Top 13 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS to Add to our Diet
Inflammation can be both good and bad.
On one hand, it helps your body defend itself from infection and injury. On the other hand, chronic inflammation can lead to weight gain and disease.
Stress, inflammatory foods, and low activity levels can make this risk even greater.
However, studies demonstrate that some foods can fight inflammation.
Here are 13 anti-inflammatory foods.
1. Berries
Berries are small foods that are very healthy and full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
There are dozens of different kinds, but here are some of the most common:
strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
blackberries
Anthocyanins are vitamins that are found in berries. These chemicals can lower your chance of getting sick by reducing inflammation.
Natural killer cells, or NK cells, are made by your body and help your defense system work right.
Men who ate blueberries every day made a lot more NK cells than men who didn't eat blueberries every day.
In a different study, adults who were overweight and ate strawberries had lower amounts of some inflammatory markers that are linked to heart disease.
2. Fatty fish
EPA and DHA, which are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, can be found in large amounts in fatty fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in all kinds of fish, but these are some of the best sources:
salmon
sardines
herring
mackerel
anchovies
Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and kidney disease can all be caused by inflammation. EPA and DHA help lower inflammation.
These fatty acids are broken down by your body into chemicals called resolvins and protectins, which reduce inflammation.
The inflammatory measure C-reactive protein (CRP) went down in people who ate salmon or took EPA and DHA supplements, according to studies.
In a different study, however, people with an irregular heartbeat who took EPA and DHA every day did not have any different inflammatory signs than those who were given a placebo.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli is very good for you.
It's a cruciferous veggie, which means it has a lot of cruciferous parts.
It has been found that people who eat a lot of cruciferous veggies are less likely to get heart disease and cancer.
This might have something to do with the fact that the vitamins they contain help reduce inflammation.
As an antioxidant, sulforaphane is found in large amounts in broccoli. It lowers the levels of cytokines and NF-kB, which are what cause inflammation.
4. Avocados
Avocados might be one of the few so-called "superfoods" that lives up to its name.
They have a lot of fiber, magnesium, potassium, and polyunsaturated fats that are good for your heart.
They also have tocopherols and carotenoids, which are linked to a lower chance of cancer.
One substance in avocados may also help calm down inflammation in young skin cells.
People in one study who ate a hamburger with a slice of avocado had lower amounts of the inflammatory markers NF-kB and IL-6 than people who ate the hamburger by itself.
5. Green tea
A lot of people say that green tea is one of the best drinks out there.
It makes you less likely to get heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, being overweight, and other illnesses.
A chemical called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) gives it many of its health benefits by fighting free radicals and inflammation.
EGCG stops inflammation by stopping the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the damage that happens to the fatty acids in your cells.
6. Peppers
Peppers like bell peppers and chili peppers are full of vitamin C and antioxidants that fight inflammation very well.
The antioxidant quercetin, which is found in bell peppers, may help people with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease, lower one sign of oxidative damage.
There are chemicals in chili peppers called sinapic acid and ferulic acid that may help lower inflammation and make getting older healthy.
7. Mushrooms
There are thousands of different kinds of mushrooms in the world, but only a few are edible and are grown for profit.
Some of these are shiitake, portobello, and truffle mushrooms.
They are full of selenium, copper, and all the B vitamins and very low in calories.
They also have phenols and other antioxidants that help against inflammation.
A certain kind of mushroom called lion's mane might help lower low-grade inflammation caused by fat.
But one study found that cooking mushrooms greatly reduced the amount of anti-inflammatory chemicals they had. So, it might be best to eat them raw or barely cooked.
8. Grapes
Anthocyanins, which are found in grapes, help lessen swelling.
They may also lower the chance of a number of diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer's, and eye problems.
Also, grapes have a lot of resveratrol, which is another chemical that is good for you in many ways.
In one study, inflammatory gene markers like NF-kB went down in people with heart disease who took grape juice every day.
Besides that, their adiponectin levels went up. Low amounts of this hormone make you gain weight and raise your risk of getting cancer.
