Anti-inflammatory diet: What's behind it?

What role silent inflammations play in our body and how we can reduce them with the right foods.

You hear more and more about the concept of anti-inflammatory nutrition at the moment. It aims to reduce in the body thereby making us feel healthier, fresher, and younger. The plant-focused diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet – with a focus on foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and whole grains.

At the same time, inflammatory foods like sugar Try to eliminate refined carbohydrates, red meat, and processed foods from the diet. The goal is to reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases and enhance overall well-being.

What are inflammations in our body and how do they arise?

A visible inflammation of the skin, such as a nail bed infection, acne, or an inflamed abrasion, we all know. “It can be accompanied by redness, swelling, pain, warmth, or functional impairment,” states Dr. Anne Gürtler, dermatologist and nutritionist at the University Clinic in Munich. She follows a holistic approach, which can also be followed on Instagram under @dermahealthnutrition “This inflammatory reaction is part of the body’s natural healing process and is very useful.”

But even in our bodies, there can be insidious, so-called silent inflammations that lie dormant. They can go unnoticed for years, yet they are the ones to which many chronic inflammatory diseases can be traced back.

“If these inflammatory processes persist over a longer period, they can promote chronic diseases, such as arthritis , Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, or psoriasis,” explains the doctor. Then 'silent inflammations' would suddenly become visible.

Shabnam Rebo , who just released her second cookbook “Healing Kitchen – Quick & Easy” was diagnosed with the chronic inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis many years ago.

In Germany, according to the Federal Ministry of Research and Education, about 320,000 people suffer from the inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, where the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the digestive tract. The number of affected individuals has been increasing in recent decades, which may also be due to changing lifestyles.

Why anti-inflammatory nutrition makes sense for everyone

“In 2015, I had a never-ending flare-up. The disease completely tore me out of my life,” says Shabnam Rebo. “Eventually, I came to change my diet to plant-based and anti-inflammatory foods.”

According to Dr. Gürtler, an adjustment in lifestyle, which includes nutrition, stress , exercise and sleep , is the first phase of therapy for many diseases. In Rebo's case, positive changes appeared within a short time, and Dr. Gürtler also confirms: “Energy levels and sleep will quickly improve.”

However, an anti-inflammatory diet is not only recommended for people who are already chronically ill. Numerous scientific studies suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet can significantly reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases. "I generally recommend this nutritional concept to everyone because it is a generally health-promoting way of eating," advises Dr. Gürtler.

The basic principles of anti-inflammatory nutrition

The basic principle of an anti-inflammatory diet is to eat as much fresh and unprocessed food as possible, preferably with many plants. "Since animal products are suspected of causing inflammation in the body, I eat purely plant-based," adds cookbook author Shabnam Rebo.

The focus is on plenty of fresh vegetables , especially dark green varieties such as spinach or kale, fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains, healthy fats, spices and herbs, and probiotics.

Since 90 percent of the immune system is located in the gut, the intestinal flora should always be kept in balance: "The more colorful and diverse we eat, the greater the diversity of bacteria in the gut, which in turn strengthens the immune system."

Omega-3 fatty acids are also important, and they are found in fatty fish, among other things. "But we now also know about the disadvantages. Nutritionally, fish is therefore no longer what it used to be," says Dr. Gürtler. Those who want to opt for plant-based sources can turn to flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, flax oil, or algae oil.

In the pantry of the "Healing Kitchen" author, you'll also find legumes like chickpeas or lentils, quinoa, buckwheat, various flours like whole grain and buckwheat flour, tofu, tempeh, plant-based yogurts, sauerkraut, kimchi, nuts, and nut butter as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

"At the end of the day, a balanced diet is quite simple. If you take a few principles to heart, you can get pretty far without overthinking it," says the nutritionist. The most important core aspect: cooking as much as possible yourself.

These foods you should avoid

In this sense, it's actually nothing new that "highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, anything with refined sugar or sugar substitutes, saturated fats often found in animal fats, eggs and milk, red meat, and alcohol" are among the main triggers of silent inflammation in the body.

But even here, exceptions that increase the joy of life are allowed. Some nutrition specialists like Shabnam Rebo therefore follow the 80:20 approach in everyday life, which means that you eat mostly (80%) healthy and balanced, while occasionally (20%) allowing yourself to enjoy less health-promoting foods. "Ultimately, nutrition is always individual, and we should not be too dogmatic," adds Dr. Gürtler.

Practical tips for dietary change in everyday life

The anti-inflammatory diet corresponds to a logical nutrition compass that leads us back to the roots, or in other words, back to fresh, unprocessed foods.

It's important that a change doesn't have to happen overnight. According to nutritionist Dr. Anne Gürtler, it's more about long-term change, creating new routines that eventually feel completely natural.

Your tip: “What I find very helpful is to take on one change per month, which results in twelve new habits per year.” Specifically, it could look like this: In the first month, add more plant-based protein to the diet, next aim to eat less refined sugar, then cook more yourself, and so on.

Shabnam Rebo adds: “When we create awareness for the reactions of food in the body, we eventually notice better what is good for us and what is not.” And it is the same with the interplay of sleep, exercise, or stress - they also influence, alongside nutrition, how refreshed, fresh, and fit we feel.

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad

Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad from the cookbook “Healing Kitchen – Quick & Easy” by Munich influencer Shabnam Rebo

Broccoli is high up on the superfood scale! Great for the immune system and so delicious. I prefer to prepare it in the oven. Simply with some olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then enjoy with quinoa, whole grain rice or pasta, or as a filling for tacos or wraps. Add a tasty sauce and some toppings – enjoy! This time, broccoli landed on a Caesar salad and tastes so exquisite!

FOR 2–3 PEOPLE

400 g broccoli2 tbsp olive oil2 tsp za’atarSalt and pepper1 can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)1 ½ tsp sweet paprika powder

100 g romaine lettuce

1 recipe vegan Caesar dressing

YIELDS 400 ML

6 tbsp sunflower seeds (50 g)

4 tbsp hemp seeds (40 g)6 tbsp nutritional yeast (15 g)1 garlic clove60 ml lemon juice2 tbsp apple cider vinegar1–2 tsp maple syrup1 tbsp olive oil (optional) Salt and pepper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Clean the broccoli, wash it, and cut it into florets, leaving some of the stalk attached. Peel the remaining stalk and cut into sticks. Spread broccoli on one side of the baking sheet, mix with 1 tbsp olive oil, za'atar, salt, and pepper.

Drain the chickpeas in a sieve, rinse and let them drain, then spread them on the free half of the baking sheet and mix with the remaining olive oil (1 tbsp), paprika powder, salt, and pepper. Roast broccoli and chickpeas in the oven (middle) for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, clean the romaine lettuce, wash, spin dry, cut into larger pieces, and place on a plate.

Put all the ingredients for the dressing together with 150 ml of water in a blender or a tall mixing cup and puree finely in the mixer or with the hand blender.

Distribute broccoli and chickpeas on top and drizzle generously with the dressing.

Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family and they are a true miracle weapon against inflammation. Vitamin C and mustard oil glycosides, which are converted into the mustard oil sulforaphane under the influence of the enzyme myrosinase, inhibit inflammation in the stomach and intestines, lower blood sugar levels, and are even said to protect against the development of cancer.