Pro-Inflammatory Foods Like Red Meat and Refined Carbs Increase the Risk of Heart Disease and Cancer Pro-inflammatory foods are linked to a variety of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer. Considering that they may cause so many diseases, it's key that you know what these foods are so that you can avoid eating them in a pro-inflammatory diet (or at least drastically limit them in your daily diet). 5 PRO-INFLAMMATORY FOODS IN THE WESTERN DIET 1. Red Meat: beef, lamb 2. Processed Meat: sausage, bacon, deli meats with preservatives (e.g., turkey) 3. Organ Meat: liver, spleen 4. Refined Carbohydrates: cookies, cake, doughnuts, potato chips, crackers, pretzels, white bread, pies, pizza, pasta, fried potatoes (e.g., French fries), fried breads 5. Sugar-sweetened Beverages: soda, juices containing any kind of added sweetener (e.g., white sugar), and coffee and teas containing any added sweetener This