You've probably heard the phrase "you are what you eat." It sounds like a bumper sticker, but the science behind it is real — and consequential.

The foods you consume every day are either reducing inflammation in your body or fueling it. And chronic inflammation isn't a minor inconvenience. It's the underlying driver of conditions ranging from arthritis and diabetes to heart disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer. Most patients I see are living with some degree of it, often without knowing why.

The good news: diet is one of the most powerful levers you have. Here are the six categories of food most responsible for keeping inflammation chronically elevated — and what to do about each one.

1. Added Sugars

When you consume sugar, your blood glucose spikes. Insulin rushes in to manage it — pushing the excess into fat cells, triggering a cascade of metabolic stress. Over time, this contributes to insulin resistance, weight gain, and a persistent inflammatory state.

The tricky part is that added sugars are everywhere. Salad dressings, granola bars, crackers, flavored yogurt — manufacturers add sugar to nearly everything packaged. Natural sugars found in whole fruit and dairy are generally fine because fiber slows absorption. It's the added sugars — sucrose, corn syrup, anything ending in "-ose" on an ingredient label — that cause the problem.

What to do: Read labels. If sugar appears in the first three ingredients, put it back.

2. Processed Meats

Bacon, hot dogs, deli meats, sausage, and pepperoni are preserved through salting, curing, smoking, or fermentation. Research consistently links high consumption of processed and grain-fed red meat to elevated inflammation markers — and downstream to cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

What to do: Treat meat as a side, not the centerpiece. When you do eat red meat, choose grass-fed. Grass-fed beef contains up to four times more anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed, plus significantly higher levels of Vitamins A and E.

3. Trans Fats and Processed Oils

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils — used extensively as preservatives in packaged foods — directly suppress your body's production of anti-inflammatory hormones. They raise LDL (bad cholesterol), lower HDL (good cholesterol), and increase your risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Canola oil deserves a specific callout: it's derived from genetically modified rapeseed, is partially hydrogenated, and is found in most commercial cooking sprays including PAM.

What to do: Cook with extra virgin olive oil (low to medium heat) or coconut oil (high heat). Check ingredient lists for "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" — if it's there, the product contains trans fat regardless of what the label claims.

4. Omega-6 Overload

Your body needs omega-6 fatty acids, but the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the average American diet is wildly imbalanced — and that imbalance creates a pro-inflammatory environment. Corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, mayonnaise, and grain-fed animal products are all high in omega-6.

What to do: Increase omega-3 intake through cold-water fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) or a quality fish oil supplement — 2,000mg daily is a reasonable starting point. Reduce omega-6 cooking oils. Choose grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish when possible.

5. Refined Carbohydrates

White flour products — bread, rolls, crackers, white rice, sugary cereals — behave almost identically to processed sugar in your body. They digest rapidly, spike blood glucose, and trigger the same inflammatory response.

What to do: Substitute with 100% whole grains — steel-cut oats, quinoa, brown rice. The fiber content slows digestion and keeps blood sugar stable.

6. Artificial Additives

Aspartame, MSG, and synthetic preservatives like sodium benzoate have been associated with neurological symptoms, inflammatory flares, and a long list of adverse reactions reported to the FDA. Aspartame alone accounts for more than 75% of all food additive complaints filed with the agency.

What to do: If you can't pronounce an ingredient or don't know what it is, consider that a yellow flag. Diet sodas are a particular offender — the trade-off of zero calories for a cocktail of artificial chemicals isn't worth it.

The Bottom Line

Chronic inflammation is manageable. You don't need a prescription to start — you need a different grocery list. Eliminate or significantly reduce these six categories, increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, and omega-3-rich foods, and most patients notice a meaningful difference within weeks.

Food is either medicine or it's a slow liability. There's rarely a neutral option.

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Note: This newsletter is for education. Do not change or stop any medication without speaking with your doctor.