More than half of respondents (60%) do not feel confident they know what inflammation is or that they could spot the warning signs, a survey of 1,000 has found.
Furthermore, few know the triggers for inflammation, for example 66% didn’t realise alcohol was a trigger, 73% didn’t know saturated fat could increase inflammation, and 79% didn’t know the danger of trans fat.
Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and author, says: “The more we learn about inflammation, the more important it seems to become. Obviously it has a huge influence on joint and muscular pain, but there is increasing evidence that inflammation increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, dementia and many cancers.”
More than a quarter (28%) of respondents to the survey by global health and wellness company, Mentholatum, recognised that sugar promotes inflammation, but only one in ten identified refined carbohydrates as a problem.
Similarly, the role of omega fatty acids was also poorly understood. Only a quarter (23%) realised that omega-3 decreases inflammation and one in six wrongly believed that omega-6 would also reduce inflammation.
