Food, Nutrition & Inflammation: Cooking for Better Health

How You Cook Matters: The Best and Worst Cooking Methods for Managing Inflammation

Part 2 of a two-part series on Food, Nutrition and Inflammation.

By Sandra A Farrell, Public Health Nutritionist.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation, is a term that literally means “to set on fire,” and represents the body’s innate response to harmful pathogens and stimuli. This response can be classified into two stages: acute and chronic inflammation.

The way you cook your food, can make a difference to the inflammation caused in your body.

Cooking methods can make a difference

The best methods for cooking are those that are considered ‘gentle’ – keeping the foods you’re cooking, intact as possible. Some cooking methods will destroy nutrients in your foods, whereas others will help keep all the goodness in as far as possible. Many foods are susceptible to damage when cooked at high temperatures.

Grilling

Foods such as fish and vegetable skewers are well suited to grilling because they require minimal cooking time, reducing their exposure to intense heat.

Meat typically requires longer cooking times, which can lead to the loss of some nutrients. Cooking meat at high temperatures such as barbecuing, can produce heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds that may promote inflammation and contribute to other physiological changes in the body. Reduce inflammatory effects by marinating lean cuts of meat.

Poaching

Why not try poaching, when it comes to cooking meat? Again, no oil is added and the meat is not exposed to high temperatures. You can poach in stock or water and add herbs and spices to your water base to infuse added flavours. Poaching heats the meat gently, retaining nutrients.

Stir frying

Stir frying, quickly cooks food with little to no oil. As you keep the food moving around the pan as it is cooking, you’re helping it to cook much quicker and retain nutrients, especially in your vegetables.

Steaming

Steaming is a healthy and effective way to cook, as it’s very gentle to the food and doesn’t need any added oil. A steamer pot keeps the food out of the water, allowing the hot steam to circulate and cook the food. This is a useful way to do your vegetables, as they don’t need long, so keep an eye on them and ensure they don’t overcook.

Baking

Baking is a healthful cooking method as long as you’re not adding lots of oil and heating the food at very high temperatures. Baking in the middle of the oven provides the most even circulation of heat and acts as a safe zone ensuring that food bakes evenly. Additionally, adding moisture can be beneficial, as it involves simply adding vegetables to the bottom of your cooking dish and adding protein on top, away from the base of the dish.

Frying

In general, frying isn’t an ideal cooking method due to the amount of oil needed as well as the high cooking temperatures.

The Anti-Inflammatory effects of culinary herbs and spices

Culinary herbs and spices provide more than just flavour. Many of them have documented anti-inflammatory properties due to polyphenols and other phytochemicals that modulate inflammatory pathways.

Research suggests that culinary herbs and spices can have anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce inflammation in the body, particularly when included as part of a nutrient-rich diet.

Raw foods

Eating some raw foods can be beneficial as part of an anti-inflammatory diet. Cooking can decrease certain nutrients in food, especially water soluble ones like vitamin C and B vitamins. Foods to eat include fresh fruits, raw vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, dried fruits, raw grains and legumes, sprouted or soaked, fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, seaweed and sprouts.

Including a salad adds extra nutrients to your meal. Include a variety of ingredients such as spinach, kale, radish, carrot, avocado, cucumber, pepper and pomegranate seeds. Increase the benefits, by adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Healthy eating habits to reduce inflammation

A diet rich in colourful foods emphasising fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy oils is considered by experts at the Harvard School of Public Health, to be one of the most beneficial anti-inflammatory eating patterns.

Key Takeaways on Food, Nutrition & Inflammation

 (Parts 1 and 2 of the series)

Maintain a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition, quality sleep, regular exercise and effective stress management.

The most effective anti-inflammatory approaches, include a combination of raw and cooked foods.

Enhance meals with culinary herbs and spices including thyme, turmeric, garlic and ginger.

The best cooking methods to reduce inflammation are those that use lower temperatures and add moisture such as steaming and poaching.

Disclaimer

The contents of this article, regardless of date, is not intended to replace personalised medical advice from your doctor or healthcare professional.