These Are Actually The Worst Drinks To Have If You Struggle With Inflammation, According To Dietitians
June 21, 2022 by Olivia Avitt
This story has been updated since it was originally published on 01/24/2022
Inflammation is never a good thing, but it can be especially detrimental to your overall health when it becomes chronic. Chronic inflammation may be harder to see than the inflammation that you experience in short periods to protect your body from infection but it still wreaks havoc on your body and, when untreated, can lead to a number of dangerous side effects including gut dysfunction, skin issues, and autoimmune disease. “Inflammation is a natural process in the body to help protect us against foreign invaders and pathogens as well as injuries. White blood cells come to the rescue to protect the injury site, we develop redness, swelling and heat,” says Pamela Barton R.H.N., NNCP, founder of Butterfly Nutrition. “This is called acute inflammation. Inflammation becomes a problem when it becomes chronic, due to too much ‘alarm’ in the body at all times.”
Your diet is one of the biggest root causes and exacerbators of chronic inflammation. And believe it or not, what you drink can have just as much of as what you eat. Especially in the United States, beverages are very high in calorie and are packed with additives. It’s important to know what your drinks are made of and if they could be making your inflammation worse. That’s why we checked in with health experts Dr. Amy Lee, Head of Nutrition for Nucific and dietitian Nataly Komova, RD, to discover the beverages you should avoid if you struggle with chronic inflammation. They said the biggest culprits are sugary, processed drinks like soda and energy drinks.