Inflammation is the culprit behind a surprising number of diseases. Just about anything in your body can become inflamed. Most people still associate inflammation with joint pain and muscle and tendon injuries. But inflammation can crop up in your digestive system, your heart, and even your brain. Inflammation can be localized in a specific spot, or it can be spread out. It can affect large organs and the tiniest cells. It’s no wonder that inflammation can lead to health problems like diabetes, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
If you’re looking for a way to stop inflammation from creating health issues for you, here’s a list of some healing foods that are particularly good inflammation fighters: olives, citrus fruits, grapes, and green tea.
Japanese researchers recently investigated these foods for their inflammation-reducing abilities. They noted that one particular substance, a cytokine called “tumor necrosis factor,” plays a pivotal role in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases. Their research shows that the intake of polyphenols contained in the following natural sources all effectively help to shut down tumor necrosis factor:
— Hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and oleuropein; found in olives
— Naringin and hesperidin; found in citrus fruits
— Resveratrol, procyanidins and oligomeric procyanidin; found in grapes or grape-seed extracts
— Epigallocatechin gallate; found in green tea
— Quercetin; found in grapes, green tea
These special substances are able to modulate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. This could translate into more pain relief for you.
This is another example of foods containing real and effective “medicines” that could protect you from some significant and even life-threatening conditions. The polyphenols found in these foods can specifically target the mechanisms that set inflammation in motion, possibly reducing your chances of suffering immediate discomfort, such as joint pain, as well as preventing long-term illness.
Read this article to find out how another powerful nutrient that functions like a polyphenol could lower high blood pressure.