: Dietary Inflammation Drives Diseases and Death

Health News Update: Plant-Based Diet Quality is Essential 7.21.25 Hello everyone: While science now recognizes that going plant-based is critical to prevention and recovery from any illness, dietary quality is a must…not all plant-based foods are healthy. Please read these highlights carefully: “A new study confirms that healthy plant-based foods can be beneficial for the heart. However, not all plant-based foods qualify as healthy, and the study finds that those foods can be just as damaging to the heart as their non-plant-based counterparts. For many people who choose not to eat animal-based foods for moral reasons, the potential health benefits of a plant-based diet may be considered a happy byproduct or even a reward. The study suggests that this is not necessarily incorrect, as long as one considers that the rules that apply to healthy eating in general also apply to plant-based foods. This study’s biomarkers of concern were cardiac troponin T, cardiac troponin I, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. Troponins are indicators of cardiac muscle damage, which is a sign of myocardial infarction or heart attack . The peptide is associated with heart failure. Up to 50% of individuals with no apparent history of cardiac issues have subclinical levels of troponins. While these levels are not of immediate concern, they may be interpreted as an (early) warning sign of potential future issues. (Especially cardiac troponin I elevations.) The analysis revealed that adherence to a healthy plant-based diet was associated with a 49% lower likelihood of having elevated levels of cardiac troponin I. People following an unhealthy plant-based diet had a 65% greater chance of elevated levels of cardiac troponin I.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/unhealthy-plant-based-diets-may-significantly-raise-heart-disease-risk?utm_term=feature&utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=MNT%20Daily%20News&utm_content=2025-06-18&apid=41304130&rvid=a32216b5e1c0c5df3c84080e2b2e161318206dbce6fd663dd747aa557a4753cd https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667725001047 To clarify this observation, increasing cardiac troponin I levels reveal very early heart damage from systemic inflammation, which if allowed to continue can lead to cardiovascular disease progression…the number one killer on the planet. Thus, consumption of a predominantly unprocessed, plant-based whole-foods diet is largely anti-inflammatory and heart protective, while a diet that may be plant-based but is processed, fried, sugar laden, etc., is what contributes to systemic inflammation and sets the stage for heart, arterial and immune damage. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5419814/ https://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(02)02253-1/abstract Bottom Line: Quality really matters, so please avoid processed foods from all sources, plant or animal. Be wary and minimize or avoid processed or ultra-processed food products…stick with unprocessed whole-foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, etc. to protect your health and your heart. Food is foundational to all aspects of our lives, so please…eat as if your life depended on it…because it truly does. “While many plant-based diets can reduce cardiovascular risk due to their nutritional profile, such as being low in saturated fat, high in fiber , high in potassium , magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants , not all plant-based foods share these benefits,” she added. ( Michelle Routhenstein , who is a registered dietitian specializing in heart disease.)

Health News Update: Plants Can Save Your Life 7.14.25 Hello everyone : I am working to give you information that you can easily put into your daily life that can massively improve your health and wellness, as well as speed recovery and promote prevention. Because inflammation can cause, aggravate, and/or perpetuate every known human ailment (including aging), my goal is to empower us all towards our best life by managing our inflammatory and anti-inflammatory biology. Because food is foundational to health, it is important to know what the best dietary approach to health is, and currently the data is all pointing to plants…the only source of phytonutrients adequate to upgrade your health. “Phenolic compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins are widely distributed in plants as a protective mechanism against biotic and abiotic stresses. Fruits, vegetables, grains, spices and herbs are the richest source of dietary polyphenols. High intake of these foods has been linked to lowered risk of most common degenerative and chronic diseases that are known to be caused by oxidative stress . This review intends to summarize briefly recent progress on the chemistry and biochemistry of dietary polyphenols, their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and the underlying molecular mechanisms of their involvement in inflammation mediated metabolic diseases are also discussed.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214799316300133 Bottom Line: Be sure to eat lots of a lot of different plant-based foods. Make it an integral part of your day and personal health plan. Read what the science says that can lead us all to make the best choices when it comes to fueling our body, our Temple, our only home. We all have nothing to lose and everything to gain by being smart about what we choose to consume day in and day out. Shoot for 90% of your food to be from unprocessed, whole-foods, plant-based sources and watch your health improve. “Dietary polyphenols are one of the most important groups of natural antioxidants and chemo preventive agents found in human diets including fruits, vegetables, grains, tea, essential oils and their derived foods and beverages. Epidemiological, clinical and nutritional studies strongly support the evidence that dietary phenolic compounds enhance human health by lowering risk and preventing the onset of degenerative diseases including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders.” If you want to be really impressed, and super informed, at the bottom of the paper take a look at the references…click on a few and read the beginning introductions/abstracts…this should help convince you that our present day Standard American Diet is truly S.A.D and empower your shift to a predominantly plant-based lifestyle. Friendly-tip : to make the upgrade to a predominantly plant-based whole-foods plan and to make it easy, start with one meal per week…then move to 3 meals per week, then one per day…or just start with breakfast or lunch…think about and focus on what you can add to your daily food intake…that makes it easier to know what to avoid.

