You may not realize it, but unhealthy eating habits can cause inflammation in your body. So if you are suffering from a chronic inflammatory condition like rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, you may find that there are certain foods that make your symptoms worse.
These foods don’t trigger inflammation directly, but they do increase the risk of weight gain and obesity, which is associated with inflammation. They also promote insulin resistance, another factor that contributes to inflammation.
Some unhealthy habits are especially likely to make your inflammation worse. Here are 10 of them:
1. Eating too much saturated fat. This type of fat is found mainly in meat and dairy products. It increases levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol) and triglycerides in the blood, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer. But it also increases the risk of inflammation by interfering with endothelial function — the ability of the inner lining of blood vessels to maintain normal blood flow.
2. Consuming too much sugar and refined grains. Sugar
Carbohydrates are essential for our bodies, but we don’t all metabolize carbs the same way. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar and white flour, are quickly digested and broken down into glucose (a form of sugar). This can cause your blood sugar levels to spike, which causes your body to release insulin.
This insulin response is also a reason that excess sugar — especially in the form of highly processed foods — has been shown to promote inflammation. The more processed a carbohydrate is, the faster it raises blood sugar levels and the more likely it will cause inflammation.
Refined carbohydrates include white flour, pasta, rice and breads made with refined grains. These foods can cause spikes in blood sugar levels that can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body.
3. Trans Fats
Trans fats are found in processed foods such as packaged foods and fried foods. Trans fats increase inflammation by promoting oxidative stress throughout the body, as well as increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol while decreasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels
