What’s inflammation all about – and can diet ease it?
Can certain foods take the heat out of inflammation, a condition now linked to a wide range of chronic health problems including heart disease and Alzheimer’s? Some headlines suggest combating it is as easy as sipping a daily cup of turmeric tea – but is it really? Sue Quinn investigates
THE SANE VIEW
Anti-inflammatory eating has now been added to an already overladen platter of popular diets. It’s an approach that focuses on foods widely claimed to combat a kind of inflammation linked to chronic health problems. Touted as the ‘next big thing’ by some health and wellbeing websites, anti-inflammatory diets are now the focus of cookbooks and extensive media coverage. The pungent orange spice turmeric, meanwhile, is the current ‘superfood’ of choice for celebrities because of its widely touted anti-inflammatory properties.
The hype surrounding antiinflammatory foods stems from mounting scientific evidence linking inflammation with a disparate range of health problems including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and rheumatoid arthritis. Many claims are made on the internet and in the media about the curative properties of specific foods including turmeric, tomatoes, olive oil and oily fish.