free radicals from your body by taking antioxidant supplements such as pyrroloquinoline quinone or the Chinese herb he shou wu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possible Side Effects of Consuming Antioxidant-Rich Foods or Supplements<\/strong>

While research suggests that the foods and supplements Asprey recommends can help reduce the number of free radicals in your body, it also reveals possible side effects to consider before adding them to your diet:

\u2014Coffee<\/a> can impede your body\u2019s ability to absorb minerals such as calcium, worsen high blood pressure or irritable bowel conditions, increase the risk of miscarriage, and cause fetal anomalies.
\u2014Tea<\/a> can impede your body\u2019s ability to absorb iron; trigger feelings of anxiety and stress; cause nausea, headaches, or heartburn; disrupt your sleep cycle; and increase the risk of complications during pregnancy.
\u2014Some berries such as blueberries<\/a> can lower your blood sugar to dangerous levels, which puts diabetes sufferers or those due to have surgery at risk.
\u2014Herbs<\/a> and spices<\/a> can cause allergic reactions, react with certain medications, and cause blood thinning.
\u2014Dark chocolate<\/a> can raise blood sugar levels, trigger migraines, increase feelings of anxiety, lead to acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome, cause fetal anomalies, and react with certain medications.
\u2014Pyrroloquinoline quinone<\/a> hasn\u2019t been rigorously tested. However, toxicology studies indicate that high doses might cause kidney damage.
\u2014He shou wu<\/a> can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting, and it has also been linked to liver disease.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dietary Change #2: Replace Trans Fats With Omega-3 Fats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second dietary change for reducing inflammation is to r<\/strong>eplace trans fats with omega-3 fats<\/strong>. Asprey explains that fats are essential for cellular health because they help form the protective lining of your cells. However, trans fats don\u2019t provide the necessary nutrients to form healthy cell linings. As such, when your body attempts to process these fats, it forms defective cell linings that exacerbate inflammation in your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Research reveals that trans fats provide no nutritional value<\/a> (so it\u2019s safe to exclude them from your diet), and clarifies exactly how these fats disrupt cellular health. To function correctly, cell linings need to be permeable enough to absorb or excrete the substances they need to maintain electrolyte balance. They also need to be flexible enough to adapt to different conditions\u2014for example, by changing their shape or the way that they interact with other cells. However, trans fats change the composition of cell linings<\/a>, making them too rigid and stiff to fulfill these basic functions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Asprey, omega-3 fats (found in foods such as olive oil, walnuts, and cold-water fish) are anti-inflammatory and provide the necessary nutrients to form healthy cell linings\u2014which promotes cellular health and mitochondrial function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: While ongoing research suggests that omega-3 fats contribute to healthy cell linings<\/a>, it also reveals that excessive consumption can impair the immune system<\/a>, weakening its ability to fight viral or bacterial infections. While there isn\u2019t enough data to confirm a recommended daily allowance of this fatty acid, the National Institutes of Health suggests that women can safely consume 1.1 grams while men can consume 1.6 grams<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dietary Change #3: Balance Your Protein Intake<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The third dietary change for reducing inflammation is to balance your protein intake<\/strong>. Asprey explains that protein is essential for cellular health because it helps repair tissues and maintain muscle mass. However, when your body metabolizes protein, it creates more cellular waste than it does when metabolizing fats or carbohydrates. Therefore, consuming excess<\/em> protein creates a surplus of cellular waste that clogs up your cells, overloads your mitochondria, and causes further cellular damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: It\u2019s common knowledge that protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, muscles, and organs<\/a>. However, you may be surprised by Asprey\u2019s explanation that it creates waste<\/em>. In fact, metabolizing it creates three different<\/em> waste products that your body must excrete<\/a>: urea, ammonia, and creatinine. When you eat the right amount of protein, your kidneys can easily process and eliminate these waste products through your urine. However, consuming excess protein can overload your kidneys<\/a>\u2014which then makes them less effective at excreting these waste products.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asprey recommends eating 0.5 grams of protein a day for every pound you weigh (reduce this figure down to 0.35 grams if you\u2019re overweight). According to him, good sources of protein include wild fish, hemp, and products derived from grass-fed animals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: There\u2019s no consensus on how much protein we should consume. Some dieticians suggest that men should consume 56 grams a day while women should consume 46 grams<\/a>. Others suggest that everyone should consume 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight<\/a>\u2014but that those trying to build muscle mass should consume more. Meanwhile, a third group argues that you should pay more attention to the type<\/em> of protein in your diet rather than the amount<\/em><\/a>\u2014for example, by reducing your consumption of red meat and increasing your consumption of salmon, yogurt, or beans and pulses.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also suggests that you supplement your daily protein intake with 20 grams of collagen powder to help maintain the connective tissue that supports your skin, teeth, bones, cartilage, and organs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Research suggests that taking collagen supplements may increase skin elasticity and hydration, relieve joint pain, prevent bone loss, boost muscle mass, and promote heart health. However, you\u2019ll need to be patient: Researchers claim that it can take between eight weeks and 12 months of daily intake<\/a> to experience noticeable results.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dietary Change #4: Metabolize Glucose and Ketones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fourth dietary change for reducing inflammation is to metabolize glucose and ketones<\/strong>. Asprey explains that the energy mitochondria extract from your body\u2019s metabolic processes takes one of two forms\u2014glucose or ketones\u2014depending on how much sugar there is in your bloodstream for your body to metabolize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n