The IF Rating Formula
by Inflammation Factor
The formula used to calculate the IF RatingTM includes more than 20 different factors that affect a food’s inflammatory or anti-inflammatory potential, including:
- amount and type of fat
- essential fatty acids
- vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
- glycemic index
- anti-inflammatory compounds
For each of these factors, points are added or subtracted based on the amount of that nutrient present1 compared with the documented effects of various dosages of that nutrient on inflammation in humans.2 The result is a single number that estimates the net effects of all of these factors. A negative IF Rating suggests that a food or meal may have inflammatory effects; a positive IF Rating indicates an anti-inflammatory effect. The higher the number, the stronger the effect.
The IF Ratings of individual foods and ingredients can be combined to estimate the effects of meals and recipes. The IF Rating is dependent on serving size. For example, the IF Rating of 1 cup of romaine lettuce is 73; the rating for 2 cups is 146.
The formula used to calculate the IF RatingTM includes more than 20 different factors that affect a food’s inflammatory or anti-inflammatory potential, including:
- amount and type of fat
- essential fatty acids
- vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
- glycemic index
- anti-inflammatory compounds
For each of these factors, points are added or subtracted based on the amount of that nutrient present1 compared with the documented effects of various dosages of that nutrient on inflammation in humans.2 The result is a single number that estimates the net effects of all of these factors. A negative IF Rating suggests that a food or meal may have inflammatory effects; a positive IF Rating indicates an anti-inflammatory effect. The higher the number, the stronger the effect.
The IF Ratings of individual foods and ingredients can be combined to estimate the effects of meals and recipes. The IF Rating is dependent on serving size. For example, the IF Rating of 1 cup of romaine lettuce is 73; the rating for 2 cups is 146.
By Self Nutrition Data: IF Ratings on Nutrition Data
Nutrition Data provides IF Ratings for most foods in its database. IF Ratings appear on Nutrition Facts pages and have a format similar to the example below:
| IF Positives This food contains known anti-inflammatory nutrients, including monounsaturated fat, selenium, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and folate. IF Negatives This food contains known inflammatory nutrients, including arachidonic acid and saturated fat. |
The IF Rating™ provides an estimate of this food's effect on inflammation.
A negative IF Rating™ means that the food is considered to be inflammatory (i.e. increases inflammation), and a positive IF Rating™ indicates that the food is considered to be anti-inflammatory (i.e. reduces inflammation). There is no upper or lower limit for the IF Ratings, so you'll see a wide range of values reported. IF Ratings are also dependent on serving size, so you'll see the IF Rating™ value change if you change the serving size in the Serving Size drop-down at the top of the Nutrition Facts page.
A composite IF Rating™ is also included on your My Tracking report. This composite IF Rating™ is the sum of IF Ratings for all foods in your running total. It's OK to eat inflammatory foods, but for maximum health, Monica Reinagel recommends consuming a diet with an overall positive (anti-inflammatory) composite IF Rating.
Read More on Self Nutrition Data
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