9. Turmeric
This spice, turmeric, has a strong, earthy taste and is often used in Indian curries and other foods.
A lot of people are interested in it because it has curcumin in it, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient.
Turmeric lowers inflammation caused by diabetes, arthritis, and other illnesses.
In fact, people with metabolic syndrome whose daily diet included 1 gram of curcumin and piperine from black pepper saw a big drop in the inflammatory measure CRP.
But it might be hard to get enough curcumin from turmeric by itself for it to have a noticeable effect.
Women with extra weight who took 2.8 grams of turmeric every day did not show any change in inflammatory markers in one study.
It works much better to take pills with isolated curcumin. Curcumin pills often have piperine added to them, which can make the curcumin 2,000% more effective.
10. Extra virgin olive oil
One of the best fats you can eat is extra virgin olive oil.
It is a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet and is high in monounsaturated fats, which are good for you in many ways.
The use of extra virgin olive oil has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, brain cancer, and other major illnesses.
If people followed the Mediterranean diet and ate 1.7 ounces (50 ml) of olive oil every day, CRP and a number of other inflammatory markers went down by a lot.
Antioxidants like ibuprofen and oleocanthal, which is found in olive oil, have been compared in how they work.
Keep in mind that extra virgin olive oil is better at reducing inflammation than olive oils that have been processed.
11. Dark chocolate and cocoa
Dark chocolate tastes great, is rich, and fills you up.
Also, it's full of antioxidants that help prevent swelling. These might make you healthy as you age and lower your risk of getting sick.
Chocolate can reduce inflammation and protect the cells that line your arteries called endothelial cells with flavanols.
In one study, smokers who ate high-flavonol chocolate had big changes in the function of their endothelium within two hours.
To get these pain-relieving benefits, make sure you pick dark chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa—that much more is even better.
12. Tomatoes
The tomato is full of healthy nutrients.
Tomatoes have a lot of potassium, vitamin C, and lycopene, which is an antioxidant that fights inflammation very well.
Lycopene may be especially helpful for lowering chemicals that cause inflammation that are linked to several types of cancer.
One study found that women who were overweight or obese who drank tomato juice had significantly lower levels of inflammation markers, but not women who were obese.
Keep in mind that cooking tomatoes in olive oil can help you receive more lycopene.
That's because lycopene is a carotenoid, which is a type of vitamin that works better when it's along with fat.
13. Cherries
Cherry fruits are tasty and full of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. These antioxidants include anthocyanins and catechins.
Tart cherries have been studied more than other types when it comes to their health benefits, but sweet cherries are also good for you.
A study found that when people ate 280 grams of cherries every day for one month, their levels of the inflammatory marker CRP went down. These levels stayed low for 28 days after they stopped eating cherries.
Inflammatory foods
Along with eating lots of healthy anti-inflammatory foods, it's also important to eat less of the foods that can make inflammation worse.
Higher amounts of inflammatory markers like CRP have been linked to processed foods like fast food, frozen meals, and processed meats.
Trans fats, a type of unsaturated fatty acid that has also been linked to more inflammation, are found in fried foods and partly hydrogenated oils.
Other foods, like sugary drinks and processed carbs, have also been shown to make inflammation worse.
To give you some examples of things that have been linked to more inflammation:
Fast food, ready-made meals, potato chips, and snacks are all examples of junk food.
White bread, pasta, white rice, crackers, flour tortillas, and cookies are all examples of refined carbohydrates.
Fried foods like chicken strips, egg rolls, French fries, and donuts
Drinks with a lot of sugar, like soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, and sports drinks
Snack foods like bacon, beef jerky, salami, hot dogs, and smoked meat
Trans fats are found in margarine, shortening, and partly hydrogenated vegetable oil.
The bottom line
Even small amounts of inflammation that last for a long time can cause illness.
Choose a lot of different tasty, antioxidant-rich foods to help keep inflammation under control.
Some foods that can help you fight inflammation and lower your risk of getting sick are peppers, dark chocolate, fish, and extra virgin olive oil.