The many diseases of civilization have the common denominator of inflammation. Food can act like low-dose long-term medication - anti-inflammatory.Ailments such as heart attacks, strokes, hay fever, asthma, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome are caused by a silent chronic inflammatory tendency in the body. Medicine refers to this as silent inflammation.

In times like now, when viruses, flu and colds are rampant, an anti-inflammatory diet is particularly important to support your immune system!

Unlike inflamed joints or pus-filled pimples, silent inflammation is usually not noticeable. That's why it's important to look closely.

Other signs of silent inflammation

• Constant tiredness
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Diarrhea
• A slightly elevated CRP value above 0.5 in the blood (CRP ultrasensitive can be measured by your GP)

5 important measures for silent inflammation

1. Anti-inflammatory foods are now part of the daily diet.
2. Reduce toxins from water and food, cosmetics, household items and cleaning products.
3. Eat slowly, chew well and take breaks between meals.
4. Probiotic and prebiotic foods/products are often useful or even necessary to build up the intestinal flora.
5. In addition, a stress-reducing lifestyle through mindfulness, exercise, mediation and gratitude. Incidentally, IHHT cell training is a great way to reduce stress and inflammation.

I would like to take a closer look at point 1, the anti-inflammatory diet, at this point.

The building blocks of an anti-inflammatory diet

Antioxidants - guardian angels of the body's cells

Oxygen is essential for human life. At the same time, oxygen can also form aggressive compounds in the body that attack the cells. These compounds are called "free radicals". Antioxidants keep cells healthy by intercepting these free radicals.

The main source of antioxidants is found in fruit and vegetables. So stock the vegetable drawer of your fridge with these foods to prevent silent inflammation in the first place:

• Green leafy vegetables such as kale/kale, chard or pak choy, as a source of vitamin C, carotenoids(precursor to vitamin A) and vitamin K.
• Mineral-rich vegetablessuch as celery as a source of potassium and antioxidants.
• Beet, which fights inflammation thanks to its antioxidant red pigment betanin, also provides you with other anti-inflammatory nutrients such as potassium and magnesium and promotes oxygen uptake in the muscle.
• Broccoliis the poster child for healthy eating, containing good amounts of potassiumand magnesium, as well as a good mix of vitamins, flavonoidsand carotenoids, which together help to reduce oxidative stress in the body.
• Blueberriesfor their quercetin and other flavonoid content, as well as their vitamin C content, which protect your cells from inflammation. Other dark berries or fruits such as blackberries and cherries are also recommended.

The rule of thumb to remember is: the more colorful, the better! Variety is important here. And: don't forget the "green" in all the "colorfulness".

Omega-3 fatty acids - fire extinguishers for silent inflammation

Omega-3 is one of the best-known and best-studied anti-inflammatory nutrients. Incorporate omega-3-rich foods into your diet every day, such as:

• Walnuts (tree nuts)
• Wild-caught salmon and other cold-water marine fish
• Chia seeds
• linseed
• Wild meat or meat from species-appropriately reared and fed grazing animals

It is essential to note that omega-3 can only have an anti-inflammatory effect if you make sure you eat a carbohydrate-conscious diet.This means that starchy side dishes such as pasta, rice, bread and so on should only be a small portion (just a side dish) and sugar is counterproductive for an anti-inflammatory diet.

The omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is particularly important for the brain. The requirement is met almost exclusively from animal fats such as salmon and the like, because the body can utilize omega-3 from animal sources much better than omega-3 from plant sources. I therefore recommend that vegans supplement their diet with omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae.

Good fats - an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet

Fear of fat is still widespread, although the supposed harmfulness of fat has been clearly refuted.

For example, the high antioxidant content of coconut oil makes it an important companion in the fight against inflammation and free radicals. It is important to use cold-pressed, non-hydrogenated coconut oil. The oil is very heat-stable and can also be used for frying without hesitation.

High-quality linseed oil, rapeseed oil and olive oil round off the range of oils that you can use, especially in cold dishes.

Foods that should be avoided

1. Sugar promotes inflammatory messenger substances in the body. You should therefore avoid sugar as often as possible.
2. Sunflower oil does not have the optimal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.
3. Pork has a high content of arachidonic acid, which according to nutritional researchers can fuel the development of inflammation. Your own meat consumption should generally be kept low.

What else is part of an anti-inflammatory diet?

My aim with this article is to give you some encouragement that you have a good chance of alleviating your inflammatory symptoms with an appropriately designed diet.

Unfortunately, good fats and sufficient vitamins are often missing from our everyday diets. However, omega-3 and all kinds of vitamins can also be taken in the form of food supplements.

In addition, there are intestinal cleansing measures such as a detoxification cure, stress reduction or the intake of gastrointestinal supplements, which I have already reported on in various podcast episodes. This will make your anti-inflammatory strategy a well-rounded one!

Recipe tip: Baked vegetables

Literature tips

• A great book on the subject of anti-inflammatory nutrition(don't let the book title mislead you) is: "SCHLANK! und gesund mit der Doc Fleck Methode "* by Dr. med. Anne Fleck
• To find out how antioxidants are also used in cancer therapy and to strengthen the immune system, I can recommend the book "Krebszellen mögen keine Himbeeren "* by Prof. Dr. med. Richard Béliveau and Dr. med. Denis Gingras
• If you would like to find out more about the importance of fat in the fight against chronic diseases, I recommend the book "Der Keto-Kompass "* by Ulrike Gonder, Julia Tulipan, Marina Lommel and Dr. Brigitte Karner, MD

I would now be interested: How colorful is your diet already? Do you have any questions about anti-inflammatory nutrition? Just write to me in the comments box!