While many things can cause inflammation, including germs, viruses, and other illnesses, it can also be triggered by certain types of food. Just like there is healthy food that reduces inflammation, some types of food can aggravate it.
Here are some sneaky snacks and other types of food that can cause unnecessary inflammation.
Processed Meat
Any type of processed meat may cause inflammation. This includes sausages, hot dogs, beef jerky, bacon, ham, smoked meat, and similar. Processed meat also increases the risk of diabetes, stomach cancer, and heart disease.
French Fries and Potato Chips
Refined carbohydrates are one of the main culprits behind inflammation. Any forms of potatoes contain a lot of carbs, especially French fries and potato chips. French fries are essentially not healthy because they’re fried. Potato chips are highly processed, and can increase your insulin response.
Sugar
Eating food with a lot of sugar can’t be healthy for you. Since sugar supplies the body with an excessive amount of fructose, this results in various types of inflammation. This also applies to sugary drinks like soda and cola.
Microwave Popcorn
Since microwave popcorn comes with a lot of hydrogenated fats and additives, it’s bound to result in inflammation. If you really like popcorn, it’s much healthier to use popcorn seeds and pop them in a popcorn maker than to microwave them.
Granola Bars and Protein Bars
Even though granola bars and protein bars are both considered healthy snacks, you may be surprised that they can cause inflammation as well. That’s because they contain a lot of sugar, especially granola bars with chocolate chips. The same goes for protein bars.
Stay Away from High-Inflammatory Food
If you experience a lot of issues with any type of inflammation, you should stay away from the food discussed in this article. Instead, opt for an anti-inflammatory diet, which consists of green leafy vegetables, nuts, certain berries, and fatty fish.
