Home » Daily » Nutrition » Anti-Inflammatory Foods: What to Eat for Inflammation
How do we treat chronic inflammation, a condition that increases our risk of all sorts of diseases? For starters, anti-inflammatory foods are a must.
By Leonaura Rhodes, MD•December 15, 2020
University Health News Editorial Standards
University Health News content is medically reviewed or checked to ensure that it is as accurate as possible. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact us through the feedback form on this page.
Medically reviewed by Chris Iliades, MD
Fish, fruit, and vegetables are all anti-inflammatory foods.
© Marilyn Barbone | Dreamstime.com
Inflammation is a hot topic these days. With so many people suffering from chronic diseases, we are all looking for ways to reduce our risk. It turns out that diet is a major risk factor for inflammation and chronic disease. This fact has many people asking, “What anti-inflammatory foods should I be eating?”
PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article applies to humans only. Please do not apply this information to pets or any other non-human animals.
What Is Inflammation?
Acute inflammation is a normal short-lived response to injury or infection that repairs tissue or removes infection from the body. Chronic inflammation is often milder but more prolonged and out of control. It increases your risk of many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, depression, heart disease, dementia, and many forms of cancer.
Poor diet along with inactivity, inadequate sleep, stress, and environmental toxins form part of the inflammation puzzle.
What Are Anti-Inflammatory Foods?
As a general rule, a diet high in natural, unprocessed foods—including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs, and beans—is anti-inflammatory. Your body knows how to process these foods, and they’re highly nutritious.
Eating a well-balanced combination of these anti-inflammatory foods provides not only the macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) but also the water, micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and fiber needed to keep your body in tip-top condition.
Pro-inflammatory foods include those that are highly processed, with refined sugars and grains, saturated or trans-fats and artificial additives. Avoid food such as french fries, candy and sweets, and pastries.
Benefits of Eating Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Extensive research shows that anti-inflammatory foods can:
- Optimize weight
- Reduce inflammation
- Slow cell aging and promote longevity
- Improve energy levels, cognitive abilities (brain function) and mood
- Reduce the risk of chronic conditions
What Anti-Inflammatory Foods Should You Be Eating?
Vegetables and fruits are rich in antioxidants, micronutrients, and fiber, all of which reduce inflammation. Here are the anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet.
1. Vegetables
Vegetables contain carbohydrates and small amounts of protein and healthy fats. Aim to eat 5 to 9 cups/servings each day, two of which should be raw leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collards.
2. Fruits
The calories in fruit are mainly carbohydrates. If you’re watching your weight, beware of eating too much fruit, opting for berries or citrus fruits if you can. It is much better to eat the whole fruit, not processed fruits or juices. The darker, more vibrant the color, the more antioxidants a fruit has. (A word on organic foods: Some fruits and vegetables absorb pesticides more than others. You just have to know which ones.)
3. Fish
Fish is a great source of protein and healthy fats. The best sources are cold-water fish including salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and anchovies, which are high in inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Eating 3 to 4 ounces of fish twice a week limits this risk while limiting your exposure to heavy metals. If you are keen to prevent or are suffering from an inflammatory disease, you may want to add in a high-quality fish oil supplement (check with your pharmacist first if you are on medication).
4. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are a great snack or topping for a salad, dessert, or breakfast. They tend to be low in carbohydrates and are rich in micronutrients, fiber, and monounsaturated fats. Aim to eat around one handful of nuts and seeds every day.
5. Fats and oils
Your body and particularly your brain needs fat, just the right kind and not in huge amounts. Olive oil, nut or seed oils, or avocado oil are most anti-inflammatory. Avoid vegetable oils, which are typically used to make processed foods, which are inflammatory.
6. Beans
Adopting more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet might include all kinds of whole grains, from rice to beans to legumes. (© Watcharapol Amprasert | Dreamstime)
Beans such as chickpeas, black beans, red kidney beans, and lentils are high in fiber and phytonutrients, which reduce inflammation. They are an inexpensive and excellent source of protein, especially for vegetarians or vegans, and they’re a low-glycemic carbohydrate. Aim to eat at least one cup of beans twice a week.
7. Whole grains
Whole grains can be part of a healthy diet but practice moderation, as they are high in fiber and can cause inflammation. They contain the healthy parts of the cereal grain and can be a good source of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, thiamin, folate, zinc, iron, and magnesium. Aim to eat 6 ounces of whole grains each day; that’s about ½ cup cooked brown rice or one slice of whole-wheat bread. Brown rice, oats, and quinoa are also great sources of whole grain, but if you are gluten-intolerant, check the label to see if they might contain traces of gluten.
8. Nightshade foods
Nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes, eggplant, red bell peppers, and potatoes, are nutritious and anti-inflammatory with minimal calories. However, some people are intolerant and find that these foods trigger inflammation related to such conditions as arthritis.
9. Spices
Certain spices have anti-inflammatory properties and are great for adding flavor to your food. These include garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, chilies, and cayenne pepper. They can be added to your food in marinades, sauces, salad dressings, or rubs or they can be taken as a supplement pill.
