Sugar and refined carbs can also cause inflammation but I cut those out of my diet years ago. I didn't see the real benefits until I switched to a plant based diet.
To make myself clear: I think vegan diet is efficient, sustainable and ethical. But there is simply no easy way to go full vegan and get enough macro nutrients (in particular protein, and fats) without getting a lot of sugar. I have a lot of problem with inflammation and even 5g of sugar is too much for me, so it seems like the only plant based food I can eat are soybeans and broccoli. Maybe I'm missing something. Care to help?
I think you'll find you can eat plenty of carbs if you stick to whole grain, unprocessed carbs and also avoid oil. I've been on this diet for two years now and I've lost weight and feel amazing.
You can get enough Omega 3 from non animal sources but if you're worried about it you can supplement with algae-derived Omega 3. Fish get it from algae anyway so you're just cutting out the middle man.
I recommend Michael Greger's book "How Not to Die" for a lot more detail on a healthy plant based diet. I think you'll find it a lot easier to eat this way than you might think.
Consuming refined sugar is inherently unhealthy because it’s consumption causes insulin spikes and eventually insulin desensitization which leads to diabetes which is a strong predictor of inflammation. The same logic applies to any refined foods with concentrated amounts of fat or salt.
No whole plant-based food has the concentrated amount of macronutrients that are in processed food. You could argue that honey might be one, but honey’s been refined from pollen by bees.
You should take into account that some whole plant high sugar or high starch foods like fruits and beans come packaged with fiber and other nutrients as well that serve to balance the nutritional profile and glycemic impact of the food.
That being said, if you do have a problem with sugar, stay away from sweet or high starch foods that lack fiber like ripened bananas and cooked white potatoes. Beans are healthy because they contain resistant starches that act like fiber.
You should be eating a variety of whole plant foods with high fiber and high nurtrient density.
Dr Fuhrmans list of foods you should consume everyday for a healthy immune system. G-BOMBS Greens Beans Onions Mushrooms Berries Seeds