Functional nutrition and anti-inflammatory eating: what the evidence says

Functional nutrition is the eating side of functional medicine: a whole-person approach that looks at what you eat alongside sleep, movement, stress and your health conditions, and starts with food before any product. It is not a licensed profession by itself. In Puerto Rico, individualized nutrition counseling is done by licensed nutritionists and dietitians.

This guide is education. It explains what the evidence says about chronic inflammation and anti-inflammatory foods, with no promised results and nothing to sell.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the NIH, inflammation is a normal part of the body’s response to injury or infection: that is acute inflammation, which switches on and then settles. Chronic inflammation is different because it lasts a long time. The NCI explains that it can come from infections that don’t clear, immune reactions against normal tissue, or conditions such as obesity, and that over time it can damage DNA and raise the risk of cancer.

No single symptom confirms it. According to MedlinePlus (NIH), C-reactive protein (CRP) is made by the liver when there is inflammation, and a high-sensitivity CRP test (hs-CRP) is used, along with other factors, to estimate heart disease risk. CRP also rises with an infection or an injury, so one result doesn’t diagnose anything on its own: your doctor reads it in context. See how to read your lab results.

There is no official “anti-inflammatory diet.” What has been studied are whole eating patterns, more than single foods:

• Mediterranean diet. In the PREDIMED trial in Spain, about 7,400 adults at high cardiovascular risk followed a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil or with nuts, or a reduced-fat control diet. In the corrected re-analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018, both Mediterranean groups had roughly 30% fewer major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death). That result is about the heart, in one high-risk group; it does not prove the diet “lowers inflammation” for everyone.
• DASH eating plan. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, beans and nuts, with less sodium, sugar and red meat) lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. If cholesterol is your concern, see high cholesterol.
• More fiber. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reported that more than 90% of women and 97% of men do not meet the recommended fiber intake, and that eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in place of refined grains raises it.
• Fewer ultra-processed foods. In a small NIH inpatient trial, adults ate about 500 more calories a day on an ultra-processed diet than on a minimally processed one. Large observational studies link these diets with more disease, but a link is not proof of cause.

Harvard Health lists tomatoes, olive oil, leafy greens, nuts, fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines and mackerel) and fruits among the foods often called anti-inflammatory. The same groups run through DASH and Mediterranean eating: vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, olive oil and nuts.

Plenty of Puerto Rican food fits that pattern without changing cuisines:

• Elimination diets without a medical reason. Cutting out whole food groups “just in case” can leave gaps in nutrients and is not supported for inflammation in general. A suspected allergy or intolerance is something to assess with a doctor.
• IgG “food sensitivity” tests. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) advises against them: IgG antibodies to foods are a normal response to eating those foods, not a sign of allergy or intolerance. See functional medicine labs.
• Supplements that promise to “fight inflammation.” The FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold, and the NIH’s NCCIH says the evidence for turmeric for any health condition is limited. Some supplements interact with medicines.
• Detox teas and cleanses. According to the NIH’s NCCIH, there is no good evidence detox products remove toxins; your liver and kidneys already do that.

A big change in how you eat can affect your health if you have certain conditions. Talk with your doctor first if:

• You have kidney disease. According to the NIH’s NIDDK, many people with chronic kidney disease need to limit sodium, and your care team may ask you to change how much potassium or phosphorus you eat depending on your blood tests. Ask which limits apply to you before eating more fruits, vegetables, beans or nuts.
• You take diabetes medicines. The NIDDK explains that insulin and some diabetes pills can cause low blood sugar if you eat fewer carbohydrates than usual or skip meals. Know the signs of low blood sugar.
• You take a blood thinner such as warfarin. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements advises keeping the vitamin K in your diet steady; leafy greens are high in it.
• You have food allergies, for example to nuts or fish.
• You are pregnant. The FDA advises choosing fish lower in mercury and avoiding the highest-mercury fish.

If you are in Puerto Rico, you can book an online visit with Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico. Video visits are only for people who are physically in Puerto Rico.

Fresh, home-style meals built around whole foods, with Puerto Rican flavors. Tell us about allergies and food preferences on your application.

For the habits side of the retreat, read how a wellness retreat can support healthy habits.