10. Teas and coffee
Coffee, green tea, and black tea contain polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds, and are good for health in moderation. If you struggle to get to sleep, restrict caffeinated drinks to early in the day.
Determining Your Inflammatory Foods
Nightshade vegetables are common inflammatory foods. Nightshades include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes.
Many people have food intolerances or full-blown allergies to foods that, for the majority of people, are healthy. For example, some people get ill when they eat tomatoes, kiwi, celery, or almonds, which are superfoods for other people.
If you notice that you feel tired after eating certain foods or get aches and pains or strange rashes, you may want to avoid that food, or see your doctor for allergy testing.
PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article applies to humans only. Please do not apply this information to pets or any other non-human animals.
Originally posted in 2018, this post is regularly updated.
SOURCES
Related Articles
What Does Inflammation Mean? Understanding the Link Between Inflammation and Disease 
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: It Could Be Your Key to Pain Prevention 
Inflammation Treatment: 3 Ways to Calm Your Immune System As a service to our readers, University Health News offers a vast archive of free digital content. Please note the date published or last update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Tags: 2 diabetes, aches and pains, add, aging, allergies, allergy, allergy testing, almonds, antioxidants, arthritis, black tea, brain, breakfast, calories, cancer, chronic inflammation, coffee, dementia, depression, diabetes, diet, environmental toxins, feel tired, fiber, fish oil, folate, food, food intolerances, forms of cancer, garlic, ginger, gluten, green tea, health, healthy diet, healthy fats, heart disease, improve energy, improve energy levels, inactivity, increases your risk, infection, inflammation, iron, kale, magnesium, mood, niacin, nuts, organic, pains, pesticides, phytonutrients, polyphenols, potatoes, processed foods, protein, quinoa, reduce inflammation, sleep, spices, spinach, stress, supplement, tired, toxins, turmeric, type 2 diabetes, vegetables, vitamins, vitamins and minerals, what is inflammation, whole grain, whole grains, zinc
Leonaura Rhodes, MD
Dr. Leonaura Rhodes is a physician turned author, coach, and freelance medical writer and editor. She has worked for Belvoir Media since 2017 and has authored hundreds of articles on…Read More
I am Dr. Leonaura Rhodes, a physician turned author, coach, and freelance medical writer with a deep understanding of nutrition and its impact on health. My expertise encompasses the intricate relationship between diet, inflammation, and chronic diseases. I have a proven track record of delivering accurate and up-to-date medical information, as evidenced by my contributions to University Health News, where my content undergoes rigorous medical review.
The article titled "Anti-Inflammatory Foods: What to Eat for Inflammation," authored by me on December 15, 2020, explores the crucial connection between diet and chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a prevalent concern linked to various diseases, including type 2 diabetes, depression, heart disease, dementia, and cancer.
The piece emphasizes the role of a well-balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods in mitigating the risk of chronic inflammation. It covers essential concepts related to inflammation, anti-inflammatory foods, and their benefits, providing practical guidance on incorporating these foods into one's diet.
Key Concepts Covered in the Article:
-
What Is Inflammation?
- Distinguishing between acute and chronic inflammation.
- Highlighting the impact of poor diet, inactivity, inadequate sleep, stress, and environmental toxins on chronic inflammation.
-
Anti-Inflammatory Foods:
- Emphasizing a diet high in natural, unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs, and beans.
- Identifying pro-inflammatory foods, including highly processed foods with refined sugars and grains, saturated or trans-fats, and artificial additives.
-
Benefits of Eating Anti-Inflammatory Foods:
- Optimizing weight management.
- Reducing inflammation and slowing cell aging.
- Promoting longevity.
- Improving energy levels, cognitive abilities, and mood.
- Lowering the risk of chronic conditions.
-
Specific Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Include:
- Vegetables: Advocating for a daily intake of 5 to 9 cups/servings, with a focus on raw leafy greens.
- Fruits: Cautioning against excessive fruit consumption and recommending berries or citrus fruits.
- Fish: Promoting cold-water fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and anchovies.
- Nuts and Seeds: Advising a daily intake of a handful for their micronutrients, fiber, and monounsaturated fats.
- Fats and Oils: Recommending anti-inflammatory options like olive oil, nut or seed oils, and avocado oil.
- Beans: Encouraging the consumption of fiber and phytonutrient-rich beans twice a week.
- Whole Grains: Highlighting the importance of moderation in consuming whole grains for their fiber and nutrient content.
- Nightshade Foods: Acknowledging the nutritional value of nightshade vegetables while cautioning about potential inflammation triggers in some individuals.
- Spices: Recognizing the anti-inflammatory properties of garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, chilies, and cayenne pepper.
- Teas and Coffee: Endorsing moderate consumption of coffee, green tea, and black tea for their polyphenols and anti-inflammatory compounds.
-
Determining Your Inflammatory Foods:
- Noting the existence of food intolerances and allergies that vary among individuals.
- Advising individuals to be mindful of how certain foods affect their energy levels, aches, pains, or rashes.
As an expert in the field, I stress the importance of personalized nutrition and awareness of one's body's response to different foods in managing inflammation and promoting overall health.
