Anti-inflammatory diets are popular! Expert: But it is not enough to give the body anti-inflammatory food alone

Let's not be attracted by the novelty of diet names, but understand that what diet ultimately seeks is health and diversity. While ensuring a healthy diet, we must also develop good living habits, such as regular work and rest, insisting on exercise, etc., which help to resist chronic low-grade inflammation.

Wang Kun

Vice Chairman of the Tumor Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Professional Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, Chief Physician of the Department of Nutrition of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital

As a big country in gastronomy, Chinese pay special attention to eating. Recently, many food bloggers on social media have begun to introduce a new way of eating, the anti-inflammatory diet, claiming that the use of this diet can strengthen the body's immunity, reduce the risk of inflammatory infections, and even reduce the probability of cancer.

Wang Kun, deputy chairman of the Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Professional Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association and chief physician of the Nutrition Department of the Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, said in an interview with the Science and Technology Daily reporter that do not be overly superstitious about a specific diet, diversified dietary styles and healthy lifestyles are the best "weapons" to resist diseases.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is the invisible "killer" of health

A moderate inflammatory response is a normal physiological response of the body to resist the invasion of external pathogens and remove its own necrotic tissue, so it is beneficial to the human body.

"But persistent inflammation inevitably causes damage to the body." In daily life, common inflammations, such as teeth inflammation, wound inflammation, etc., are acute inflammation. Wang Kun introduced, but the inflammation that the anti-inflammatory diet should fight is not this acute inflammation, but chronic low-grade inflammation. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a non-specific, persistent low-grade inflammatory state in which the body exhibits long-term, low-dose stimulation of specific immunogens.

Chronic low-grade inflammation has similarities and differences with acute inflammation.

Acute inflammation comes and goes in a hurry, and when the pathogen is eliminated, the inflammation subsides quickly. But when persistent, stable, low-grade inflammatory stimuli are present, inflammation becomes a chronic, persistent damage that affects the state of surrounding tissues, eventually leading to severe tissue damage, causing damage to one or more organs.

"Tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1 and C-reactive protein (CRP), etc. are all pro-inflammatory cytokines, and if these cells are secreted in excess of standards for a long time, they will put the body in a weakened 'immune stress' state." Long-term immersion in this environment will produce many adverse effects, and will also increase the probability of suffering from major diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and neurological diseases. Wang Kun further explained that chronic low-grade inflammation can cause DNA damage, causing DNA mutations, which can lead to the occurrence of cancer. In addition, in animal models, certain inflammatory factors can promote atherosclerosis and the formation of blood clots.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is difficult to be perceived and perceived, and it is not easy to find through routine physical examination, so chronic low-grade inflammation is also known as the "invisible killer" of human health.

Diet is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation

"Diet is indeed closely related to chronic low-grade inflammation." Wang Kun introduced that when people eat every day, the intestine will produce inflammatory transmitters during the metabolic process. If high-fat and high-fat foods are ingested, inflammatory transmitters can be overexpressed, leading to inflammation. But some substances, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, can inhibit the expression of prostate cyclooxidase and have anti-inflammatory effects.

Data show that foods rich in saturated fats, sugars, salts and other low levels of fiber can induce inflammation and autoimmune response after entering the intestine, such foods are called "pro-inflammatory foods". Some foods can improve the level of inflammatory biomarkers in the human body and help reduce inflammation in the human body, so they are called "anti-inflammatory foods".

"Like leafy greens, fruits, and some whole grains, they are rich in antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E and the mineral element selenium, which strengthen the body's immunity and slow the progression of chronic inflammation. At the same time, they also contain a lot of food fiber, which helps reduce the amount of certain inflammatory cytokines in the blood. Wang Kun said that such food can be classified as "anti-inflammatory food."

A healthy lifestyle is an anti-inflammatory "weapon"

"The human body is very complex, and the occurrence of any disease is caused by many causes. Therefore, to resist disease, it is not enough to eat 'anti-inflammatory food'. Wang Kun said that in order to better fight inflammation, it is also very important to change bad living habits such as staying up late and smoking, because these habits will cause an increase in inflammatory cytokines in the blood.

In addition, people's mental health will also have a great impact on physical health, if you are under pressure for a long time, accompanied by depression, anxiety, sadness and other emotions, it is also easy to increase the level of inflammation in the human body and reduce immunity. "To learn to adapt to the environment and maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, immunity can better play its role and fight inflammation." Wang Kun said.

"At the same time, don't ignore the inflammatory diseases you already have, such as gastritis, hepatitis, enteritis, etc." Wang Kun explained that patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colitis have a significantly increased risk of colorectal cancer; the risk of liver cancer in long-term hepatitis B and C virus carriers is much higher than that of ordinary people.

"In short, whether it's the ketogenic diet that was on fire before or the anti-inflammatory diet that has recently become popular, let's not be attracted by the novelty of diet names, but understand that what diet ultimately pursues is health and diversity." Wang Kun stressed that healthy eating is also part of a healthy lifestyle, while ensuring a healthy diet, we must also develop good living habits, such as regular work and rest, adhere to exercise, etc., which help to resist chronic low-grade inflammation.