Health News Update: How Diverse Your Diet is Truly Matters 7.7.25 Hello again everyone: Hope your summer is going well. Here is some recent research that confirming that plant-based phytonutrient consumption is associated with significantly reduced illness and death. On top of that, the research reveals that optimal benefits are only available from a diverse food plan that are eaten consistently. Abstract “Higher habitual intakes of dietary flavonoids have been linked with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic disease. Yet, the contribution of diversity of flavonoid intake to health outcomes remains to be investigated. Here, using a cohort of 124,805 UK Biobank participants, we show that participants who consumed the widest diversity of dietary flavonoids, flavonoid-rich foods and/or specific flavonoid subclasses had a 6–20% significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality and incidence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disease. Furthermore, we report that both quantity and diversity of flavonoids are independent predictors of mortality and several chronic diseases, suggesting that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity is better for longer-term health than either component alone. These findings suggest that consuming several different daily servings of flavonoid-rich foods or beverages, such as tea, berries, apples, oranges or grapes, may lower risk of all-cause mortality and chronic disease.” Bottom Line: Consuming a diverse and predominantly plant-based food plan is necessary to get the phytonutrients needed to lower inflammation and supply the body with what it needs to promote health and longevity. No other food plan can do this. What is on your plate? Whatever it is, does it promote health and longevity? Please take the time to upgrade this part of your lifestyle if you want to live longer and feel better and have a longer healthspan. Ask yourself: what do you want for your future? What about your family, friends, and the planet? “In conclusion, we found that a wider diversity of intake of total flavonoids, flavonoid-rich foods and/or specific flavonoid subclasses is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and incidence of chronic disease, including CVD, T2DM, cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disease. We also observed that a higher quantity and wider diversity of dietary flavonoids, when consumed together, may represent the optimal approach for improving long-term health, compared with increasing either flavonoid quantity or diversity alone. Overall, our findings suggest simple and achievable dietary changes such as including several different daily servings of flavonoid-rich foods or beverages, such as tea, berries, apples, oranges or grapes, might have a major impact on population health, lowering the risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic disease.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-025-01176-1?utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%28Email%20-%20Chris%20Kresser%20General%20News%29%20Chris%27s%20Friday%20Favorites&utm_term=new%20UK%20Biobank%20study&utm_content=new%20UK%20Biobank%20study&_kx=fARhTo_gi8X3B_2-MaeO_RyzUl9tvT3tr4re-Dy7cNQ.my75y6

Health News Update: More on Aging and Inflammation 6.30.25 Hello again, everyone: The last blog was pretty heavy with science, but to simplify it down to an easy application in our daily life is accomplished by going into a whole-foods, plant-based, largely unprocessed food plan. By measuring blood test markers of inflammation and immune function, they were able to show something interesting: “Conclusion: This study provides evidence that a more healthful PBD (Plant Based Diet) is associated with a more favorable inflammatory profile and that a more unhealthful PBD is associated with the reverse.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37658860/ But does that prove that eating a healthful PBD will actually increase our healthspan and lifespan as well? While it is now proven that going plant-based, with a whole and unprocessed food plan will significantly lower inflammation, where is the proof that it results in optimal aging and the prevention or delay of age related chronic degenerative illness? I would say the definitive study to prove that has not yet been done. However, it is more than reasonable to conclude from the available data that lowering inflammation, feeding ourselves with food designed for our biology, and eating according to our natural genetically predetermined circadian clocks will advantage us to live better and longer. “Studies have shown that what we eat may be one of the most important lifestyle modifications any one of us can make to significantly increase our healthspan and add quality years of enjoyable life as we age. The Blue Zones are five demographically confirmed, geographically defined areas around the world with the highest percentage of centenarians. These are places where people reach the age of 100 at roughly 10 times greater rates than in the United States as a whole. Interestingly, demographers and researchers found that these populations shared several key lifestyle habits, one of which was a remarkable similarity in their diets. · Greater than 90 percent plant-based diet · Emphasis on a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, fruits and whole grains · Daily consumption of legumes – including beans, chickpeas and lentils – black beans , lentils and white beans, and soybeans · Use meat only sparingly – as a small side or at a special occasion · Avoidance of processed foods and refined sugars · Water is the beverage of choice, with small amounts of tea, coffee or red wine in moderation Bottom Line: “Nutrition as Prevention: These Blue Zones offer us a glimpse into what healthy aging can look like. Staying fit and healthy can help protect against the chronic diseases associated with aging that put us at increased risk for worse outcomes if we are exposed to COVID-19 (or any other virus or illness). And our first step toward healthy aging can be as simple as changing what’s on our plate.” https://www.uvmhealth.org/coronavirus/staying-healthy/life-span-vs-health-span PS: Getting fit and healthy and thus lowering your inflammatory burden can also help you recover from any illness or overcome chronic conditions.

