EAT TO BEAT DISEASE

Fabulous recipe pullout inside

INFLAMMATION is the biggest health risk we all face and it lies at the root of many of the most common and serious conditions. Here, in the second part of our life-changing new series, top dietitian Jane Clarke reveals the steps — and the recipes — to help tackle it.

Wouldn’T it be awful to have to live with a fire alarm constantly ringing ing in your home? Well, that’s at’s just what’s happening to your body if you suffer from om chronic inflammation, as many y of us do.

Inflammation is our body’s own warning ning system, a sign that there’s a problem, such uch as an infection or an injury, and that our natural defences are needed to help fix x it.

usually, the inflammatory response will last a few hours or days, just enough time ime for your body to release the chemicals cals that can deal with the problem and help lp it to recover.

But sometimes the fire alarm keeps s on ringing and the body’s inflammatory ory response won’t turn off. And chronic onic inflammation, as I explained on Saturday, day, is a major health issue, linked to a wide range of serious conditions, including ding heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, itis, dementia, depression, stroke and cancer. cer.

Pollution, stress, lingering infection, ion, injury and obesity are known to trigger gger inflammation. And what we eat can also directly fire up inflammation in our body.

Several scientific studies suggest that ultra-processed foods — which are often high in fat and sugar, and packed with chemical additives — are the major culprits. These foods now make up to 60 per cent of the average Briton’s diet ( they include everything from biscuits and savoury snacks, to breakfast cereals, processed meats and packet sauces). They create a cascade effect of inflammation throughout our bodies, from our skin to our guts, and deep inside the cells in every organ.

The good news is that there are foods that can turn off the fire alarm, calming down the inflammation mation by releasing compounds that help repair damage to our cells — and so reduce the risks and symptoms associated with inflammatory conditions.

These foods form the core of my anti-inflammatory plan, which is based on my 30 years’ experience working as a dietitian and nutritionist. I’ve devised it to help you feel better now — and protect your health well into your later years.

THE SUPERPOWER NUTRIENT WE NEED

All THIS week I’ll be sharing my insights and knowledge — as well as exclusive recipes — in an unmissable series of pullouts. And every day I’ll focus on the foods and supplements that are antiinflammatory (and show you the inflammatory foods to avoid).

Today, I want to let you know about a nutrient I regard as a real superpower in tackling inflammation. It’s a cornerstone of any anti-inflammation plan and is called omega 3.

This is why it appears in many

of my anti-inflammatory recipes, including some of the breakfasts featured today. Omega 3 is a type of polyunsaturated fat and oily fish, including salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards, are a brilliant source of it. Canned fish (apart from tuna — the omega 3s in it don’t survive canning) is a good — and cheap — option.

Why do I love omega 3 so much? First, it’s proven to protect the heart and reduce inflammation in the body: higher levels of omega 3 are associated with reduced risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, dementia, and age-related vision loss. It is crucial to our potential to live a longer, healthier life.

Omega 3 doesn’t just help prevent inflammation; it also eases existing symptoms by dampening the inflammatory response — that’s why many doctors recommend fish oil supplements for arthritis or joint pain. Omega 3 has also been shown to reduce childhood allergies.

I was brought up on sardines on toast and still eat them for a weekend breakfast. Tinned sardines and pilchards were also a go-to (on toast or stirred into a tomato sauce with pasta) when I was looking for foods to help ease my daughter Maya’s excruciatingly painful eczema when she was seven. The improvement in her skin seemed almost miraculous after boosting the omega 3 in her diet.

Inflammation isn’t just an issue for physical health; studies show that people with depression and other mood disorders have increased inflammation in their nervous systems.

And exciting studies have shown taking fish oil supplements improved symptoms in those with mild to moderate depression. It’s thought omega 3 is able to interact with mood-related molecules such as serotonin.

While we talk of omega 3, there are actually several types of these fatty acids. The main three are DHA and EPA — found in fish oils — and ALA, which comes from plant oils such as flaxseed and rapeseed oils.

Each type of omega 3 has a different effect on the body and its risk of chronic disease, so your anti-inflammatory diet should include all three — achieved simply by eating the different sources throughout the week (see box on previous page).