In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, I would like to touch on cancer and an anti-inflammatory eating pattern.
There is evidence to support the suggestion that inflammation may play a role in cancer development and progression. It is estimated that at least 30% of cancer deaths are attributed to poor nutrition and that nutrition contributes approximately 35% to causal factors of cancer. While there is still no absolute cure for cancer, there are numerous studies investigating various nutrition-related factors and their role in preventing or enhancing risk for cancer. An anti-inflammatory pattern of eating shows promising results in potentially decreasing the risk for cancer.
Inflammation can be chronic or acute. Acute inflammation typically occurs with some sort of injury to the body. It is helpful in protecting and healing the body by improving blood flow and recruiting white blood cells to fight off infection. However, inflammation can be harmful when it becomes chronic and/or systemic (throughout your entire body).
Chronic inflammation can be attributed to various factors, including excessive consumption of alcohol, trans-fat and processed sugar, sleep deprivation, chronic stress, and smoking. Chronic inflammation is also present in Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Dietary factors can play a role in decreasing inflammation through effects on cell signaling and gene expression (omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, plant flavonoids), reducing the production of damaging oxidized free radicals (antioxidants), and promoting gut barrier function and anti-inflammatory responses (pre- and probiotics).
Anti-Inflammatory Eating Pattern
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables!
– Beets may help to prevent the toxins in our body from oxidizing and causing inflammation and inflammatory damage.
– Berries are high in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties!
– Cabbage provides alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory effects.
– Tart cherries have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve sleep athletic performance as an added bonus! - Choose fats that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as olive oil, canola oil, flax, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
– Walnuts may decrease C-reactive protein in the blood, which serves as an inflammatory marker. - Incorporate fatty fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, or mackerel that are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Do this by enjoying fish about two times per week.
- Favor whole grains (over refined grains) such as brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, and amaranth.
- Include spices such as ginger, curry, turmeric, and rosemary.
– Turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It works by turning off NF-kappa B, a protein that triggers the process of inflammation.
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