Many people avoid pasta, bread, potatoes and other foods that are rich in carbohydrates, thinking that they are bad for their health or weight. "Carbs are often vilified by diet culture, which falsely and unscientifically labels them as unhealthy and harmful," says Caroline Young, M.S., RD, LD, RYT, owner of Whole Self Nutrition. She adds that this also fuels the misconception that carbs can increase inflammation. — Worldculturepost
"Inflammation is an immune response in the body that can be either short-lived (acute) or long-lasting (chronic)," Young explains. "Acute inflammation is a beneficial result of short-term stress that aids the healing process when we have an injury or illness. However, chronic inflammation is detrimental as it puts long-term stress on the body and can lead to diseases like diabetes and heart disease."
A typical Western diet—which is usually high in ultra-processed carbs such as white bread, cookies and chips, unhealthy fats, sugar and salt, and low in fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies—has been linked to higher inflammation. The good news is that eating well (and yes, that means some carbs) and following other healthy lifestyle habits can help lower inflammation, which tends to rise with age.
Young also emphasizes that carbs are important for many reasons and should not be excluded from your diet—unless you have a specific health condition that requires it. "Your body and brain prefer carbs as their primary source of energy. They are essential for several body functions, including energy production, blood sugar and insulin metabolism and cholesterol regulation. Many high-carb foods also offer vital nutrients like fiber, which helps with satiety at meals, keeps the digestive system regular and manages cholesterol," she says. Another benefit of carbs that is not widely known is that the right ones can lower inflammation levels.
How Do Carbs Affect Inflammation?
"Carbs can be divided into two different groups—refined and complex. Refined carbs have been heavily processed and have lost their fiber and some other nutrients. Without fiber, these carbs can spike blood sugar when eaten alone or without other foods, such as those containing protein, fiber and healthy fats," says Sarah Olszewski M.S., RDN, CDN, owner of Sarah Lynn Nutrition. "This surge in blood sugar can trigger an inflammatory reaction, and eating more carbs than your body can use at once may cause them to be stored as fat." A 2022 review of studies published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology found that fat tissue can also produce molecules that promote chronic inflammation. Moreover, excess sugar intake may lead to weight gain and obesity because it can induce cravings and make you eat more calories than you need.
On the other hand, certain types of carbs can have positive health effects, especially when consumed within a healthy eating plan that considers portions. "Complex carbs can reduce inflammation levels. Foods like brown rice, quinoa, beans and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes have fiber and phytonutrients such as polyphenols that can combat inflammation and lower the risk for diseases like heart disease and cancer," Olszewski says. A 2020 study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews suggested that eating whole grains can help lower inflammation by nourishing the good gut bacteria in your microbiome and providing phytonutrients that prevent cell damage.
So, don't be afraid of eating bread and noodles if you want to improve your health. (Of course, if you have a medical condition that limits your carb intake, you should consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.)
5 Bad Carbs That Can Lower Inflammation
1. Pasta
You don't have to say no to spaghetti. Traditional pasta has a high glycemic index—and can quickly raise blood sugar levels, because it has little or no fiber or protein. But choosing the whole-grain version can make a difference. A 2022 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition followed 756 healthy adults to see how eating grains affected inflammation. The researchers found that eating more refined grains was linked to higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a sign of inflammation. But eating more whole grains—like those in whole-wheat pasta—was connected to lower CRP. Whole grains are good sources of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
That doesn't mean you have to avoid foods made with refined grains, such as regular pasta. If you combine traditional spaghetti or rigatoni with extra-virgin olive oil, veggies and lean protein, you'll not only improve the nutrition of your meal, but also get nutrients that can fight inflammation and balance the effects of eating that pasta alone.
Plus, pasta options have changed a lot in the last 20 years. You can find legume-based varieties made with black beans, chickpeas and lentils that have protein and fiber that might help lower inflammation.
2. Potatoes
Potatoes have more calories and carbs than many other veggies. But they also have many nutrients that are good for your health, including fiber, vitamins C, B3 and B6, and potassium, according to a 2023 review of studies published in the journal Food Chemistry. Purple potatoes and sweet potatoes also have carotenoids and anthocyanins—kinds of antioxidants that can lower inflammation and give these potatoes their unique colors.
Eating foods rich in antioxidants like these may help prevent oxidative stress—a process that happens when oxygen-containing molecules called free radicals become too high for the antioxidants in your diet to remove. Research from Biomedicines shows that this can damage your body's cells and cause inflammation and disease. Also, some human studies, like one published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, have found that potatoes have anti-inflammatory effects that lower CRP levels. Want to add potatoes to your diet? Try our German-Style Potato Salad recipe.
3. Tortillas
Having a healthy gut is important to protect against inflammation. That's because harmful pathogens can live in your gut and cause inflammation, according to a 2022 review of studies published in Nutrients. But picking corn tortillas over the refined-flour ones on Taco Tuesdays may be good for you. A 2020 database published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that corn tortillas have resistant starch—a type of fiber that doesn't get digested and goes from the small intestines to the colon, where it's fermented by gut bacteria and makes short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate. Butyrate reduces inflammation, lowers colon cancer risk and improves gut function, according to a 2020 review published in the journal Current Opinion in Biotechnology. Resistant starches also act as prebiotics, which help the good bacteria survive and boost immune health.
4. Rice
Rice also has resistant starches, but not a lot, according to the 2020 database. But rice can still be good for your health and lower inflammation, especially the colorful kind. A small study, published in 2019 in the journal Food and Function, looked at how purple, brown and red rice types and their pigments rich in antioxidants affected signs of inflammation. The researchers found that purple and red rice types lowered signs of inflammation a lot. But brown rice did not change inflammation. The anthocyanins that are abundant in purple and red rice are known to lower inflammation and slow down aging, according to a 2021 review in the journal Antioxidants. So replace your plain white rice with the colorful (and tasty!) kind. Try our coconut rice bowl recipe.
5. Bread
Bread is often seen as Bad Carb No. 1. But whole-grain types have many nutrients that are good for you like fiber, amino acids, phytochemicals and B vitamins. Whole wheat's amazing nutrition benefits are because it keeps all three parts of the wheat grain—endosperm, bran and germ. Compared to the refined ones, studies have shown whole grains have more nutrients that lower risks of some cancers, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cholesterol levels, according to a 2022 review of studies published in Nutrients. And research from Oncotarget has linked all these diseases and more to long-term inflammation, mostly caused by oxidative stress. Most Americans don't eat enough whole grains, which is why the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends switching from refined grains to whole-grain ones for better health.
In summary: The main point here is that all foods can be part of a healthy and balanced diet—so you don't have to label foods as either "bad" or "good," even for carbs. Pasta, potatoes, tortillas, rice and bread can all be useful additions to an anti-inflammatory diet that also has healthy fats, lean protein, fruits and vegetables and other foods that support balance and variety.