[article] Inflammation is swelling and redness inside the body. Inflammation usually occurs when your body fights with some kind of infection or anything that is foreign to your body - dust, plant pollen, or any microorganism. 

At such times, inflammation is natural and helps your body fight the infection and get rid of the foreign body. But sometimes, the inflammation persists, not just for one or two but a lot of days at a stretch. It is then that inflammation becomes a health risk.   

Most life-threatening diseases like cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and psychological disorders are also linked to internal inflammation. Although inflammation is a serious problem, you do not find the solution in a pharmacy, you find it in a grocery store instead. That is right, the only effective and sustainable solution for inflammation is in your diet. As much as your diet helps reduce inflammation, there are also some foods that aggravate it.  

Inflammation is not easily detected, if you are not sure, look for the following symptoms to know if you have internal inflammation:

-Unexplained fatigue 

-Joint pain and headache 

-Frequent acne breakouts  

Here are 7 foods that you need to cut down on to reduce the inflammation: 

1.Artificial sweeteners 

Artificial sweeteners, especially sucrose and high fructose corn syrup which are found in many processed and packaged foods are the most common inflammatory foods. These sweeteners cause the blood sugars to spike, which signals the body to release insulin which transports this sugar to the cells for energy. In case of too much sugar, insulin stores this excess sugar in the fat cells. This further leads to inflammation and other disorders like diabetes and obesity.   

2.Trans fats 

Packaged and processed foods are made using trans fats. Trans fats are basically hydrogenated fats that increase the shelf life of the products. These fats are found in almost all processed snack options and fried food options. These fats increase the shelf life of the products but they also affect your cholesterol levels. They increase the bad cholesterol or HDL levels in the blood and decrease the LDL levels, which leads to cardiac disorders.    

3.Red and processed meats

Meat products like smoked meat, bacon, salami, sausages, etc. go through a lot of processes. These processes also include salting, curing, and smoking to get the desired texture, taste, and shelf life. Although they have a great text, they are rich in saturated fats that promote inflammation. Excess or frequent consumption of these meats can lead to hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke, and other cardiac disorders which go hand in hand with inflammation.  

4.Omega-6 fatty acids 

Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of essential fats that your body uses for energy. These fats are not produced in the body and therefore, have to be obtained from your food. Foods like sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and mayonnaise, etc. Omega-6 fats help with the healthy levels of inflammation that help fight infections. Although, it is healthy only when it is in balance with omega-3 fatty acids. If omega-6 fatty acids are higher than omega-3, it leads to inflammation and cardiac disorders therewith.   

5.Refined carbohydrates 

Refined carbohydrates are similar to added sugars. When grains are processed and broken down into refined products, they lose all the good and nutritious stuff through the processes, the bran of fibrous coating of the grain wears off leaving only simple carbohydrates which are no different than sugars. Consumption of these refined products leads to inflammation and therefore disorders like diabetes and obesity.  

6.Gluten and casein 

You must have come across a lot of people who are intolerant to gluten or lactose and have to avoid those in the diet. Well, the science behind that is, these are two common allergens that more people are sensitive towards. We do not notice their effect on inflammation because the signs and symptoms are negligible like digestive issues, or joint pain, etc. Casein, a protein found in milk releases a hormone called IGF-1 which is similar to insulin and has a similar inflammatory effect.  

7.Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) 

Mono-sodium glutamate or popularly known as MSG is a common food additive that is mostly added to Asian food products or dishes to enhance the taste. You will find this in almost all Indo-Chinese food outlets, most kids suffer from digestion issues after consuming Indo-Chinese foods because of that. MSG affects liver health and also leads to chronic inflammation which has further ill effects on health.  

When it comes to internal inflammation, your diet plays a crucial role. There are no medicines that can help reduce inflammation. The solution for inflammation is in the kitchen, your diet can help you reduce it. Speaking of which, a detoxification diet helps best for an anti-inflammatory effect. Foods like vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables help inflammation.

 AndMe has brought to you the Green and Lean Drink which is formulated with 30+ vegetables and fruits and a nutritional blend of vitamins like C, E, K, and B complex.

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