Combating Oxidation and Inflammation with Food

You’ve probably heard of foods and supplements that contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. Foods and medicinal herbs rich in both these substances figure prominently in the book’s recipes. They’re important because oxidation and inflammation accelerate aging and underlie most chronic human diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, cataracts, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The trouble starts with free radicals, which are atoms or groups of atoms with unpaired electrons. To stabilize themselves, free radicals steal electrons from other molecules, which can create a chain reaction of tissue-damaging electron raiding and what’s called oxidative stress. Basically, the same process that turns apple slices brown and rusts iron occurs inside your body.

Normal cellular processes generate free radicals. Things that ramp up oxidative stress include infections, fever, high blood sugar (as happens in diabetes), extreme exercise, pollution, tobacco smoke, ultraviolet light, drugs, and consumption of unhealthy fats (trans fats and fats found in fried foods).

Oxidation also generates inflammation and vice versa. In the process of combating infection and injury, your immune system generates inflammation. Whereas acute inflammation is a normal and helpful response to injury and infection, chronic inflammation robs you of years and vitality.

To defend against oxidation and inflammation, your body makes antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. Antioxidant levels decline with age and may otherwise be insufficient to meet demands, particularly during illness.

To take up the slack, consume dietary antioxidants. Although animal food contains antioxidants, your richest sources are plants. To help them withstand the elements, plants make antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, selenium, carotenoids, and flavonoids. Carotenoids and flavonoids double as plant pigments. You can easily recognize foods rich in them by their bright colors— blue, red, orange, yellow, and green. As long as you consume a variety of colorful plant foods, you’ll receive a bounty of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.