Revitalize Your Gut: 5 Foods That Lower Inflammation

Summary

Inflammation is your body’s natural defense mechanism against any perceived threat, whether it’s an infection, physical trauma, or even psychological stress. Inflammation can happen anywhere in your body. And while it can be beneficial in healing an infection, it sometimes persists over time, leading to long-term health problems. The good news is there are lots of foods that lower inflammation that are both delicious and nutritious.

A Quick History of Inflammation

We’ve known about inflammation since the early first century when the term was identified by the Roman scholar Celsus as:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Heat
• Pain

While we often think of inflammation as a splinter in our finger or an infected ingrown toenail, inflammation can show up any time the immune system responds to the site of injury. It does this by increasing white blood cells and other immune cells to help protect your body from further infections.

Injury and inflammation don't just happen when we get a splinter or stub our toe. Injury and inflammation can also show up inside the body, including in the gut.

All about chronic gut inflammation

Acute, short-lived inflammation can protect against disease and infection. But an extended period of inflammation, with a continuously activated immune system, can cause real problems for the rest of the body. This is called chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation occurs when your body is continuously stressed and stays stressed over time. Chronic inflammation is linked to diseases like:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Bowel disease

This is also true for gut inflammation.

During pregnancy, gut inflammation can impact the health of you and your baby. Excessive inflammation can impact the placental tissue, leading to dangerous outcomes like fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia.

Gut inflammation can also significantly interfere with your quality of life, causing painful symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea and/or blood in your stool
• Fatigue
• Reduced appetite
• Unintended weight loss
• Abdominal pain and cramps

Gut inflammation is mediated by certain players in the gut microbiome, especially mucus degraders, hydrogen sulfide producers, and Hexa-LPS containing species of bacteria.

Gut inflammation and your microbes

The gut contains an ecosystem of microbes. This ecosystem is known as the gut microbiome, where you’ll find bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi/yeast.

Under healthy conditions, a wide variety of microbes live in balance in your gut. This balance is known as homeostasis.

When in balance, your microbes have countless functions, which include interacting with the immune system. Several commensal, or friendly microbes, even play an important role in preventing inflammation.

However, the gut microbiome can fall out of balance. Some species can increase in levels, while others decrease. This imbalance can lead to gut inflammation.

Gut inflammation happens as the immune system tries to defend the body against a perceived threat. Certain microbial species have been found to contribute to chronic inflammation, including:

• Mucus degraders - Certain bacterial species—known as mucus degraders—feed on a thin layer of mucus that lines the inside of the gut. If there is an overgrowth of mucus-degrading bacteria, it can cause the mucus layer to thin, potentially leading to infection and even resulting in gut inflammation.
• Hydrogen sulfide producers - Some bacterial species produce damaging by-products such as hydrogen sulfide, which can damage the mucus layer of the gut and leave the gastrointestinal tract vulnerable to toxins and bacterial infection, ultimately leading to gut inflammation.
• Hexa-LPS containing species - Increased levels of Hexa-LPS-containing bacteria can increase chronic inflammation and the risk of many chronic physical and mental health diseases.

Inflammatory foods to avoid

You are what you eat. This age-old saying holds a lot of truth, especially when it comes to inflammation. Your diet can greatly influence your gut microbiome and therefore potentially reduce your risk of chronic inflammation.

Research has found higher levels of intestinal inflammatory markers with a greater intake of:

• Processed animal meats
• Processed foods
• Alcohols
• Refined sugars

Food additives have been associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers. Excessive alcohol intake has also been shown to have inflammatory effects on your body.

Consider reducing these inflammatory foods in your diet to potentially help reduce gut inflammation.

Five foods that lower inflammation

Anti-inflammatory diets encourage adding foods that can potentially decrease inflammation. The following are just some potential foods that have anti-inflammatory properties.

1. Berries

Berries contain several bioactive compounds, including:

• Phenolic acids
• Anthocyanins
• Flavonols
• Tannins
• Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

These bioactive compounds help to reduce inflammation. Some examples of berries with anti-inflammatory properties include:

• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Elderberries
• Goji berry

2. Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are high in dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins and contain the bioactive compound quercetin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Some examples include:

• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Beet Greens
• Kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Arugula
• Bok choy

3. Fatty fish

Fatty fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation. Some examples include:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Herring
• Sardines
• Trout
• Anchovies

4. Whole Grains

Research has shown that increasing whole grain consumption is associated with decreased inflammatory markers. Common examples include:

• Whole wheat
• Whole rice
• Oats
• Rye
• Barley
• Millets
• Sorghum
• Canary seed
• Fonio
• Farro
• Wild rice

5. Spices

Turmeric contains the bioactive compound curcumin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Cinnamon also has been shown to reduce inflammatory responses.

Identify and address gut imbalances to combat inflammation

Eating a diet high in antioxidant-rich, inflammation-lowering foods can play a big role in decreasing inflammation and the risk of developing future diseases. Understanding your unique gut microbiome with a Tiny Health gut test is a great first step if you are concerned about inflammation. Our gut health reports include age-specific gut inflammation markers, along with personalized diet and lifestyle recommendations.