COLUMBUS, Ohio — A recent Ohio State University study shows many Americans have diets that promote inflammation, which increases the risk of health problems, such as cancer and heart disease.

What You Need To Know

  • The study, published in Public Health Nutrition, shows six out of 10 Americans have pro-inflammatory diets

  • The percentage of those with an inflammatory diet was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income

  • Meadows said incorporating small changes into diets can help improve inflammation, such as using more garlic, ginger, turmeric, green and black tea

The study, published in Public Health Nutrition, shows six out of 10 Americans have pro-inflammatory diets.

To get the results, researchers examined the diets of more than 34,500 adults in the 2005 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey using a tool called the dietary inflammatory index, which includes 45 dietary components.

“Overall, 57% of U.S. adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income,” said lead author Rachel Meadows in a release.

The study was based on self-reported diets, ranging from -9 to 8, where 0 shows a neutral diet. According to the researchers, 34% of people in the study had anti-inflammatory diets and just 9% had neutral dietary inflammatory levels.

According to Harvard University, several foods can cause inflammation, including:

  • Refined carbohydrates
  • Fried foods
  • Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Red meat or processed meat
  • Margarine, shortening and lard

Harvard University also states inflammation is associated with chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and more.

Ohio State researchers said older dietary measures tend to look at the intake of certain food groups and macronutrients, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. However, Meadows said it’s important to take in the overall balance of one’s diet.

 

“Even if you’re eating enough fruits or vegetables, if you’re having too much alcohol or red meat, then your overall diet can still be pro-inflammatory,” said Meadows.

Meadows said incorporating small changes into diets can help improve inflammation, such as using more garlic, ginger, turmeric, green and black tea. She said it doesn’t help to label foods as “bad” but instead educating the public on how anti-inflammatory foods can improve health.

“Moving toward a diet with less inflammation could have a positive impact on a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even depression and other mental health conditions,” Meadows said.

While food could be a contributor to inflammation, Meadows noted people could have chronic inflammation because of stress, adverse childhood experiences and other issues.

Additionally, chronic inflammation can be caused by lack of physical activity, smoking, aging and autoimmune disorders, according to a University of Florida Health study. The study noted that those living with chronic inflammation and poverty had a 127% increased risk of dying from heart disease and a 196% increased risk of dying from cancer. 

“There are a lot of factors that contribute to chronic inflammation, and they all interact — even sleep is a key component. Diet can be used as a tool to combat that,” Meadows said.

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