Health News Update: Aging is Driven by Inflammation 6.23.25 Hello again, everyone: Here you will view some links in the scientific literature showing that regardless of age, inflammation drives accelerated aging and the creation of all causes of death and illness…and it much worse when we are older. Do you think it would be a good idea to start to manage your inflammatory burden at a younger age? Abstract: Human aging is characterized by a chronic, low-grade inflammation, and this phenomenon has been termed as "inflammaging." Inflammaging is a highly significant risk factor for both morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) in the elderly people, as most if not all age-related diseases share an inflammatory pathogenesis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24833586/ Abstract: Aging is the greatest risk factor for the development of chronic diseases such as arthritis, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, frailty, and certain forms of cancers. It is widely regarded that chronic inflammation may be a common link in all these age-related diseases. This raises the question, can one alter the course of aging and potentially slow the development of all chronic diseases by manipulating the mechanisms that cause age-related inflammation? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4400872/ It turns out that one of the primary drivers of inflammation is activation of inflammasome biology…a part of the immune system. What activates this inflammasome assemblage? Here is what the authors state: “The NLRP3 inflammasome is especially relevant to aging as it can get activated in response to structurally diverse damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as extracellular ATP, excess glucose, ceramides, amyloids, urate and cholesterol crystals, all of which increase with age. Interestingly, reduction of NLRP3-mediated (inflammasome) inflammation prevents age-related insulin-resistance, bone loss, cognitive decline and frailty. NLRP3 (inflammasome formation) is a major driver of age-related inflammation and therefore dietary or pharmacological approaches to lower aberrant inflammasome activation holds promise in reducing multiple chronic diseases of age and may enhance healthspan.” Bottom Line: If you read the last sentence above this one, your next question is are there any dietary choices that can lower inflammasome activation? Well yes there are, and would you guess that it a whole-food, plant-based, unprocessed polyphenol rich diet? Would you also guess that that diet is associated with a better healthspan and lifespan? If so, why wouldn’t you eat that way? If you don’t, you are inviting illness, accelerated aging, a shorter health span, a shorter lifespan and living sicker is no fun. Results : In hierarchical linear regression, foods investigated as polyphenolic modulators of DNA methylation (green tea, oolong tea, turmeric, rosemary, garlic, berries) categorized in the original study as methyl adaptogens showed significant linear associations with epigenetic (environmentally induced) age change (B = -1.21, CI = [-2.80, -0.08]), after controlling for baseline epigenetic age acceleration and weight changes. Although the intervention group lost significantly more weight than the control group, these changes were not associated with epigenetic age changes in the regression model. These findings suggest that consuming foods categorized as methyl adaptogens may reduce markers of epigenetic aging (inflammaging). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12074822/ While this was a ‘flexitarian’ dietary approach, what are the primary foods these studies found produced the greatest benefits? If you read the study, you will find it was: “Colorful vegetables and fruit were the most frequently consumed food groups.” If you want more info, you can read ‘Younger You’ by Kara Fitzgerald…an excellent book and she was significantly ahead of the research!!

