Fighting Chronic Disease and Boosting Mental Health through Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Eating a diet rich in certain foods can have a positive impact on mental health and reduce the risk of serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Professor Howard E. LeWine from Harvard University specializes in nutrition and epidemiology, and he explains that chronic inflammation is linked to several diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s. To combat this issue, it is recommended to consume anti-inflammatory foods that not only improve mood but also enhance quality of life while reducing the risk of disease. On the other hand, consuming inflammatory foods can accelerate the disease process and should be limited or avoided.

Some recommended anti-inflammatory foods include tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, fatty fish like salmon and sardines, as well as fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges. Tomatoes are especially rich in antioxidants such as lycopene which has been found to fight prostate cancer. Studies have shown that processed tomato products like tomato sauce may be even more potent in this aspect. Blueberries are another powerful source of antioxidants that contain cancer-fighting anthocyanosides. These compounds can scavenge free radicals, stimulate detoxifying enzymes