Omega-6 oil
Eating a diet rich in omega fatty acids sounds healthy, but may be causing some serious inflammation. We need to consume omega-6 and omega-3 oils because our bodies cannot make them—but they need to be in balance. “Omega-6s are highly inflammatory and promote chronic disease,” says Jennie Ann Freiman, MD, author of The SEEDS Plan.
To avoid an imbalance, Dr. Freiman recommends limiting oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, soy, canola, peanut, cottonseed, and grapeseed. Processed foods often don’t have a good balance: yet another reason to follow a diet based in whole grains.
Sugar
The sweet stuff is no one’s friend and will cause inflammation throughout your entire body. “Sugar, dyes, and preservatives all cause inflammation. Foods that cause inflammation do so by damaging the gut lining leading to leaky gut,” says Joel Warsh, MD, an integrative pediatrician in Los Angeles.
Our gut lining is thin and can be easily damaged, allowing food particles into the bloodstream. Dr. Warsh explains that this leakage can lead to total body inflammation.
