Over half of Americans follow pro-inflammatory diets that elevate the risk of heart disease and cancer, a recent study revealed.

The startling discovery was made from an analysis of dietary patterns among 34,500 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005–2018. Researchers assessed the extent of inflammation in the participant's diets using the Dietary Inflammatory Index, a tool that evaluates 45 dietary components.

According to results published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, 57% of participants followed pro-inflammatory diets, while only 34% maintained anti-inflammatory diets. The remaining 9% of participants had neutral levels of dietary inflammation.

"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 news release.

Earlier studies have evaluated the quality of diet based on the intake of certain food groups such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy or based on macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

"But inflammation is an important element to consider and the overall balance of diet is most important. 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," Meadows said.

In addition to a poor diet, several non-dietary factors, including stress, adverse childhood experiences, and inadequate sleep, can also contribute to increased inflammation. Based on the study's findings, Meadows suggests focusing on reducing inflammatory food components rather than completely labeling them as bad."Anti-inflammatory foods are considered tools people can employ to boost health," Meadow said.

The study recommends incorporating more unprocessed foods into the diet, such as whole grains, leafy green vegetables, legumes, fatty fish, and berries, which can help promote better health and lower inflammation levels.

"There's a potential here to think about positive interventions, such as adding more garlic, ginger, turmeric and green and black tea — which are all anti-inflammatory — to your diet. 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.

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