Here are four common habits that may be quietly keeping your body in a state of inflammation.
Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD
Key Points
- Chronic inflammation can be quietly impacted by lifestyle habits, including diet and stress.
- Skipping exercise and eating too much added sugar may increase inflammation.
- Changes like managing stress and reducing alcohol can help lower inflammation.
Inflammation is a natural process in the body and often isn’t anything to worry about. It helps you heal after getting hurt or becoming sick. But when inflammation becomes chronic, that’s when it’s more of a problem. “Chronic inflammation is like a fire that isn’t able to be put out,” says Amanda Sauceda, MS, RDN. “This type of inflammation has been linked to a variety of health conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.” Inflammation can occur in the body for many well-known reasons, from injuries to smoking. But many people don’t realize that some other common lifestyle factors, like your diet and stress levels, can also impact inflammation. Here are four different factors that may quietly impact inflammation in your body over time.
1. Too Much Stress
Some stress is completely normal and can even strengthen your immune system, but when stress becomes chronic and overwhelming, problems can arise.
“High and sustained stress levels measurably increase inflammation in the body,” says Eleazar Flores, M.D. “Human studies consistently link chronic psychological stress with higher circulating inflammatory biomarkers, particularly among people experiencing ongoing work strain, caregiving burden, financial hardship or social isolation.”
Researchers found that higher perceived stress correlates with a flatter cortisol slope across the day. Those minimal shifts in cortisol levels are associated with higher levels of systemic inflammation. The relationship between stress and inflammation also goes in both directions.
“Inflammation itself can worsen stress perception and mood, creating a feedback loop,” Flores says.
To reduce stress, Flores recommends habits like exercising consistently, mindfulness meditation, spending time being social with friends and family, and prioritizing quality sleep.
2. Not Making Time to Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise is one of the best tools available for keeping inflammation levels in check. At the same time, a sedentary lifestyle is associated with higher levels of chronic inflammation, among many other health issues.
“Establishing regular exercise habits can meaningfully reduce chronic inflammation,” Flores says.
Findings from many different studies show that people who exercise regularly have lower inflammation levels than people who are sedentary, and that exercise lowers levels of biomarkers that are associated with chronic inflammation.
“The best exercise for inflammation is the one you’ll actually keep doing,” Flores says. “Consistent, moderate movement adds up over time to a measurably less inflamed body.”
Living an active lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym. Gardening, yard work, housework, home workouts and going for a walk with a friend all count. If you haven’t been very active recently, start slowly and work your way up. Remember that getting some exercise is better than nothing.
3. Drinking Alcohol
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can promote inflammation and cellular damage. This can cause problems with many different organs, including the liver, gut, brain, pancreas and lungs. Alcohol-related inflammation is known to contribute to many different chronic inflammatory diseases, including alcoholic liver disease.
“Limiting alcohol can definitely help reduce inflammation because it’s a toxin that puts stress on the liver to get rid of it,” Sauceda says. “Your liver is like the main processing center of the body and in order to support the body in fighting inflammation, we also need to think about liver health.”
If you’re looking to cut back on drinking, consider alternating each alcoholic drink with a nonalcoholic drink. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer with 5% ABV, 5 ounces of wine with 12% alcohol, or 1.5 ounces of liquor with 40% alcohol. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to what’s in your drink and what you’re pairing it with. “Mixed drinks and cocktails often contain added sugars and multiple liquors, which can increase the likelihood of inflammation,” says Patricia Kolesa, MS, RDN.
4. Eating Foods with Lots of Added Sugar
Depending what you eat, your diet can help reduce inflammation in the body or contribute to it. Eating too much sugar can cause metabolic issues and promote the production of inflammatory cytokines, which can contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation, Kolesa says.
Added sugars are common in foods like sodas, lemonades, coffee drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as candy, baked goods and frozen desserts. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a meal shouldn’t contain more than 10 grams of added sugars.
If you’re looking to cut back on added sugars, pay attention to food labels and read the Nutrition Facts panel. See where you can make healthy swaps, like drinking water instead of soda or snacking on fruit rather than candy.
“Single-size servings can be a helpful portion control strategy for added sugars, or you can simply portion them out ahead of time,” Kolesa says. “Even small reductions add up.”
Our Expert Take
Inflammation is a normal process in the body, but when it becomes chronic, problems can occur. Many factors that quietly impact inflammation are habits at least partially within your control. No single change is going to transform your health overnight or completely eliminate inflammation, but some small and consistent changes can be helpful. Finding ways to better manage stress, cutting back on alcohol, exercising regularly and limiting added sugars can all be helpful for keeping inflammation in check.
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