In the last few decades, researchers including [surgical oncologist Jennifer] Wargo have accumulated evidence to support some key ingredients in a healthy diet that most effectively control inflammation and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancers, and other illnesses. Now, scientists are zeroing in on the community of bacteria that lives in our digestive systems—the gut microbiome—as the place where specific foods and ingredients, including fiber, elicit or inhibit inflammatory reactions that ultimately affect the trajectory of diseases and response to cancer treatment.

In modern times, inflammation has become a popular target for healthy eating, as a bulk of studies have accumulated to link a variety of foods and diets with both lower rates of disease and lower levels of inflammatory molecules circulating in the blood.

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Although the true magnitude of these benefits remains a topic of debate—in part because studying diet is complicated and because people who eat healthier diets also often adopt other healthy behaviors—numerous studies have found lower levels of inflammatory molecules in the blood in people who eat Mediterranean-style diets. Studies in lab dishes, animals, and people also find anti-inflammatory responses to specific nutrients and ingredients, including turmeric, oily fish, apples, avocados, carrots, and leafy greens.

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