Natural Anti-Inflammatory Diet

What Are Natural Anti-Inflammatories?

Natural anti-inflammatories are foods that you can eat to lower your odds of having inflammation. If you have a condition that causes inflammation, it may help to change your eating habits.

While medication and other treatments are important, many experts say an anti- inflammatory diet may help, too. If you have a condition like rheumatoid arthritis, changing what's on your plate won’t be a magic cure. But an anti- inflammatory diet might lessen the number of flare-ups you have, or it might help take your pain down a few notches.

An anti-inflammatory diet is widely regarded as healthy. Even if it doesn't help with your condition, it can help lower your chances of having other problems.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Any mainstream nutrition expert would encourage you to eat anti-inflammatory foods. They include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins (like beans and nuts), fatty fish, and fresh herbs and spices.

Fruits and veggies: Go for variety and lots of color. Research shows that vitamin K-rich leafy greens like spinach and kale reduce inflammation, as do broccoli and cabbage. So does the substance that gives fruits like cherries, raspberries, and blackberries their color.

Whole grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and other unrefined grains tend to be high in fiber, and fiber also may help with inflammation.

Beans: They're high in fiber, plus they're loaded with antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances.

Nuts: They have a healthy kind of fat that helps stop inflammation. (Olive oil and avocados are also good sources.) Stick to just a handful of nuts a day, or otherwise the fat and calories will add up.

Fish: Put it on your plate at least twice a week. Salmon, tuna, and sardines all have plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation.

Herbs and spices: They add antioxidants (along with flavor) to your food. Turmeric, found in curry powder, does this with a strong substance called curcumin. And garlic curbs your body's ability to make things that boost inflammation.

Inflammatory Foods

Anything highly processed, overly greasy, or super sweet isn’t a good choice for you if you have inflammation.

Risks of Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation happens naturally in your body. Inflammation protects against toxins, infection, and injury, but when it happens too often it can trigger diseases. Experts link long-term (chronic) inflammation to:

Cancer

Heart disease

Diabetes

Alzheimer’s disease

Depression

You can lower your risk of chronic inflammation with changes to what you eat.

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