Coffee and Inflammation: Does Your Habit Help or Harm?
For so many people, coffee is an essential part of life. Often, a cup in the morning can be what wakes you up or gives you the energy and willingness to fight the day. There is even significant evidence about health benefits connected to coffee.
Yet despite that, many people will assume that any discussion of coffee and inflammation is going to be negative.
The truth is that, despite our love for it, there is still a large amount of stigma surrounding coffee. For that matter, many people still view coffee as an unhealthy habit – one that they should probably stop, even if they don’t want to.
So, with that in mind, this post takes a look at the implications of coffee (and caffeine) on inflammation. Does coffee play a role in an anti-inflammatory diet, or is it something you should be avoiding instead?
Inflammation and Human Health
Inflammation itself is an entirely natural process. Basically, this is the way that the body responds to threats. Often, inflammation is noticeable, where a specific area will swell up and often become red and painful.
Yet, that isn’t always the case. Instead, inflammation can also occur within the body and you may not be able to feel it at all. Regardless of the form, inflammation can be both healthy and dangerous.
When it occurs correctly, inflammation is a critical part of the healing process, allowing our bodies to remain healthy and to function optimally. However, there are also many cases where inflammation becomes excessive or misdirected.
In these situations, the body may be responding to a threat that doesn’t exist. Alternatively, it could be over-responding and the problem in question may not be resolvable anyway.
These patterns contribute to a set of conditions known as autoimmune diseases, such as some forms of arthritis (1).
To make matters worse, inflammation may also play a significant role in the development of other diseases – ones that aren’t traditionally related to inflammation.
This happens because of chronic inflammation, which can be prolonged, often lasting years or even decades. For example, Dr. Mercola talks about how inflammation can impact every aspect of your health.
That type of inflammation has been linked to the development of a range of diseases, including coronary artery disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (2,3).
Indeed, there are some theories that inflammation may be connected, in some way, to most of the health conditions that plague modern society (4).
The Modern Diet and Inflammation
Inflammation has become a major issue in modern society because of our eating patterns. In particular, both sugar and processed foods have been linked to inflammation and, on average, we do tend to consume a considerable amount of both (5).
Thankfully, this means that there are many natural ways to combat inflammation.
For some people, the first step is often to simply decrease carb intake and increase the reliance of healthy fats for energy. In some cases, you might want to follow a low carb diet or even a keto diet.
There is also a range of different healthy foods that can help to fight inflammation, including olive oil, tart cherry juice and kale. You can find other examples on the site Body Ecology. Overall, focusing on healthy low-inflammation foods can be powerful in reducing levels of inflammation.
Plus, if nothing else, many of these foods are associated with their own health benefits. That may be reason enough for incorporating them in your diet.
Yet despite that, many people will assume that any discussion of coffee and inflammation is going to be negative.
The truth is that, despite our love for it, there is still a large amount of stigma surrounding coffee. For that matter, many people still view coffee as an unhealthy habit – one that they should probably stop, even if they don’t want to.
So, with that in mind, this post takes a look at the implications of coffee (and caffeine) on inflammation. Does coffee play a role in an anti-inflammatory diet, or is it something you should be avoiding instead?
Inflammation and Human Health
Inflammation itself is an entirely natural process. Basically, this is the way that the body responds to threats. Often, inflammation is noticeable, where a specific area will swell up and often become red and painful.
Yet, that isn’t always the case. Instead, inflammation can also occur within the body and you may not be able to feel it at all. Regardless of the form, inflammation can be both healthy and dangerous.
When it occurs correctly, inflammation is a critical part of the healing process, allowing our bodies to remain healthy and to function optimally. However, there are also many cases where inflammation becomes excessive or misdirected.
In these situations, the body may be responding to a threat that doesn’t exist. Alternatively, it could be over-responding and the problem in question may not be resolvable anyway.
These patterns contribute to a set of conditions known as autoimmune diseases, such as some forms of arthritis (1).
To make matters worse, inflammation may also play a significant role in the development of other diseases – ones that aren’t traditionally related to inflammation.
This happens because of chronic inflammation, which can be prolonged, often lasting years or even decades. For example, Dr. Mercola talks about how inflammation can impact every aspect of your health.
That type of inflammation has been linked to the development of a range of diseases, including coronary artery disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (2,3).
Indeed, there are some theories that inflammation may be connected, in some way, to most of the health conditions that plague modern society (4).
The Modern Diet and Inflammation
Inflammation has become a major issue in modern society because of our eating patterns. In particular, both sugar and processed foods have been linked to inflammation and, on average, we do tend to consume a considerable amount of both (5).
Thankfully, this means that there are many natural ways to combat inflammation.
For some people, the first step is often to simply decrease carb intake and increase the reliance of healthy fats for energy. In some cases, you might want to follow a low carb diet or even a keto diet.
There is also a range of different healthy foods that can help to fight inflammation, including olive oil, tart cherry juice and kale. You can find other examples on the site Body Ecology. Overall, focusing on healthy low-inflammation foods can be powerful in reducing levels of inflammation.
Plus, if nothing else, many of these foods are associated with their own health benefits. That may be reason enough for incorporating them in your diet.
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