Health First Nutrition Expert: Small Changes in What You Eat Can Protect Your Heart, Brain and Long-Term Health

Fighting Inflammation with Your Fork

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — When we think about inflammation, we often picture a swollen ankle after a fall—or the redness from those pesky Florida no-see-ums. But what many don’t realize is that chronic inflammation can be brewing inside the body every day and the culprit may be what’s on your plate.

Jennifer Mazarredo, RD, LDN, CNSC, Clinical Nutrition Specialist at Health First, said that inflammation from diet is a growing concern among health professionals. While many associate heart disease with high cholesterol or genetics, research is uncovering a more complex story.

“It actually can be your arteries,” Mazarredo explained. “Your arteries can become inflamed by what we’re eating. A lot of people come in and they don’t even have abnormal lipid panels, but it’s the inflammation in their body that causes long-term damage.”

Inflammation is your body’s natural defense mechanism, but when it becomes chronic, it can silently wreak havoc. Over time, this low-grade, persistent inflammation damages healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Mazarredo warned that it can cause internal scarring, DNA damage, and even organ dysfunction, setting the stage for diseases like Alzheimer’s, asthma, cancer, COPD, diabetes, depression, heart disease and obesity.

So, what’s hiding in your lunch that could be inflaming your arteries?

One of the biggest culprits behind inflammation is trans fats, often found in fried and processed foods. “When you look at a label and it says ‘hydrogenated,’ that means they took a nice healthy fat and they made it a bad fat that causes inflammation in the body,” said Mazarredo. Margarine, shortening, pie crusts, cookies and donuts are common offenders.

Saturated fats are another contributor, coming mostly from red meats, high-fat dairy products and butter. These fats can harden the arteries over time, putting additional strain on the cardiovascular system.

Sugary drinks and refined grains also fuel inflammation in the body. Sweetened beverages, candy, cakes, and refined white breads flood the bloodstream with sugar, a process Mazarredo compared to “caramelizing your arteries over time.” Combine that with bad fats and you’re setting yourself up for a lot of problems.

Good news: what you eat can help heal you. The right foods can act like medicine, calming inflammation rather than fueling it. An anti-inflammatory diet is built around whole, natural ingredients that nourish the body and protect it from unnecessary stress.

According to Mazarredo, key choices include:

■ Fatty fish rich in omega-3s – salmon, tuna, mackerel, 2–3 servings per week.
■ High-fiber foods – beans, berries, whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and at least 25 grams daily for women and 35 grams for men.
■ Healthy oils – olive oil, avocado, sesame, or peanut oil instead of margarine or butter.
■ Herbs and spices – paprika, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, sage, marjoram and tarragon can naturally fight inflammation.
■ Dark chocolate – in moderation (about 1.5 ounces daily) may lower inflammation and blood pressure.
■ One of her go-to meal examples? Salmon with brown rice and non-starchy vegetables like broccoli or carrots, cooked in olive oil and spices.

For added fiber, Mazarredo recommended All Bran Buds: “A third of a cup is 13 grams. Sprinkle it on yogurt or salad, and it helps everything move along while decreasing inflammation in your colon, too.”

While food should be your first line of defense, some supplements can help if your diet falls short. Mazarredo said fish oil (1,000–2,000 mg daily) is the most proven choice for reducing inflammation, but it’s not one-size-fits-all.

“Always check with your doctor first,” she cautions. “Omega fatty acids can thin your blood, so if you’re on blood thinners, it might not be safe.”

She also cautioned against relying on unregulated supplements. Because they aren’t FDA-approved, there’s no guarantee of what’s actually in the bottle. “Sometimes you’re spending money on a product that has very little of what it claims,” Mazarredo said.

Lifestyle matters as much as diet. Mazarredo said moderate exercise, good sleep and stress management lower inflammation naturally. “It’s similar to when you feel stressed and then you exercise and feel better,” she says. “That same thing is happening inside your arteries.”

On the flip side, chronic stress and poor sleep keep the body in a state of alert, fueling long-term inflammation even in people who eat well.

Inflammation may be invisible, but its consequences are not. Left unchecked, it damages arteries, cells and organs, raising the risk for some of the most common chronic diseases in America.

The fix isn’t extreme dieting but consistent, mindful choices: swap processed foods for whole ones, replace margarine with olive oil, trade soda for water, choose fish over fried chicken and add fiber and spices to every meal.

“Even people who are thin can have inflammation if they eat poorly,” Mazarredo said. “Just because you’re not gaining weight doesn’t mean your arteries aren’t being damaged.”

The bottom line: what you eat today shapes your body’s future. Every wholesome meal is a chance to cool the fire inside.

Similar Stories