How can eating junk food cause chronic inflammation in your body that can lead to serious health risks?

Indian Express

04-05-2025

Ever wondered why you get a fever when you have the flu or diarrhoea when you eat something bad, or swelling when you twist your ankle? That's inflammation.
Yes, our body tries to heal on its own, and the infection subsides once the repair is done. But inflammation can turn harmful if it lingers too long. It becomes a problem when it becomes chronic.
Deepika Sharma, a personal trainer, states, 'Inflammation turns into a low-grade, persistent activation of the immune system, which can silently damage tissues and organs over time.'
High consumption of processed foods (particularly refined sugars, trans fats, and seed oils), long-term stress, insufficient sleep, sedentary lifestyles, and environmental pollutants are common causes of chronic inflammation. These unhealthy foods can cause several health risks. The trainer explains that these stressors disrupt metabolic pathways, increase oxidative stress, and promote the release of inflammatory markers such as CRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha.
Inflammation is not the problem, says Deepika Sharma. According to her, directly treating inflammation (for example, with NSAIDs) may provide temporary relief, but the inflammation will continue unless the underlying cause—lifestyle, hormone imbalance, gut health, or diet—is found and addressed.
How to reduce inflammation?
Deepika Sharma suggests several foods to reduce inflammation in the body:
1. Anti-inflammatory fats: Olive oil, avocados, ghee.
2. Fibre-rich plants: Veggies, berries, legumes
3. Omega-3s: Fatty fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds
4. Spices: Turmeric + black pepper, ginger, cinnamon
Look at the list of foods that you should avoid to reduce inflammation.
(Source- Freepik)
5. Probiotic & prebiotic foods: Yogurt, fermented veggies, garlic, onion
She advises some daily habits to incorporate in our lifestyle:
1. Sleep on time: Poor sleep raises inflammatory markers
2. Move: Exercise reduces systemic inflammation
3. Meditate: Mindfulness lowers IL-6 and CRP
4. Stop snacking constantly: Let your body rest.
Foods to avoid
The trainer warns against consuming certain foods that may trigger prolonged inflammation in the body:
1. Processed Sugar: It causes a cytokine storm and raises insulin. For instance, candy, soda, and 'healthy' cereal.
2. Refined Carbs: White bread, pasta, and white rice are examples of refined carbohydrates that can cause fluctuations in blood sugar.
3. Seed oils: Seed oils, such as sunflower, soybean, and maize oil (found in most processed foods), cause omega imbalance, which is a cellular chaos according to Ayurveda (excess pitta).
4. Processed Meats: Processed meats, such as sausages, bacon and gammon, produce AGEs, nitrites, and damage to the immune system.
5. Alcohol: Alcohol causes dehydration and damage to the gut wall.