ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIETS

Course overview

THE EXPANSION OF GENERAL MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF HUMANS. THIS INCREASED LONGEVITY HAS CAUSED A SHIFT IN DISEASE PREVALENCE TOWARD NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. THE CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY STATE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, TYPE 2 DIABETES, AND CERTAIN MALIGNANCIES. CONSISTENT EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT HEALTHY DIETARY HABITS, INCLUDING ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIETS, DECREASE OVERALL RISK, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY FROM THESE AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIETS ARE BASED ON A HOLISTIC LIFE APPROACH WITH A DIETARY FOCUS ON WHOLE FOODS THAT ARE BIODIVERSE AND NOT OVERLY PROCESSED. THE BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS IN HIGH QUANTITIES WITHIN AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET WORK SYNERGISTICALLY TO REDUCE THE INFLAMMATORY STATE. ADHERENCE TO THESE DIETS CAN REDUCE THE SYMPTOM BURDEN OF CHRONIC, NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, BUT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EFFICACY COMES FROM LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH ADHERENCE TO AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET REDUCES THE OVERALL RISK OF DEVELOPING CHRONIC DISEASE PROCESSES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY HEALTHCARE TEAM IN PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE OF AND ADHERENCE TO AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET.