If I had to pick one recommendation to improve most people's health, that recommendation would be to decrease inflammation. Inflammation is your body's way of protecting itself from injury, illness, and infection. However, runaway inflammation has profound effects on your health. Uncontrolled inflammation is implicated in a wide range of chronic conditions, including obesity, pain, anxiety/depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and many others.

All Disease Begins in the Gut

Hippocrates stated, “All disease begins in the gut.” If inflammation is a crucial component of most chronic disease, then most conditions DO begin in the gut. Although Hippocrates could not have known, inflammation is dependent on the presence and absence of particular gut bacteria.

The bacteria of the gut ebb and flow quickly in response to dietary intake. The healthiest microbiome is broadly diverse. Populations, where gut diversity is high, have the lowest incidence of western diseases such as obesity and heart disease. Western patterns of eating that include lots of animal protein, refined carbohydrates, lack of fiber, and saturated fat are highly pro-inflammatory. Worsening health is brought about by an increase in pro-inflammatory bacteria, and/or a decrease in anti-inflammatory bacteria. It is interesting to note that immigrants who adopt a western pattern of eating and forego their traditional diet, quickly remodel their flora and ultimately suffer from all the same Western diseases that are rare in their native environments.

It gets worse. Other pro-inflammatory "bad actors" are the emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners found in most commercial products. All alter the composition of the microbiome, and especially in the case of emulsifiers, alter gut-barrier function. A breakdown in the gut-barrier function adds to the body's inflammatory load.

How do Bacteria Decrease Inflammation?

So how do bacteria prevent inflammation? The "anti-inflammatory" effects of bacteria are due, in part, to short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs include propionate, acetate, and butyrate. Crucial bacteria produce SCFAs through the consumption of dietary fiber. Additionally, preliminary studies show that exercise, sleep, and stress all seem to impact the numbers of SCFA producing bacteria.

I will soon write an entry on SCFAs, but for the time being, know these substances have a broad range of effects both locally in the gut and throughout the body. One of the hallmarks of Western patterns of eating is low fiber intake. Americans, especially those that rely on the products of Big Food, get almost no dietary fiber. If you don't feed your beneficial gut bacteria the fiber they need, their numbers dwindle, and other bacteria thrive in their place. The result is a decrease in anti-inflammatory bacteria and a decrease in gut and systemic SCFAs.

How do I Increase the Number of Anti-Inflammatory Bacteria in my Gut?

Gut microbial populations change quickly in response to diet/environment. I chose the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine for my fellowship because of the program's focus on lowering inflammation. Eating anti-inflammatory foods and /or an anti-inflammatory diet is the foundation on which all other health behaviors can be built. In order to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet, you must be aware of both beneficial and detrimental foods.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods and the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

What we eat profoundly influences inflammation. Pro-inflammatory foods should be avoided. Pro-inflammatory foods include:

• Refined carbohydrates: white bread, white pasta

• Sugars and artificial sweeteners: Table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, non-nutritive sweeteners

• Desserts: cookies, candy, cake, and ice cream

• Processed snack foods: crackers, chips, and pretzels

• Sugary beverages: soda, fruit juice

• Processed meat: hot dogs, bologna, sausages, etc.

• Certain oils: processed seed and vegetable oils like soybean and corn oil

• Trans fats: partially hydrogenated ingredients

In short—most of the prepackaged foods found in the center of a grocery store. If you eliminate these foods from your diet and instead substitute whole, primarily plant-based foods, you'll be well on your way to improving your health. The diet I usually recommend is based on the Mediterranean Diet.

The benefits of a Mediterranean Diet are well-known. A Mediterranean diet decreases inflammation throughout your body. What are these foods? Think of meals eaten in Italy or Greece. Anti-inflammatory foods include fruits and vegetables, nuts, leafy greens, olive oil. Anti-inflammatory diets are primarily, but not exclusively, plant-based. The anti-inflammatory foods are rich in antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber that either has direct effects on health and/or stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. I was taught many of these effects were by the direct action of the chemicals in the food (e.g., olive oil). But now, I believe a more significant influence is through the stimulation of anti-inflammatory bacteria of the gut.

Andrew Weil popularized the "Anti-Inflammatory Diet." The Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid is an invaluable resource if you're looking to revamp your diet. The focus is on preparing your food and steering clear of industrialized Big Food products. His two cookbooks are excellent places to start.

True Food Kitchen

If you're curious about what anti-inflammatory meals taste like and live close to a True Food Kitchen, I'd strongly recommend you give them a try. I was amazed the first time I visited (in Scottsdale, AZ). Since then, I have been to three other locations. Sadly, the closest location to us is in Fairfax, VA.

Talk to your Healthcare Provider

Changing diet is a low-risk intervention with potential huge benefits. As with any significant change you make in your life that could impact your health, you should discuss what you plan to do with your healthcare provider. If you plan to add supplements or botanicals to your anti-inflammatory regimen, it is doubly important to consult your physician. Many supplements and botanicals influence the action of pharmaceuticals.

Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet and anti-inflammatory lifestyle had a profound impact on my health. I hope it will help you too.