New research reveals that nearly 60% of Americans have diets that promote inflammation, increasing the risk for chronic diseases. The study underscores disparities and offers solutions for adopting anti-inflammatory diets.
Nearly 60% of Americans are consuming diets that promote inflammation, significantly raising their risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. This finding comes from a new study that utilized a decade-old tool designed to measure dietary inflammation.
The study also identified specific demographics more inclined toward pro-inflammatory diets, notably Black Americans, men and individuals with lower incomes.
“Overall, 57% of U.S. adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income,” lead author Rachel Meadows, visiting faculty in The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health, said in a news release.
This comprehensive research employed the dietary inflammatory index, analyzing the diets of over 34,500 adults from the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using this tool, diets were assigned an inflammation value ranging from −9 to 8, where 0 is neutral. The results showed that 34% of participants had anti-inflammatory diets, while 9% had diets with neutral inflammatory levels.
The findings, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, challenge older dietary measures that typically focus on the intake of specific food groups or macronutrients. The study emphasizes that the overall balance of diet significantly impacts inflammation levels.
“But inflammation is an important element to consider and the overall balance of diet is most important,” added Meadows. “Even if you’re eating enough fruits or vegetables, if you’re having too much alcohol or red meat, then your overall diet can still be pro-inflammatory.”
Meadows emphasized that the key is to look at food less in terms of good or bad and more in terms of adding anti-inflammatory elements to the diet. Suggestions include incorporating garlic, ginger, turmeric, and green and black tea, which are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
“Moving toward a diet with less inflammation could have a positive impact on a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even depression and other mental health conditions,” she added.
Meadows also highlighted the challenges, pointing out that poor access to healthier food options and their higher costs can be significant barriers, particularly for lower-income communities.
Additional non-dietary factors, such as stress and adverse childhood experiences, contribute to chronic inflammation, making it a complex issue to tackle. However, Meadows argues that diet can be an effective tool in mitigating these effects.
“There are a lot of factors that contribute to chronic inflammation, and they all interact – even sleep is a key component. Diet can be used as a tool to combat that,” Meadows added.
This study delineates an urgent public health concern, addressing the need for targeted interventions and increased access to beneficial foods to combat the prevalence of inflammation-promoting diets. The fight against chronic disease, it suggests, begins with what’s on our plates.