Inflammation is a vital part of the immune system's response to injury and infection. It is the body's way of signaling the immune system to heal and repair damaged tissue, as well as defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria. Without inflammation as a physiological response, wounds would fester, and infections could become deadly, as previously noted. Here Franziska Spritzler, on foods that cause inflammation:

“Inflammation can be good or bad depending on the situation.

On one hand, it’s your body’s natural way of protecting itself when you’re injured or sick.

It can help your body defend itself from illness and stimulate healing.

On the other hand, chronic, sustained inflammation is linked to an increased risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

Interestingly, the foods you eat can significantly affect inflammation in your body.

Here are 6 foods that can cause inflammation.

Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup

sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are the two main types of added sugar in the Western diet.

Sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose, while high fructose corn syrup is about 45% glucose and 55% fructose.

One of the reasons that added sugars are harmful is that they can increase inflammation, which can lead to disease (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

In one study, mice fed high sucrose diets developed breast cancer that spread to their lungs, partly due to the inflammatory response to sugar (6Trusted Source).

In another study, the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids were impaired in mice fed a high sugar diet (7Trusted Source).

What’s more, in a randomized clinical trial in which people drank regular soda, diet soda, milk, or water, only those in the regular soda group had increased levels of uric acid, which drives inflammation and insulin resistance (8Trusted Source).

Sugar can also be harmful because it supplies excess amounts of fructose.

While the small amounts of fructose in fruits and vegetables are fine, consuming large amounts from added sugars is a bad idea.

Eating a lot of fructose has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

Also, researchers have noted that fructose causes inflammation within the endothelial cells that line your blood vessels, which is a risk factor for heart disease (16Trusted Source).

High fructose intake has likewise been shown to increase several inflammatory markers in mice and humans (10Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

Foods high in added sugar include candy, chocolate, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, sweet pastries, and certain cereals.

Artificial trans fats

Artificial trans fats are likely the unhealthiest fats you can eat.

They’re created by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats, which are liquid, to give them the stability of a more solid fat.

On ingredient labels, trans fats are often listed as partially hydrogenated oils.

Most margarines contain trans fats, and they are often added to processed foods to extend shelf life.

Unlike the naturally occurring trans fats found in dairy and meat, artificial trans fats have been shown to cause inflammation and increase disease risk (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

In addition to lowering HDL (good) cholesterol, trans fats may impair the function of the endothelial cells lining your arteries, which is a risk factor for heart disease (26Trusted Source).

Consuming artificial trans fats is linked to high levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP).

In fact, in one study, CRP levels were 78% higher among women who reported the highest trans fat intake (26Trusted Source).

In a randomized controlled trial including older women with excess weight, hydrogenated soybean oil increased inflammation significantly more than palm and sunflower oils (27Trusted Source).

Studies in healthy men and men with elevated cholesterol levels have revealed similar increases in inflammatory markers in response to trans fats (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

Foods high in trans fats include French fries and other fried fast food, some varieties of microwave popcorn, certain margarines and vegetable shortenings, packaged cakes and cookies, some pastries, and all processed foods that list partially hydrogenated vegetable oil on the label.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-foods-that-cause-inflammation#2.-Artificial-trans-fats