Anti-Inflammatory Diet

These 15 foods in an anti-inflammatory diet could treat long COVID

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Seven percent of Americans are currently suffering from long COVID, a condition marked by persistent health issues following a COVID-19 infection. Common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, headaches, chest pain, and heart palpitations. No established treatment exists, and its root causes remain a mystery. However, a new study by a team at the University of Southern California is delving into the possibility that an anti-inflammatory diet might offer relief to those grappling with this lingering illness.

Emerging research hints that long COVID might stem from an overactive inflammatory response triggered when the body combats the COVID-19 virus. In some individuals, this intense response lingers long after the virus is gone, resulting in high inflammation levels which can cause organ damage among other health concerns.

“We are examining if food choice can quiet the body’s inflammatory response and in doing so, effectively minimize or curtail long COVID symptoms,” says Dr. Adupa Rao, an investigator of the clinical trial and medical director of the Keck Medicine Covid Recovery Clinic, in a university release.

Long-hauler COVID

The research will focus on the anti-inflammatory properties of a low-carb diet combined with a medical food that boosts blood ketone levels. When carbohydrate and sugar intake is low, the body generates ketones, such as beta-hydroxybutyrate – the primary ketone in this study’s food – for energy. Both a low-carb diet and ketones have been linked to reduced inflammation levels.

The trial intends to recruit 50 long COVID sufferers under the care of Keck Medicine’s Covid Recovery Clinic. Half will undergo a 30-day dietary change, while the other half will maintain their regular diet. At the trial’s conclusion, scientists will assess how well patients managed the diet and will contrast inflammation indicators and long COVID symptoms between the two groups.

Should this dietary approach prove beneficial and well-tolerated, the research team is poised to extend the trial to a broader participant pool.

“Research like ours is vital to expand our understanding of long COVID and ultimately help identify effective treatments to improve patients’ quality of life,” explains Dr. Nuria Pastor-Soler, principal investigator of the clinical trial and associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “The results of this trial will hopefully move us closer to potential solutions.”

What foods are part of an anti-inflammatory diet?

An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on foods that help to reduce inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is believed to be one of the primary factors in a host of health issues, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. Here’s a list of foods and food categories commonly included in an anti-inflammatory diet:

  1. Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout are high in omega-3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation.
  2. Whole Grains: Instead of refined grains, choose whole grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat.
  3. Leafy Green Vegetables: Spinach, kale, and collards are rich in vitamins and antioxidants that fight inflammation.
  4. Nuts: Especially almonds and walnuts, which are packed with omega-3s, antioxidants, and other nutrients.
  5. Fruits: Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) and cherries are particularly noted for their anti-inflammatory properties, but many fruits are beneficial.
  6. Olive Oil: Rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
  7. Tomatoes: They contain lycopene, an antioxidant that can combat inflammation.
  8. Peppers: Both bell peppers and chili peppers are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds.
  9. Grapes: Especially red grapes, which contain resveratrol, an anti-inflammatory compound.
  10. Turmeric: Contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. Black pepper can enhance its absorption.
  11. Ginger: Has similar benefits to turmeric.
  12. Garlic and Onions: Both are anti-inflammatory and offer other health benefits.
  13. Green Tea: Contains anti-inflammatory polyphenols.
  14. Dark Chocolate: Look for 70% cocoa or higher. It’s packed with antioxidants that reduce inflammation.
  15. Avocado: Packed with monounsaturated fats, fiber, and antioxidants.

How an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Can Relieve Pain as You Age

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If you suffer from chronic pain, experts say a diet makeover with a focus on vegetables can have a dramatic effect.

Patients who follow strict vegan or Mediterranean diets have seen a complete turnaround in their pain symptoms, according to pain management specialist William Welches, DO.  He says getting regular exercise, controlling stress and eating healthy foods all work together to reduce inflammation and chronic pain.

“Research shows that diet should be an integral part of a pain management program — especially as patients age,” says Dr. Welches. “A vegan or Mediterranean diet — or healthier eating inspired by these diets — can control insulin and cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation — which is the pain culprit.”

 

Painful inflammation is body’s response to toxins

Inflammation is the body’s immune response to toxins as it works to “purify” itself. The resulting inflammation not only causes pain in the body. Over time, it also can trigger chronic diseases, such as heart disease and strokes, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and even depression.

There are many ways to treat and manage chronic pain. One of the most exciting approaches, however — because it is all natural — is adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. The other options for pain don’t always work. Many patients don’t benefit from neural (nerve) blocks, and medication therapy often leads to undesired side effects.

An anti-inflammatory diet, however, often eliminates the unpleasant side effects of some medications that cause fogginess, memory loss and sleepiness.

“Following an anti-inflammatory diet is powerful therapy for pain control with many beneficial side effects,” Dr. Welches says. “The anti-inflammatory diet is considered an integrative approach to pain management, along with exercise, stress management, osteopathic manipulation therapy and acupuncture.”

A good amount of research also shows that an anti-inflammatory diet can ease fibromyalgia and chronic pain symptoms.

The three diet basics you need to know

Dr. Welches advocates the following three basic diet guidelines, noting that physicians should encourage all of their patients to consider them:

  1. Eat the rainbow: Consume eight to nine servings of vegetables each day — make a couple of those servings fruit, if you like. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower are best.
  2. Restrict dairy and grains: Eat dairy products in limited quantities. When choosing grains, stay away from simple carbohydrates with refined sugar. Opt for whole grains, including barley, buckwheat, oats, quinoa, brown rice, rye, spelt and wheat.
  3. Avoid red meat: Eat red meat the way most of us eat turkey right now — twice a year, Dr. Welches says. Have it on very special occasions, very infrequently. Instead, include fish as the “meat” or eat vegetarian main dishes. Chicken is neutral — not harmful but not beneficial in the anti-inflammatory sense.

How an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Can Relieve Pain as You Age

Take these additional steps to enhance your results

To make your diet part of an integrative lifestyle built to reduce chronic pain and reduce or eliminate inflammation, Dr. Welches recommends these additional priorities:

  • Get down to your ideal weight; weight loss on its own is anti-inflammatory.
  • Get daily exercise in the form of walking.
  • Manage stress.

It is the diet, not the individual foods, that control inflammation, he says.

“For a chronic pain patient who is suffering, I recommend the extreme form of the diet — so that is no red meat, no flour or sugar or simple carbohydrate and no dairy,” he says.

Exercise is an added benefit, particularly if people are overweight. “If there is any extra weight, you will need to lose it,” he says.

Ultimately, what you need to know is that inflammation comes from a biochemical reaction initiated by your immune system or wound-healing coagulation system, Dr. Welches says.

Specific foods can promote or shut down the inflammatory cycle. For instance, simple carbohydrates promote it, while vegetables shut it down.

“Nutrition that supports a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods is the key to anti-inflammation and chronic pain management,” Dr. Welches says. “Although there are no magic foods, putting the right combination of foods into your diet can produce remarkable results.”