101 Useful Guide To Anti-Inflammatory Diets

Waking up feeling sluggish, pain in the joints, stiffness in the body – if this is you? It could be due to inflammation in the body.

In this demanding lifestyle, many of us struggle with inflammation-related issues. But the good news is that there is an easy way to alleviate these symptoms naturally.

Our food choices play a significant role in reducing inflammation. This blog will discuss the best and science-backed anti-inflammatory foods to support your body’s natural healing processes and say goodbye to those nagging pains.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is our body’s natural healing process.

Here is an example for your better understanding.

Imagine you accidentally cut your finger while chopping vegetables. The moment you get the cut, special cells in your blood rush to the site of the cut, and chemicals are released to help stop any bleeding and fight off any germs that might have entered through the cut.

As a result, the area around the cut becomes red, swollen, and tender to the touch. This is inflammation in action. It is your body’s way of isolating the injury, getting rid of any harmful invaders, and starting the healing process.

Once the cut heals, the inflammation subsides, and your finger goes back to normal.

Confused? If it involves healing then why is it bad?

The above given example was of an acute inflammation.

When this becomes chronic, i.e., if the inflammation stays in the body for a prolonged duration, it can harm our healthy cells¹ and can contribute to diabetes, heart disorders, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and many more.

Pain, redness, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function are a few signs of inflammation.

What is Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

An anti-inflammatory diet is not a defined diet with specific foods and regimes.

It is basically adopting a lifestyle in which diet consists of foods with anti-inflammatory properties.

So, you and I can be on an anti-inflammatory diet with different food options. This diet aims to battle inflammation naturally with foods that interfere with inflammation-causing processes or cytokines.

Foods That Can Cause Inflammation

Inflammation can occur due to multiple reasons like exposure to toxins, pathogens, or due to certain medical conditions. However, certain foods can also aggravate inflammation in the body.

Processed meats

High sugar foods and beverages like candies, sodas, canned juices, or baked goods

Foods made of refined carbs like white bread, pasta, cereals, cookies, etc.

Alcohol

Deep fried foods

Foods containing trans fats and high sodium

Role of Anti-Inflammatory Diets

Anti-inflammatory diets may prove favourable for both acute and chronic inflammation.

Inflammatory foods can aggravate inflammation signs. An anti-inflammatory can help suppress the level of inflammatory cytokines in the body. It can neutralize free radicals, and oxidative stress, and decrease the risk of metabolic disorders.

It can help boost mental and cognitive health², promote healthy heart function, and minimize the risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, etc. Anti-inflammatory diets are also beneficial for people with joint pain and stiffness.

Since anti-inflammatory diets exclude junk and processed foods and promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables, they can also support weight management related health goals.

Top 20 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Berries

Berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries contain antioxidants like anthocyanins, flavanols, flavones, phenolic acids, and many more with potent anti-inflammatory properties.

Matcha Green Tea

Matcha tea is known for its high epigallocatechin gallate content that offers a high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. Studies suggest that matcha green tea is superb for alleviating metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, etc.

Almonds

Packed with healthy fats, vitamin E, dietary fiber, flavonoids, and polyphenols; almonds are one of the best anti-inflammatory foods.

They are also high in magnesium which we need to support the immune system and prevent inflammation in the body.

Walnuts

The high omega-3 fatty acid content makes walnuts beneficial to alleviate inflammation. Omega-3 fats are known to provide relief from symptoms of inflammation like pain, swelling, and soreness.

Additionally, other plant-based compounds in walnuts like flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamin E, magnesium, and phenolic acids neutralize the effects of inflammatory markers.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish like tuna, anchovy, salmon and sardine contain omega-3 fats in the form of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These fats help resolve inflammation and promote tissue repair post an inflammatory response.

Due to this reason, fish oil supplements are popularly recommended to people with inflammatory joints and athletes to relieve muscle soreness.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds contain lignans and omega-3 fats as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) with impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

They are also high in soluble fiber which has been shown to modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens like mustard leaves, spinach, kale, methi leaves offer numerous health benefits that help mitigate inflammation.

Nutrients in vegetables like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, quercetin, kaempferol, lutein, dietary fiber, vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium can help modulate the body’s inflammatory response.

Oranges

Oranges contain vitamin C and flavonoids, such as hesperidin and quercetin, which have anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds can help modulate the inflammatory response and reduce inflammation markers.

Turmeric

The credit for turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effect goes to an active compound present in it – Curcumin. This compound not only provides turmeric its vibrant yellow colour but also makes it a superb antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral agent.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is high in MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) and various polyphenols, such as hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, enriched with potent antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Mushrooms

These low-calorie foods contain beta-glucans, selenium, vitamin C, and polyphenols that help support inflammation reduction and boost overall health.

Oats

Oats are loaded with nutrients such as beta-glucans, vitamin E, phenolic acids, magnesium, and avenanthramides. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and minimize oxidative stress, which is a key driver of inflammation.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and curd contain beneficial bacteria known as probiotics. They help maintain a healthy gut balance which is crucial for inflammation regulation.

Ginger

Ginger can help regulate inflammatory processes as it has pain-relieving or analgesic properties. It contains bioactive compounds such as gingerols and shogaols, which have been play a key role in inhibiting various inflammatory pathways.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are considered good for reducing inflammation as they are a good source of plant-based source of omega fats and also high in soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.

Chia seeds promote a healthy gut microbiome that lowers the occurrence of inflammation in the body.

Quinoa

This gluten-free superfood is one of the best plant-based protein sources with a complete amino acid profile. Quinoa comes with an enriched antioxidant profile. It contains flavonoids, quercetin, and kaempferol which reduce the free radical effect and suppresses inflammation markers.

Broccoli

Broccoli has been shown to facilitate toxin elimination from the body. It is particularly rich in compounds like glucosinolates and sulforaphane that exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory properties and support detoxification process.

Beans

Beans are super-healthy. They have a low glycemic index but are high in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc, protein, fiber, other phytonutrients that work together in preventing inflammation and contribute to the overall health benefits of beans.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and many more nutrients but one unique component which accounts for its impressive anti-inflammatory effect is anthocyanins.

Lentils

Lentils contain phytonutrients such as lignans, which have anti-inflammatory properties. They are an excellent protein source which makes them favourable for our immune function, tissue repair, and supporting a healthy inflammatory response.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it won’t be wrong to say anti-inflammatory diets are not just a trend but a science-backed approach for overall health and well-being.

Applying the principles of an anti-inflammatory diet involves focussing on nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes while minimizing processed foods, sugary beverages, and unhealthy fats.

Transitioning to an anti-inflammatory diet may have profound effects on our health, including reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved heart health, weight management, balanced blood sugar levels, enhanced gut health, and better immune function.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). (2018, February 22). What is an inflammation? InformedHealth.org – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279298/ ↩︎
2. Kurowska, A., Ziemichód, W., Herbet, M., & Piątkowska‐Chmiel, I. (2023). The role of diet as a modulator of the inflammatory process in the neurological diseases. Nutrients, 15(6), 1436. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061436 ↩︎