Carbohydrate rich diets lower inflammation in the body
 

Chronic inflammation is associated with elevated risk of heart disease and many other health problems. In fact research suggests that chronic inflammation may be the common factor in many degenerative diseases.

A study published in 2007 evaluated the effects of carbohydrates on inflammation in the body. Inflammation is obvious with problems such as arthritis and rheumatism. However people who do not suffer from overt inflammatory conditions can still have systemic low-grade internal inflammation.

In the study they evaluated 2 types of diets for their impact on inflammation:

A Low carbohydrate-High fat diet (keto diet) vs a High carbohydrate-Low fat diet. Although the carbohydrate content differed, both diets were similar in caloric content.

The caloric content was ~ 1400kcal, but the diets differed significantly in carbohydrate, protein and fat content. For the High Carb diet the distribution was : 59% Carbohydrate, 24% Fat and 18% Protein. For the Low Carb diet the distribution was as follows : 12% Carbohydrate, 58% Fat, 30% Protein.

Twenty-nine obese women were randomly assigned to one of these diets for 4 weeks. Body weight and C-reactive protein, a key marker for inflammation, were measured weekly.

It was observed that the Low Carb group lost more weight ~8 pounds vs ~6 pounds over the four weeks. However, the marker for inflammation increased by 25% in the Low Carb group while it decreased by a whopping 43% in the High Carb group....(click for more)