5 Foods That Cause Inflammation
Many foods can contribute to inflammation and chronic disease, including foods high in added sugar, refined carbs, fried foods, alcohol, and meats cooked at high temperatures.
Inflammation can be good or bad, depending on the situation.
On one hand, it’s your body’s natural way of protecting itself when you’re injured or sick.
It can help your body defend itself from illness and stimulate healing.
On the other hand, chronic, sustained inflammation is linked to an increased risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).
Interestingly, the foods you eat can significantly affect inflammation in your body.
Here are 5 foods that can cause inflammation.
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- Sugar and high fructose corn syrup
Table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are the two main types of added sugar in the Western diet.
Sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose, while high fructose corn syrup is about 45% glucose and 55% fructose (3Trusted Source).
One of the reasons that added sugars are harmful is that they can increase inflammation, which can lead to disease (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
In one study, mice fed high sucrose diets developed breast cancer that spread to their lungs, partly due to the inflammatory response to sugar (5Trusted Source).
In another 2011 study, the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids were impaired in mice fed a high sugar diet (7Trusted Source).
What’s more, in a randomized clinical trial in which people drank regular soda, diet soda, milk, or water, only those in the regular soda group had increased levels of uric acid, which drives inflammation and insulin resistance (6Trusted Source).
Sugar can also be harmful because it supplies excess amounts of fructose.
While the small amounts of fructose in fruits and vegetables are fine, consuming large amounts from added sugars can negatively affect health.
Eating a lot of fructose has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Also, researchers have noted that fructose causes inflammation within the endothelial cells that line your blood vessels, which is a risk factor for heart disease (11Trusted Source).
High fructose intake has likewise been shown to increase several inflammatory markers in mice and humans (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
Foods high in added sugar include candy, chocolate, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, sweet pastries, and certain cereals.
SUMMARY
Consuming a diet high in sugar and high fructose corn syrup drives inflammation that can lead to disease. It may also counteract the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Fried foods
In addition to being high in fat and calories, fried foods like French fries, mozzarella sticks, doughnuts, and egg rolls may also increase levels of inflammation in the body.
This is because certain high heat cooking methods, including frying, can increase the production of harmful compounds like advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can drive inflammation and contribute to chronic disease (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Frying may also increase the amount of trans fats in cooking oils, which can also promote inflammation (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
Some research suggests that fried foods can influence the composition of the gut microbiome, which could increase levels of inflammation (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
Additionally, other studies have found that fried food consumption may be associated with an increased risk of developing and dying from heart disease (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
SUMMARYFried foods
In addition to being high in fat and calories, fried foods like French fries, mozzarella sticks, doughnuts, and egg rolls may also increase levels of inflammation in the body.
This is because certain high heat cooking methods, including frying, can increase the production of harmful compounds like advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can drive inflammation and contribute to chronic disease (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Frying may also increase the amount of trans fats in cooking oils, which can also promote inflammation (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
Some research suggests that fried foods can influence the composition of the gut microbiome, which could increase levels of inflammation (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
Additionally, other studies have found that fried food consumption may be associated with an increased risk of developing and dying from heart disease (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Frying foods can increase the formation of harmful compounds that could increase inflammation, including AGEs and trans fats. Studies also show that fried foods can impact the gut microbiome and may be linked to a higher risk of chronic disease.
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- Refined carbohydrates
Though carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap, many foods high in carbohydrates are highly nutritious and can fit into a well-rounded diet.
However, eating excessive amounts of refined carbs can drive inflammation (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
Refined carbs have had most of their fiber removed. Fiber promotes fullness, improves blood sugar control, and feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut (28Trusted Source).
Researchers suggest that the refined carbs in the modern diet may encourage the growth of inflammatory gut bacteria that can increase your risk of obesity and inflammatory bowel disease (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).
Refined carbs have a higher glycemic index (GI) than unprocessed ones. High GI foods raise blood sugar more rapidly than low GI foods (31Trusted Source).
In one study, children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis who followed a low GI diet for 3 months experienced significant reductions in markers of inflammation compared to a control group (32Trusted Source).
Another review had similar findings, reporting that a low GI diet could decrease levels of interleukin-6, a marker of inflammation, more effectively than a high GI diet in people with diabetes (33Trusted Source).
Refined carbohydrates are found in candy, bread, pasta, pastries, some cereals, cookies, cakes, sugary soft drinks, and all processed foods that contain added sugar or flour.
SUMMARY
High fiber, unprocessed carbs are nutritious, but refined carbs raise blood sugar levels and promote inflammation that may contribute to disease.
- Excessive alcohol
Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits (34Trusted Source).
However, higher amounts can lead to severe problems.
In one 2010 study, levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, increased in people who consumed alcohol. Those who had more than two drinks per day had the highest CRP levels (35Trusted Source).
People who drink heavily may develop problems with bacterial toxins moving out of the colon and into the body. This condition — often called “leaky gut” — can drive widespread inflammation that leads to organ damage (36Trusted Source).
To avoid alcohol-related health problems, intake should be limited to two standard drinks per day for males and one for females (37Trusted Source).Meats cooked at high temperatures
Consuming meats cooked at high temperatures — including processed meats like bacon, sausage, ham, and smoked meat — is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer (38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source).
Other high heat cooking methods include grilling, barbecuing, roasting, frying, toasting, and searing.
Cooking meats at high temperatures leads to the formation of inflammatory compounds known as AGEs (41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).
In addition to promoting inflammation, AGEs are also thought to contribute to chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes (43Trusted Source).
Interestingly, marinating meats in acidic solutions, such as lemon juice or vinegar, before grilling or roasting can reduce the amount of AGEs by half (44Trusted Source).
Another way to minimize the formation of AGEs is to cook meats for shorter periods of time and opt for moist heat cooking methods, including boiling, steaming, poaching, or stewing (44Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Meats cooked at high temperatures, including processed meats, are high in AGEs, which have been linked to inflammation and chronic disease.
The bottom line
Inflammation can occur in response to many triggers, some of which are hard to prevent, including pollution, injury, or sickness.
However, you have much more control over factors like your diet.
To stay as healthy as possible, keep inflammation down by minimizing you
