Can eating certain foods guarantee a healthy life? Wine and cheese lover Sophie Morris attempted to find out
Inflammation has become a hot topic in health. A slow and long-term condition that raises the risk of diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and strokes, chronic inflammation is also thought to play a role in conditions such as long Covid, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis. But despite the vast number of anti-inflammatory products now available, such as drinks, supplements and diet books, there’s no single surefire way to avoid inflammation.
Chronic inflammation can be caused by a range of things, from an illness, infection or virus to stress and a poor diet. So can you really reduce it through lifestyle?
At 44, I am at least midway through my life, and have devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to certain things said to increase inflammation, such as pastries, bacon, burgers and wine. What’s more, inflammation is said to exacerbate the various symptoms of perimenopause - which I’d like to get ahead of.
Luckily for me, the foods that are said to help reduce or prevent inflammation are all things I enjoy, and already eat plenty of. Tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, almonds and walnuts, fatty fish - including tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel - fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges, along with herbs and spices are important foods in an anti-inflammatory diet.
It’s a very similar approach to the Mediterranean Diet, which focuses on fruit, veg, fish and legumes and is the dietary darling of health institutions the world over. “An anti-inflammatory diet does not follow strict rules about calories or portion sizes,” explains dietitian Dr Linia Patel, an expert in women’s health and the author of Food for Menopause. “It suggests a variety of anti-inflammatory foods to eat daily, rather than focusing on eating one or two specific foods or nutrients.”
” She adds that it also involves reducing ultra-processed foods, rfined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, processed meals and excess alcohol.
I decide to add a few extra antiinflammatory foods to each meal, and book the test recommended by Dr Natasha Fernando, medical director of Medichecks, which claims to measure inflammation levels. The Advanced Well Women test costs £159 and it takes five minutes at my local hospital to give the blood samples. The test looks at 47 “biomarkers”, one of which is C-Reactive Protein (CRP). This will indicate if low-level inflammation is evident in your body, but not where.
“This kind of inflammation doesn’t always show obvious signs, so it can be hard to catch early,” says Dr Fernando.
“Monitoring inflammation levels… helps us detect signs of serious conditions before they become full-blown diseases.”
” Although I eat in a similar pattern to the Med Diet roughlyfive days a week, I need to change a few things for this experiment. Alcohol is the first to go, except on weekends. Next, I focus on increasing variety in my diet.
I’ll often eat the same breakfast or lunch for a week, because of what’s in the fridge. So instead of eating blueberries for breakfast every day, I mix it up with plums, apples and raspberries. At lunch, I cut back on the bread and build meals around avocado and tinned fish. In the evening, I bulk up whatever I’m eating with beans or chickpeas.
A week in, I do feel somewhat rested, but I put this down entirely to cutting back on wine. I don’t feel like I’ve denied myself, possibly because I’ve been focusing more on cramming things onto my plate rather than taking them off. But I have become slightly obsessed with turmeric, well known as an anti-inflammatory, and add it to anything I can, from porridge and yoghurt to soup and stews.
“Several trials suggest that curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) has beneficial effects in a range of inflammatory diseases,” says Dr Patel. “However, it is not easily absorbed by the body, meaning you have to eat a lot of turmeric to have any impact.”
She also urges caution, explaining that inflammation is a complicated process and the connection between food and inflammation is still being researched.
The anti-inflammatory diet may not reduce inflammation for everyone, and may even exacerbate symptoms for those with gut disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. If you have a medical condition, always consult your doctor or dietitian before altering your diet.
Before I get my results, which arrive within three working days,
I start to worry. I’m thinking about the fact that I don’t want to be stuck following one eating regime for a long period.
I believe in eating what I desire at any given time. Very often this means whole, fresh food. But it also includes anything else I enjoy, such as wine, cheese or chocolate. What’s the point in improving longevity if you’re bored for your extended stay on this fine planet?
More to the point, we know diet is not the only cause of inflammation; stress is a huge factor, too. So if a little bit of wine relaxes me, isn’t that good? Dr Patel says I shouldn’t worry. “There are many foods that are believed to impact the inflammatory process, although the mechanism is not conclusive. What is clear is that there is no single antiinflammatory eating plan.”
” I feel lucky and relieved when I open my results to a clean bill of health, with very low levels of overall inflammation and nothing showing in my liver. I do discover I have low levels of some vitamins, and I plan to rectify this.
Getting a good result has an unexpected consequence. It makes me feel I should respect the luck I’ve been granted. Therefore I’m already thinking about new colours to add to my diet before testing again in 12 months time.