Diet & Chronic Inflammation: What does the science say?

Firstly, I think it’s important to note that when talking about diets, there should not be a blame or onus put on anyone. There are so many factors in play that determine what we eat that are outside of our control - affordability, access, convenience, knowledge, attitudes of ourselves and others, our environment, the list goes on! Often, when dealing with chronic conditions or illness, there are multiple factors at play, including diet, stress, trauma and other social/psychological factors. In many people struggling, there are shared feelings that it feels like it is all on them to fix themselves, physically and mentally, which can contribute to additional stress and further symptoms. In blogs like this, I want to share the science so that you are informed, but there is no pressure to implement or feel the need to make changes immediately. Taking a gentle and compassionate approach is so important - it is all our first time living on this planet! We want to give you a quick guide that cuts through the noise, rather than create more. 

Inflammation is a natural, built-in biological response of your immune system. It’s what helps you heal from an injury, fight infections and it protects your body. It is a helpful response used by our body to heal us. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, meaning it persists over time, it can contribute to a variety of long-term health issues including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some neurodegenerative conditions (1). Symptoms that develop alongside chronic inflammation include fatigue, joint plain, headaches and digestive issues. In short, we need inflammation as acute increases in inflammatory markers indicate our bodies are doing their job in healing and fighting infection. However, certain illnesses and lifestyle factors can cause long-term increase in the inflammatory response, which can lead to a range of health difficulties. 

Inflammation is part of our immune response, and our diets impact our immune system through changes in gut bacteria which affect immune cells. In fact, roughly 70% of our immune system is in the gut. You may have seen us refer to the gut as the second brain before on BMC. 

Foods that are ultra-processed foods, and/or high in sugar, saturated fat, salt and additives like flavouring and preservatives are associated with an increase in the production of inflammatory mediators in the body (what controls our inflammatory response) and increased inflammatory biomarkers (the substances that indicate levels of inflammation in the body). 

Recent research suggests that there are certain foods that may actually help modulate inflammation and support overall health, these are considered the ‘anti-inflammatory’ foods. These are foods that are rich in antioxidants, fibre and bioactive compounds (for example, fermented foods such as live yoghurt, kimchi, sourdough). 

In short - no. But it is a factor. The relationship between diet and inflammation is nuanced as there are many other factors that are associated with inflammation, such as:

Many of these factors may be present at one time, and each of them influences each other. For example, a person who is stressed due to working long hours may have less time to exercise, be more likely to eat a takeaway to save time which is usually higher in salt and saturated fat, and have poor sleep due to worries about work. Or someone who has experienced a high level of psychological distress or trauma may be struggling with persistent ‌fatigue, resulting in them choosing something easier to prepare to ensure they eat over something that is laborious to prepare but a healthier option. 

In summary, it seems there is an association between diet and inflammation, with intake of ‘pro inflammatory foods’ that are higher in salt, sugar etc being associated with increased inflammation. Whilst some studies show results suggesting anti-inflammatory diets (such as the mediterranean diet or one high in fermented foods) may be beneficial, there are still inconsistent results, however the research is in its early days.