Foods that can cause DNA- inflammation in your body

Long-term inflammation in your body can be dangerous: • It damages cell DNA, which can lead to cancer. • It increases insulin resistance, which can cause diabetes. • It promotes the growth of plaques in arteries and triggers blood clots, which can cause heart disease.

Your risk of chronic inflammation may be higher depending on your diet — sugar, processed meat, and fried foods can all cause inflammation in your body. Limiting these foods can help reduce inflammation and cut your risk of chronic diseases.

Here are four common types of foods that cause inflammation.

Sugary foods Foods that are high in sugar like soda and baked goods can trigger inflammation in two ways: 1. Sugar stimulates the production of fatty acids in your liver. "When the body digests these fatty acids, the resulting compounds can trigger inflammatory processes. 2. Eating sugary foods causes your body to produce more of the hormone insulin, which, in turn, boosts body fat. This is a problem because fat cells can produce chemicals in the body that lead to inflammation. Limiting the amount of high-sugar foods like cakes, cookies an& soda can help maintain a healthy body-fat percentage and reduce the risk of inflammation.

Processed meats Processed meats are meats that have been modified through curing, salting, smoking, or adding preserving chemicals (and is not the way nature left it/made it).

Examples of processed meats: • Bacon. • Deli meats. • Hot dogs. • Beef jerky. • Chicken nuggets. Processed tend to be high in saturated fat. Studies have found that eating fatty processed meats may cause weight gain and inflammation.

Some cooking oils Many common cooking oils contain a type of fat called omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fats are not necessarily bad — your body uses them for energy and normal growth. Omega-6 fats need to be in a careful balance with omega-3 fats that you can get from foods like salmon, mackerel, and flaxseed (please go organic or find a friendly source where you can get omega-3 supplements and make sure it is fish or seaweed oil). If you eat too much omega-6 fat, it can throw off this balance, which triggers inflammation.

Some common cooking oils that contain omega-6 fats include: • Corn oil. • Canola oil. • Sunflower oil. • Safflower oil. • Peanut oil.

Fried foods Fried foods like chicken nuggets, doughnuts, and french fries are big inflammation culprits for several reasons: • Fried foods tend to have high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. • They often contain trans fats. • Fried foods produce compounds in the body called advanced glycation end products, also known as AGEs. These compounds directly stimulate inflammation in the body.

Advance glycation are proteins or lipids that become glycated as a result of exposure to sugars. They are a bio-marker implicated in aging and the development, or worsening, of many degenerative disease, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease as well as Alzheimer’s disease.

Anti-inflammatory foods There are also many anti-inflammatory foods that can help fight chronic inflammation in your body. These foods are rich in key compounds like antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that work to reduce your levels of inflammatory proteins.

Some key anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet include: • Fatty fish. • Extra-virgin olive oil. • Fruits and veggies like oranges, broccoli, and peppers. • Nuts. • Berries. • Tomatoes.

Inflammation is a major health concern, and your diet can have a huge effect on the levels of inflammation in your body. Avoiding foods like sugar, packaged snacks, and processed meats can help you control inflammation and lower your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease. Remember that the overall content of your diet is more important than any one meal.

In other words, if your diet is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with moderate amounts of lean proteins, the occasional intake of your favorite sweet treat is absolutely fine and even great to have.