New Lifesaving Foods: The Anti-Inflammation Diet

Groundbreaking Research

During the last several years, researchers have been quietly piling up evidence to support a truly groundbreaking idea -- that there may be one common link between many seemingly unrelated health conditions. That link is inflammation, an immune-system response that causes a stubbed toe to swell and an infection to bring on a fever. In fact, it's become the medical buzzword of the moment, and for good reason. Studies have shown that people with chronic inflammation are at a high risk for certain health problems, including heart disease and cancer, says Lisa M. Davis, PhD, a research associate at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health's Center for Human Nutrition. Many researchers believe that ongoing inflammation -- caused by a variety of factors -- is one of the reasons that seemingly healthy people develop heart disease and diabetes, and experts estimate that it may be behind 15 percent of all cancers. Inflammation may also be linked to autoimmune diseases -- prevalent in women -- such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and thyroid deficiency.

Fortunately, there's a lot you can do with exercise and diet to ward off inflammation. Here's what you need to know.