Believe it or not, what you eat can either turn on or turn off inflammation in your body. Inflammation is thought to be the primary cause of multiple diseases including coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Scientists at the University of Florida studied inflammation and diet and found that a plant based diet rich in substances called phytochemicals reduced oxidative stress in the body; a process associated with inflammation and common in overweight and obese individuals.

Oxidative stress is the result of too many harmful free radicals in cells and the body’s inability to neutralize them. Free radical are the consequence of normal body metabolism and typically are removed by existing protective mechanisms. But if the capacity of the body’s protective mechanisms are overwhelmed because too many free radicals are produced or the too few anti-oxidants are present, cellular damage and inflammation takes place.

Diet is a primary source of not only protective anti-oxidants but foods that can actually stimulate dangerous free radical production.

Lead author Heather K. Vincent had this to say, “Diets low in plant-based foods affect health over the course of a long period of time. This is related to annual weight gain, low levels of inflammation and oxidative stress.”

The researchers studied two groups of people consisting of 54 young adults. Both groups ate the same number of calories and only differed in the kinds of foods they ate. One group was over weight and the other was normal weight. Each group could select whatever foods they wanted so long as the foods did not exceed the daily calorie limits. Food journals were kept for three days by the participants in each group and reviewed.

Although both groups ate the same number of calories, the overweight-obese individuals consumed fewer plant-based foods and more animal based foods. As a result this group had less phytochemicals and more saturated fats in their diet. They also had higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation than the normal weight participants who ate less animal foods and more of a plant-based diet.

According to Vincent plants contain naturally occurring phytochemicals that have anti-oxidant properties while animal foods have no protective anti-oxidant agents in them. The naturally occurring anti-oxidants in plants neutralize free radicals produced by the body and prevent low levels of chronic inflammation. An animal based diet on the other hand promotes inflammation.

When it comes to what foods to eat Vincent had this to say, “We always encourage people to go back to the whole sources of food, the non-processed foods if we can help it. That would be the bottom line for anyone, regardless of age and body size, keep going back to the purer plant-based foods. Stick with those kinds of foods rather than reaching out for a topical wonder pill or juice.”

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Comments (Scroll to the end to leave a comment)

JOHNOHARE

05/09/10 07:15

the fate in meat is not good for you.plant-based are good for you.so eat more plant-base food

Bonnie Petersen

05/17/10 11:36

In the fifth paragraph it states that the plant based diet is related to weight gain, and low levels of inflammation and oxidative stress. I would think it would be less confusing to state reduced levels of inflammation and oxidative stress, as low levels may seem acceptable.