Differences between antioxidant food and anti-inflammatory food

DR.

AIMEE DORDEVIC: Different foods in the diet have different effects on the inflammatory response within the body. Some foods are known to be pro-inflammatory, such as highly processed foods, deep fried foods, foods with added sugar, added salts, whereas other foods have more of an anti-inflammatory role. In terms of anti-inflammatory foods, we can take the reductionist approach and try and elucidate some of the nutrients that are responsible for these anti-inflammatory properties. For example, the phytochemicals found in plants– so plant pigments such as carotenoids and anthocyanins– have anti-inflammatory properties through their roles as antioxidants. Antioxidants protects tissues from damage against reactive oxygen species and other free radicals. Because antioxidants protect tissues from damage, they prevent unwanted inflammatory responses occurring in the first place.

In contrast to this, we have other nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, that play a role in the inflammatory response itself. The omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids. We can’t make them in the body, so we must obtain them through our diet. And they are precursors to molecules that are involved in signalling the resolution of inflammation. So without these omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, we have reduced capacity to resolve the inflammation.