What is inflammation, how is inflammation and diet connected, and what does this mean for my health?
Have you heard of chronic inflammation? Chances are, you have! This health hot topic has become a buzzword, trending across social media, news outlets, and wellness blogs alike.
In this blog, we will clear up any confusion about what inflammation is, how our diet influences inflammation in the body, and how the Dietary Inflammation Index can analyze your diet.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s normal immune response to injury, infection, or exposure to certain substances1. Its job is to promote healing and protect the body from toxins and invaders. In small doses, inflammation is a necessary and healthy part of life. However, too much can do more harm than good.
There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation occurs in a fever, infection, or injury, and only lasts a couple of days to a few weeks. Chronic inflammation, however, can last from a few weeks to months to years as a result of environmental toxins, stress, and adverse health behaviors (such as regularly drinking too much alcohol or smoking tobacco products).
Some common lifestyle triggers of chronic inflammation include1:
- Chronic stress
- Low levels of exercise
- Imbalance of healthy and unhealthy microbes in your gut
- Regular consumption of foods high in trans fat or salt
- Disrupted sleep and circadian rhythm
- Exposure to toxins, including air pollution, hazardous waste, and industrial chemicals
Some signs you might be experiencing chronic inflammation include abdominal or chest pain, fatigue, insomnia, fever, joint pain or stiffness, skin rash, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, weight gain or loss, and frequent infections.
Unchecked chronic inflammation can result in health problems in the long run, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, psoriasis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis1,2,3.
Inflammation From Our Diets
Our diets significantly influence inflammation levels in the body. No individual food is responsible for chronic inflammation (unless you have an allergy, for example gluten in those with celiac disease). It is a pattern of certain eating habits that can result in chronic inflammation3.
The standard American diet, which is high in red meat, ultra-processed foods, and low in fruits and vegetables, is known to cause chronic inflammation3. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet is known to reduce inflammation due to the focus on plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and plant-based protein sources3. Other diets, such as traditional Chinese and Japanese, have shown to have anti-inflammatory properties as well.
The Anti-Inflammatory diet draws from two traditional healthy eating patterns that come from both Asian and Mediterranean cultures. It focuses on eating fresh foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of protein sources4.
The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII)
The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) measures the inflammatory effect of an individual’s diet, using an algorithm to calculate your final score. Higher scores (i.e., positive values) represent pro-inflammatory diets; lower scores (i.e., negative values) correspond to anti-inflammatory diets.
The score summarizes the effect of your diet on these six inflammatory biomarkers:
- Interleukins: IL-1B, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10
- Tumor necrosis factor-α and
- Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP)
The DII is comprehensive and demonstrates the importance of the total diet in promoting health5. It was developed through an extensive review of thousands of research papers published between 1950 and 20106.
Using the DII would require the help of a registered dietitian or qualified health professional. There is no website or application that currently exists to easily calculate your personal score.
Main Takeaways
In summary, the DII is a tool health professionals use to organize food by their inflammatory potential. While the DII is a good measure, it is not perfect. A single score is not representative of the entire picture. Still, this score, in combination with blood tests and other measures, can help provide a clearer image of your health.
Do you have some of the symptoms of chronic inflammation? Consult a registered dietitian to assess your risk of chronic inflammation and explore ways to relieve your symptoms.
Sources:
- “Inflammation: What you need to know,” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation (accessed Dec. 3, 2024).
- L. Qing, Y. Zhu, C. Yu, Y. Zhang, and J. Ni, “Exploring the association between dietary inflammatory index and chronic pain in US adults using NHANES 1999–2004,” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, no. 1, Apr. 2024. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-58030-w
- E. McDonald, “What foods cause or reduce inflammation?,” Foods that Cause Inflammation & How to Reduce Inflammation – UChicago Medicine, https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/gastrointestinal-articles/what-foods-cause-or-reduce-inflammation (accessed Dec. 3, 2024).
- “Food as medicine: Anti-inflammatory Diet,” Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, https://www.chop.edu/health-resources/food-medicine-anti-inflammatory-diet#:~:text=The%20anti%2Dinflammatory%20(AI),foods%20and%20avoids%20processed%20foods. (accessed Dec. 3, 2024).
- C. Agnoli, G. Pounis, and V. Krogh, “Chapter 4 – Dietary Pattern Analysis,” in Science Direct, San Diego , California: Academic Press, 2019, pp. 75–101
- J. R. Hébert, N. Shivappa, M. D. Wirth, J. R. Hussey, and T. G. Hurley, “Perspective: The dietary inflammatory index (DII)—lessons learned, improvements made, and future directions,” Advances in Nutrition, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 185–195, Mar. 2019. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy071
