Eating red meat and highly processed foods, however, contributes to chronic inflammation in the body, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"Foods that are associated with higher inflammation include red meat, organ meat, processed meat, refined grains, sugary beverages and low-energy carbonated beverages," said Li, a research scientist in the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "These protective effects could also be used for other highly prevalent chronic diseases in which chronic inflammation plays a relevant role, such as diabetes, cancer, depression, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer's disease," wrote Dr. Ramon Estruch, an associate professor at Barcelona University's department of medicine, in an accompanying editorial.
And while the study was unique in linking food frequency questionnaires with markers of inflammation, the foods recommended by the study are not vastly different from those found in the US Dietary Guidelines, said registered dietitian Kris Sollid, senior director for nutrition communications at IFIC, who was also not involved in the study.
Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons -- driven to search for a match, they rob other cells of their electrons, causing cellular damage which can contribute to disease.
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