Health News Update: Feeling Blue? Try Plant Based Foods. 6.16.25 Hello again, everyone: If you have read my blogs previously, you know my interest in inflammation and health. Did you know that depression is aggravated, caused, and/or perpetuated with an inflammatory lifestyle…and that you can improve your mood with your food? “Background & aims: There is a large body of evidence which supports the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of mental health disorders, including depression. Dietary patterns have been shown to modulate the inflammatory state, thus highlighting their potential as a therapeutic tool in disorders with an inflammatory basis. Here we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of current literature addressing whether there is a link between the inflammatory potential of a diet and risk of depression or depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These results provide an association between pro-inflammatory diet and risk of depression. Thus, adopting an anti-inflammatory diet may be an effective intervention or preventative means of reducing depression risk and symptoms.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30502975/ A balanced diet rich in fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals from foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains improves brain chemicals and lowers inflammation, reducing depression and boosting mental health. A healthy diet is also linked to the hippocampus, a part of the brain that helps with mood, memory and learning. People who eat well tend to have a healthier, larger hippocampus. https://www.froedtert.com/stories/impact-nutrition-mental-health Bottom Line: If you are experiencing any mental health or neurologic issues, take a look at your food plan. You may benefit from shifting to an anti-inflammatory whole-foods, plant-based, unprocessed approach to your nutrition. I have seen this approach do wonders for many. If you are taking a prescription medication for depression or anxiety, do not stop any medication without the prescribing physician’s support. Get on a clean diet and see how it goes and as you feel better, you may be able to withdraw from a prescription. You can look at my past blogs for ideas on food plans that lower inflammation or just do a search for anti-inflammatory food plans or the Green Mediterranean diet. Personally, my family is vegan for both personal and planetary reasons. For guidance down that path, look to sources like these. Best wishes to you! https://summit.foodrevolution.org/plants/?uid=11&oid=3&affid=43 https://foodrevolution.org/about/ https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/dietary-guidelines-for-americans-poised-for-bold-plant-based-shift/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11.26.2024%20GC&utm_id=01JD6G4RY3NQSDS019QW7973N0&utm_term=READ%20THE%20STORY%20%3E&_kx=QzY5Sjhtij0my_Ph7A8uygWYAUMKyApHv65XTwiLQXU.KCHNEa

Going Green can Save Your Life 6.9.25 Hello again, everyone: As simple as it seems, the further we get away from consuming a whole-foods plant-based diet, the sicker our society becomes. Could it be that we are not living a lifestyle that is compatible with our biologic makeup? You might wonder why I keep on this topic, and it is because inflammation will cause, aggravate and/or perpetuate virtually all health problems that I see daily. Here is some interesting research showing how food patterns can drive inflammation or lower it: “Low-grade chronic inflammation is an underlying pathophysiological mechanism linking risk factors and/or metabolic disorders to increased risk of chronic degenerative disease. A meat-based pattern, as the Western type of diet, is positively linked to higher levels of some important biomarkers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 and fibrinogen. Conversely, a Mediterranean-like eating behavior is associated with lower degree of these biomarkers thus suggesting an anti-inflammatory action of its main food components. Attention was focused on the findings from the MOLI-SANI study: this is a large prospective cohort study that recruited 24,325 men and women from the general population of the Molise Region, a Southern Italian area, with the aim of investigating genetic and environmental risk/protection factors for cardiovascular and tumor disease. For the first time, the MOLI-SANI study carefully investigated the Mediterranean diet as an environmental determinant of both platelet and white blood cell counts, starting from the hypothesis that a diet rich in healthy compounds could favorably influence the production and/or the clearance of these two cellular biomarkers of low-grade inflammation. Additionally, evidence from this large Italian cohort showed that a Mediterranean-like diet was closely associated with relatively lower values of glucose, lipids, CRP, blood pressure and 10-year cardiovascular risk, while the consumption of healthy foods with high rather than low content in antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals was associated with lower blood pressure and CRP plasma levels at least in men.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267102242_Mediterranean_Diet_and_sub-clinical_chronic_inflammation_the_MOLI-SANI_Study Bottom Line: In clinical practice experience, I have not seen chronic health problems optimally improve without a dietary approach that lowers inflammation, provides nutrient dense but lower calorie foods, and focuses on whole, unprocessed foods. Whether it is chronic neck or back pain, or migraines, or fatigue, or digestive issues, or whatever may be bothering you, a clean diet is essential to maximal recovery, healthy aging, and prevention of chronic illness. The best food plan, so far, is a Green Mediterranean type of plan with reduced animal-based foods. Here is a good link to help you get started. https://www.health.com/green-mediterranean-diet-7095181

