We hear a lot about the Mediterranean diet and its many health benefits. So, what makes this eating pattern so powerful? At its core, the Mediterranean diet is one example of an anti-inflammatory diet. The big question is, “Can an anti-inflammatory diet really help ease disease symptoms such as arthritis?” I see it happening every day in my nutrition practice, the answer is, “Absolutely.” So, how exactly does this way of eating work to reduce symptoms? Let’s take a closer look.
Your body’s toxic load, genetic history and lifestyle choices all play a role in how inflammation develops as you age. Younger bodies are naturally more resilient, but that resilience is being tested earlier than ever as our food supply continues to be filled with preservatives, dyes, inflammatory oils, sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners.
Take fatty liver disease as an example. Once considered an illness that primarily affected people who drank heavily, it is now common in adults who don’t drink at all – and even in children. The culprit? Ingredients sold to the public as “food” but instead of nourishing your body, they are causing harm. The modern diet is fueling inflammation in ways we once only associated with aging and instances such as heavy alcohol use.
Here’s why: the immune system reacts to what we eat. Think of it like a grocery store self-checkout. Every time you scan an item, the system reads the code and determines the price. Your immune system does the same – it scans every food you eat and asks, “Safe or harmful?” If it flags the food as harmful, or if the food isn’t fully broken-down during digestion, it triggers inflammation.
This immune reaction doesn’t just affect your stomach. It can inflame organs, tissues, joints, muscles and even the brain. That’s why if you eat gluten and then notice a headache, joint stiffness or body aches, it’s not “all in your head.” It’s your immune system responding and giving you clues.
The goal of an anti-inflammatory food plan is to calm the immune system so it no longer treats food as a threat. When the immune response quiets down, inflammation throughout the body decreases which helps when dealing with a disease such as arthritis. It also tends to reduce overall aches and pains and improves how you feel in your daily life.
In medical terms, the suffix *-itis* means “inflammation.” For example, arthritis literally means “joint inflammation,” while osteoarthritis refers to inflammation of both the bone and joint. Because inflammation can be triggered by what we eat, it’s important to reduce foods most likely to spark that immune response, which causes joint pain.
Foods to remove that cause greater inflammation:
Gluten-containing grains: wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, rye and triticale. If these appear on an ingredient list, avoid them.
Nightshades: tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers and eggplant. These may worsen arthritis symptoms in some people.
Refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup: these often fuel inflammation and can intensify arthritis pain.
By shifting to an anti-inflammatory diet – rich in whole, unprocessed foods – you can support your body’s natural healing process and reduce the daily burden of inflammation.
Fran Sutherlin, RD, MS is a local registered dietitian, specializing in using digestive wellness to prevent or manage chronic disease. She has a master’s degree in nutrition, is a personal health coach, speaker and owner of Sustainable Nutrition. She can be reached at 970-444-2122 or fran@fransutherlin.com.
