Three Steps Toward an Anti-inflammatory Diet

A good friend of mine recently asked me to point her in the right direction to get information on anti-inflammatory diets. It turns out that her recent bout with thyroid cancer was worsened by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is closely related to rheumatoid arthritis (both autoimmune in nature).

I told her that for an anti-inflammatory diet, it seems important to emphasize omega-3 fatty acids (from fish like salmon and from certain plants foods like canola oil, ground flaxseed, walnuts, etc.) and to deemphasize omega-6s, which are in corn oil and things made with corn oil (like mayonnaise) and in grapeseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower seeds and oil, and peanuts.

But if I were she and wanted to do something to eat in an anti-inflammatory way, this is what I would do, starting yesterday:

• I would switch to canola oil for all my cooking and baking needs.
• I would supplement my diet with two tablespoons of ground flaxseed every day (mix it into yogurt, for example), but check with your doctor first to make sure you aren’t taking medications that it might interfere with and in case you are pregnant or might have an allergic reaction to it.
•  I would start eating fish two or three times a week (salmon at least one of those times). If you have tuna (my friend LOVES tuna), make sure you DON’T use mayonnaise, because the omega-6 in mayo will lessen the potential power of the omega-3s in the fish. You can use light vinaigrette that contains canola or olive oil to dress the tuna, or you can dress it with fat-free sour cream blended with some added herbs and spices.

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
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