Hello everyone: Here is some good news about diet, aging, and the connection to planetary health. In this study, the researchers compared 8 different dietary patterns and defined healthy aging as living to at least 70 without having 11 major chronic diseases and without any impairment cognitively, physically, or mentally/emotionally. Here is what they found: “Diets rich in plant-based foods and moderate amounts of animal-based foods may enhance healthy aging, a new longitudinal cohort study revealed. “Interestingly, all the healthy diets we studied were linked not only to overall healthy aging but also to its individual domains, including cognitive, physical, and mental health,” she noted. “A novel finding was the association between the planetary health diet and healthy aging,” she added. “This diet, which minimizes animal products and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, emerged as one of the leading dietary patterns associated with healthy aging. This is particularly interesting because it suggests that we can eat a diet that benefits both human health and environmental sustainability.” https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/this-diet-leads-healthy-aging-2025a10006wv?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_250326_etid7321488&uac=428598BV&impID=7321488 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5 “In analyses of specific foods, higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products were linked to greater odds of healthy aging. In contrast, higher intakes of trans fats, sodium, sugary beverages, and red or processed meats (or both) showed inverse associations with healthy aging. In addition, when comparing the highest with the lowest quintile, higher UPF (Ultra-Processed Foods) consumption was associated with 32% lower odds of healthy aging, as well as lower odds of reaching the age of 70 years and maintaining intact cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and living free of chronic diseases.” “The healthy diets we examined share common principles, such as being rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats,” she added. “Adherence is the most important thing when it comes to any current diet, and this needs to be coupled with physical exercise to maintain the best possible quality of life as we age.” Bottom Line: Slowly the data from multiple studies is beginning to offer us a clearer picture of what is the optimal dietary pattern for healthy aging and disease prevention. Going into an unprocessed, plant-based, whole-foods high quality dietary pattern is worth every minute of time that you spend because of the major short- and long-term benefits. Every single biological process in our body requires nutrients, and the best source is a superior quality primarily plant-based anti-inflammatory food plan. For more info and resources to help make the shift to plant-based, check out my blog: https://www.richmondchironeuro.com/health-news-update-new-dietary-guidelines-prioritize-plants-over-meat For more information on this type of diet, do a search for these key words: green mediterranean diet.

Hello everyone: Yes, you read it correctly…another epidemic. I would argue that it has become a pandemic due to these facts: “The study revealed significant regional disparities in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. The most dramatic increases have occurred in Oceania, North Africa, and the Middle East, where more than 60% of men and over 70% of women are obese. In the United States, the leader among industrialized nations, the obesity rate stands at 42% for men and 46% for women. If current trends persist, global adult obesity rates will rise from 43.4% in 2021 to 57.4% for men and from 46.7% to 60.3% for women by 2050.” Obesity Surpassing Overweight : The study predicts that by 2050, the number of overweight children and adolescents will stabilize, primarily because many will transition to obesity. Among boys aged 5-14 years, obesity is expected to surpass the overweight status. The authors highlighted that younger generations are gaining weight more rapidly and developing obesity earlier than previous generations. This trend raises concerns regarding early onset complications, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers. The author of the paper described this obesity epidemic as “a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure.” It seems that we cannot wait for our government or public health authorities to fix this…we need to take this on. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/global-obesity-crisis-worsening-experts-warn-urgency-2025a10006gx?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_250323_etid7314080&uac=428598BV&impID=7314080 Bottom Line: This is an epidemic that can be fought in the kitchen and the playground. This is what would help anyone: avoid ultra-processed foods, avoid drive-thru, avoid sugar, avoid processed grains and processed anything, and instead consume a plant-based, largely unprocessed (stick with home cooking at least 90% of the time), high quality food plan. Try making a rule: every hour of screen time means an hour of physical play and optimally outdoors. Avoid frying foods and avoid plastics as they contain endocrine disrupting chemicals associated with obesity and hormonal changes. Embrace and support your circadian rhythms and get into early time restricted feeding (eTRF) which just means having some type of breakfast within 2 hours of waking, and then a great lunch so that you consume 80% of your total daily caloric intake before 2 pm. and make dinner the lightest meal of the day and early so that you consume all of your daily calories within10 hours. For example: breakfast at 8 and dinner at 6. The eTRF eating pattern has shown the best results in clinical trials for health promotion as it aligns with our natural circadian rhythms, is immune balancing and very anti-inflammatory.