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How sugar and red meat ignite chronic inflammation

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Simone Schaumberger
March 31, 2026

From heart disease to diabetes, chronic inflammation plays a role in many illnesses. Scientists explain how what we eat is so influential, and what an anti-inflammatory diet can do for the body.

Diet can trigger silent inflammation throughout the body — from the gut to the brain. New evaluations of almost 300 studies show how sugar, saturated fats and certain animal products disturb our microbiome and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke or diabetes. But we can counteract this: Vegetables, especially cabbage, as well as fiber and proteins protect our blood vessels and strengthen the immune system.

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