How an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Can Fuel a Healthy Future

Inflammation has a bad reputation, but it’s not all deserved. When you cut your finger or come down with the flu, inflammation kicks into gear to restore your health. If, however, inflammation sticks around after you’ve healed or revs up for no reason, it can become a chronic problem — and your health may pay the price. You can fight back with anti-inflammatory foods. An anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce your risk of serious diseases linked to chronic inflammation.

Inside Inflammation

Inflammation is one of your body’s most potent powers. When you experience an injury or develop an infection, the acute inflammatory response begins. Warning chemicals notify the immune system to send white blood cells to the affected area, like a bugler calling the cavalry to charge. Acute inflammation ends once the injury heals and the germs have been eliminated.

Sometimes, though, the inflammatory response either doesn’t stop or activates when it isn’t needed and keeps going. Known as chronic inflammation, this process can cause life-disrupting symptoms, including:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Skin rashes
• Weight gain

In addition, chronic inflammation can contribute to many serious diseases, including:

• Anxiety and depression
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes

Fortunately, you can take advantage of a variety of treatments to help tame chronic inflammation, from medications to regular exercise, stress management, and other healthy habits. Another important tool in your toolkit: eating a healthy diet full of foods that can reduce inflammation. In other words, an anti-inflammatory diet.

Good Eats: Foods to Include in an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

There’s no single anti-inflammatory diet, but some established healthy eating plans, such as the Mediterranean diet, follow many anti-inflammatory dietary pillars. These include fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish.

An anti-inflammatory diet can lower inflammation and reduce your risk for inflammation-linked diseases. If you’re living with chronic pain, eating inflammation-fighting foods may help relieve symptoms, reduce stress, and improve sleep, according to a 2023 study.

Some key foods with anti-inflammatory effects include:

• Almonds and walnuts. These and other nuts, such as pistachios, contain monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce inflammation.
• Apples. Apples are an excellent source of natural antioxidants. Common in fruits, antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Beans. Include black beans or pinto beans in your diet to bring in antioxidants.
• Berries. Strawberries, blackberries, and other berries are rich in polyphenols, which are chemical compounds found in plants that can help protect against inflammation.
• Olive oil. You’ll get both monounsaturated fat and antioxidants in this Mediterranean diet staple.
• Salmon and tuna. These and other fatty fish contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids — fats that lower the levels of two proteins contributing to inflammation.
• Spinach and kale. You’ll benefit from these leafy greens — two of many winter vegetables that can support the fight against chronic inflammation — due to their antioxidants and polyphenols.
• Tomatoes. These fruits are rich in lycopene, an inflammation-fighting antioxidant.

Bad Eats: Foods to Avoid as Part of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Don’t just choose foods that fight inflammation to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. In addition, avoid foods that cause it. Think of these foods as forming an inflammatory diet. Many unhealthy foods, such as high-sugar and processed foods, not only drive inflammation but also increase your risk for chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Foods that contribute to inflammation include:

• Foods high in processed sugar. Desserts and other sweet treats, such as candy and soda, contain high levels of processed sugar, which drives the release of inflammatory proteins.
• Fried foods. French fries and other fried foods are high in inflammation-triggering trans fat.
• Red meat and processed meat. Ground beef, deli meats, bacon, and other red and processed meats contain saturated fat, which can lead to inflammation.
• White bread and white rice. These are two common examples of refined carbohydrates that fuel obesity — an inflammation risk factor — and contribute to inflammation itself.

Tips to Start Fighting Inflammation With Food

If you’re looking to use food to help control chronic inflammation, you don’t have to overhaul your diet all at once. To make the transition easier, take a more gradual approach by, for example, replacing unhealthy snacks one at a time or cutting out one fast-food meal per week until you’re down to zero. A moderate, intentional approach to anti-inflammatory eating will help you build healthy habits that stick.

Here are some more tips that can help you adopt an anti-inflammatory diet.

• Consult an expert. If you need help adjusting your diet to meet your needs, talk to a registered dietitian for guidance.
• Change things up. Don’t get stuck choosing the same two or three inflammation-fighting fruits or vegetables on every grocery store trip. Make a point to pick up at least one new type of produce with every visit.
• Plan ahead. Try your hand at meal prepping. Cooking a meal on Sunday that you can enjoy for lunch or dinner during the workweek will allow you to pack in a variety of anti-inflammatory foods and prevent you from opting for inflammation-fueling fast foods.
• Shop in-season. If you’re trying to eat well on a budget, choose seasonal fruits and vegetables, which cost less than out-of-season produce.

Do you need help managing chronic inflammation and reducing your risk for related diseases? Find a registered dietitian or a primary care provider who will partner with you to improve your health.