Eat to Feel Better by Paige Baranco

Eating Plant Based Diet to Reduce Inflammation
​By Paige Baranco

     The western diet is often high in many components that make our joints muscles and cells inflame. Inflammation is when our body produces white blood cells and substances to protect us from infection with foreign organisms. This reaction can cause pain, discomfort and if chronic, the inflammation can damage healthy cells. In this case the foreign organisms that causes inflammation is what we eat. The western diet is high in animal fat, red meat, sugar and salt. This diet is often fried and low in fiber. Studies have shown that these foods can cause inflammation. 

Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA's MyPlate. (2019, September 24). Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate-vs-usda-myplate/.

     If you look at my plate (USDAs guideline for healthy eating) you will see that the entire plate can come from plants, with the exception of dairy. The reason my plate has dairy on there is because they want to make sure people are getting enough calcium and vitamin d. According to Harvard health, milk isn’t a good source of calcium and can even be harmful since it is linked to colon and ovarian cancer. Instead, Harvard recommends eating dark leafy greens which provide more than enough calcium and provide other important beneficial nutrients as well. There are conflicting results on whether dairy does cause inflammation but what is true, is that you can get calcium from other sources that are known to reduce inflammation.

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     ​One of the most common concerns that the general public has is where will they get their protein if they aren’t eating meat. The answer is plants! After all where did the animals get their protein? They got the proteins from the plants they ate. They simply are the middle man when it comes to protein. When your source of protein comes from plants you are also getting all the other benefits that come with eating fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamin c, lycopene, carotenoids, flavonoids, lignans and fibers which reduce inflammation. 

What About Protein? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://gamechangersmovie.com/food/protein/.

​     On the other hand animal protiens are packaged with enotoxins, TMAO, heterocyclic amines, heme-iron, NEU5GC, and AGEs- all which are associated with inflammation. Additionally, when we consume animal products it changes the microbiome of our gut and promotes the gut bacteria species that tend to over grow and cause inflammation and produce inflammation mediators like TMao. One study showed that a single hamburger caused inflammation up to 70% in people after eating.

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References:
​Calcium and Milk. (2019, May 22). Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/.

Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA's MyPlate. (2019, September 24). Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate-vs-usda-myplate/.
 
What About Protein? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://gamechangersmovie.com/food/protein/.