12 Essential Anti-Inflammatory Foods To Support Your Health

Some foods are known to increase inflammation, but others have been shown to reduce inflammatory markers and disease risk. An anti-inflammatory diet prioritizes foods rich in protective compounds, such as fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish.

Compounds found in foods, including polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and carotenoids, help prevent and reduce inflammation. They modulate inflammatory pathways in your body and decrease inflammatory proteins.

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are staples in anti-inflammatory diets. Berries are a source of anti-inflammatory plant compounds, such as anthocyanins, flavonols, and phenolic acids, plus nutrients like vitamin C. Berries can effectively reduce inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP). They also inhibit pro-inflammatory pathways in your body. Berry-rich diets may even protect against inflammation-mediated diseases, such as certain cancers.

The added sugars in many cocoa products can contribute to inflammation in excess. Cocoa itself is high in anti-inflammatory compounds, such as catechins, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins. Consuming dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao can reduce inflammatory markers in people with conditions like diabetes and kidney disease. Try sipping on hot cocoa sweetened with monk fruit or sprinkling cacao nibs on oatmeal, chia pudding, and yogurt.

Citrus fruits are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and an array of anti-inflammatory substances, such as flavonoids and carotenoids. A review of 21 studies found that drinking 100% orange juice reduced inflammatory markers significantly in healthy adults and those at risk for heart disease. Try enjoying whole citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruits, or sipping on 100% citrus juices.

Carrots contain falcarinol and falcarinol, which decrease the release of inflammatory proteins. In one study, 14 healthy adults drank 500 milliliters of carrot juice before having their blood drawn. The carrot juice was found to reduce levels of the inflammatory proteins significantly in blood samples mixed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS triggers an inflammatory response in white blood cells. This result shows that carrots may help the body fight inflammatory diseases like cancer.

Green and red grapes are rich in resveratrol. This polyphenol inhibits inflammatory pathways and inflammatory proteins. Eating resveratrol-rich foods, like grapes, may increase levels of anti-inflammatory enzymes in immune cells. This may be why grape intake has been shown to protect against inflammatory diseases like heart disease.

Beans and lentils contain polyphenols like kaempferol and cyanidin. Consuming beans and lentils can also increase the production of anti-inflammatory substances in your gut. Beans and lentils have soluble fiber, which bacteria break down in your colon (large intestine). This process releases short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that positively influence gut health. SCFAs regulate intestinal inflammation and reduce inflammatory proteins.

Olives and olive oil are essential components of anti-inflammatory diets like the Mediterranean diet. They are high in polyphenols, like ferulic acid, epicatechin, and apigenin. Olive oil and olive-rich diets have consistently been shown to reduce rates of inflammatory diseases, such as heart disease. Olive oil may also decrease inflammatory markers and reduce disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Herbs and spices—such as rosemary, turmeric, cinnamon, saffron, sage, and oregano—contain polyphenols. Consuming certain herbs and spices, like turmeric, may lower inflammatory markers. A review of six studies found that turmeric supplementation significantly reduced inflammatory markers in people with rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis.

Garlic and ginger are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds. Garlic has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers like CRP and protect against cognitive decline. It helps lower inflammation in the brain and reduce nerve cell decay. Ginger has been shown to reduce pain and inflammatory markers in people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Leafy greens, like arugula, spinach, Swiss chard, and kale, are high in flavonoids, carotenoids, glucosinolates, and vitamin C. Increasing your intake of leafy greens is an easy and effective way to reduce inflammation.

In one study, participants followed diet high in dark leafy greens or a standard American diet supplemented with a daily smoothie made with 8 ounces of dark leafy greens for seven days. Both groups had significant reductions in the CRP and increases in beta-carotene levels. Beta-carotene is an anti-inflammatory carotenoid compound.

Seafood is a source of anti-inflammatory substances like omega-3 fatty acids and selenium. This mineral has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Eating omega-3-rich seafood and supplementing with omega-3s can reduce inflammatory proteins. It can also improve symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and rheumatoid arthritis.

You may try eating more oily fish, like salmon, trout, sardines, and herring. A study found that people at a high risk of heart disease and diabetes who followed an oily fish-rich diet for eight weeks had significant reductions in inflammatory markers.

Pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are sources of polyphenols, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. People who regularly consume nuts and seeds have been shown to have fewer inflammatory markers like CRP. Nuts may also increase levels of adiponectin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It can further reduce inflammatory responses and cell damage that may lead to disease.

While following a nutrient-dense diet that prioritizes foods high in anti-inflammatory compounds can help reduce inflammation and chronic disease risk, consuming some foods and beverages too frequently could have the opposite effect.

In general, it’s best to limit your intake of the following foods and drinks:

• Fast food: Fried foods, cheeseburgers, convenience foods
• Sweetened foods and drinks: Candy, soda, sweetened coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, ice cream, energy drinks, sugary cereals
• Packaged and convenience foods: chips, snack mixes, sweetened granola and protein bars, highly processed frozen meals
• Foods and oils high in omega-6 fats: corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, margarine
• Refined grain products: white bread, bagels, crackers, donuts, cupcakes, pastries, pretzels
• Processed meat products: lunch meats, bacon, beef jerky
• Products high in added salt: canned soups, salty snack foods like chips, salty restaurant and takeout meals

While you can enjoy these foods and drinks occasionally while still following a primarily anti-inflammatory dietary pattern, consuming these products too often can harm your health and increase your risk of developing inflammation-mediated health conditions, like cognitive decline, heart disease, and certain cancers.

There are a few other ways to lower inflammation through lifestyle changes. Avoiding smoking, limiting your alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy body weight, and exercising can reduce disease risk and help you live a longer life.

Consider speaking with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian nutritionist if you want to eat a more anti-inflammatory diet or make lifestyle changes. They can help you get started and share tips on how to start and maintain an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

Certain foods like leafy greens, berries, nuts and seeds, fatty fish, and cacao have anti-inflammatory compounds. These foods contain polyphenols, carotenoids, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. An anti-inflammatory diet can reduce disease risk and benefit people with inflammatory diseases like arthritis or heart disease. Try incorporating some of these foods into your diet for a delicious and easy way to support and protect your health.