Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid to Reduce Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can be a symptom of many medical conditions. Foods to eat on an anti-inflammatory diet include fish, fruits, and vegetables while foods to avoid include fries, sugar, and white bread and pasta.

Bruises, bumps, and broken bones: You’re probably familiar with the pain and swelling of acute inflammation. Depending on your accident, you might take ibuprofen or drive to the nearest emergency room for a diagnosis. 

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand — the type caused by diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, or Type 2 diabetes — is not always as painful as a cut or a break, but it’s also not as simple to treat. It’s not something you should ignore, either, because inflammation is linked to many diseases. 

Often, people turn to an anti-inflammatory diet, along with their usual medications, to manage this difficult and painful symptom. Learn more about how your diet might play a big part in chronic inflammation and gain a better understanding of which foods to eat and which to avoid when you follow this healthy eating pattern.

Chronic inflammation can be a symptom of many medical conditions, but it’s also closely linked with the development of disease as well. Low-grade inflammation can even occur when you’re exposed to pollution on a daily basis. For example, if you live in a bustling metropolitan area, you might already worry about what you’re breathing in and how it’s affecting your body. Chronic inflammation can also stem from acute inflammation (like an infection) if you don’t address it promptly. 

Though eating an anti-inflammatory diet can benefit everyone, those who might notice the biggest difference in how they feel from day to day are people with chronic illnesses that involve inflammation. The following medical conditions have an inflammatory component:

• Autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, and lupus 
• Obesity and having a body mass index (BMI) that’s too high
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Cancer

Nutritionists tend to agree that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest eating patterns in the world. This doesn’t mean that you have to develop a love for Greek salads or pour olive oil over every dish you cook, but you can learn something from people who eat this way. Consider adopting the following anti-inflammatory foods principles into your diet plan.

• Eat more fish: Salmon, sardines, and tuna contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower the quantities of certain proteins in your body linked to inflammation. Eating fish at least twice a week can help you get enough of these fatty acids in your diet.
• Investigate plant-based protein sources: You don’t have to become a vegetarian or vegan to benefit from eating less meat. Consider beans, lentils, peas, hummus, and nuts to start. 
• Use olive oil instead of butter: It’s a good idea to keep saturated fat at or under 10% of your daily calorie intake, as too much saturated fat can contribute to heart disease as well as inflammation. Just one tablespoon of butter contains a whopping 7.3 grams of saturated fat. 
• Add more fruits and vegetables: Make it your goal to eat them with every meal and include as many colors of produce as possible in your diet every day. 

If eating natural foods is your first goal, then cutting out processed foods should be your second. Think about this list of things to avoid as you go through your pantry, purchase new groceries, and make choices when you order from restaurants.

• Fries and chips: While the occasional splurge won’t derail a diet if your intention is to lose weight, it may have more of an effect if you’re dealing with chronic inflammation. Unhealthy snack food, including food that’s loaded with salt, raises inflammation levels. 
• Sugar: Sodas, pastries, cakes, and ice cream make the pro-inflammatory list. Check your pasta sauces and breakfast cereals for hidden sugar as well.
• White bread, rice, and pasta: Refined carbs in these foods contribute to inflammatory processes in your body. Stick with whole grains as much as possible.
• Meat: Red meat like ground beef and processed options like deli meat are both drivers of inflammation. If you eat meat, look for leaner versions.

Depending on your cause of inflammation, you might not be able to reduce it with diet alone. For example, if you have a chronic autoimmune condition, you might manage it by taking medication, sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet, and including the following principles in your treatment plan.

Take supplements

It’s best to get your nutrition from the food you eat, and an anti-inflammatory diet is a great idea for those dealing with inflammatory conditions. You may not be able to eat enough fish to reach a therapeutic level of omega-3 fatty acids, though, or you might dislike the taste of turmeric. Consider turmeric, ginger, and high-quality fish oil supplements to add to your arsenal of inflammation-fighting substances. 

Vitamin C and vitamin D can help lower your inflammation as well. However, be sure to discuss taking new supplements or large doses of vitamins with your doctor if you plan to take them to treat a medical condition. Some of these substances might interfere with your current medications.

Lower your stress level

Cutting out stress may be easier said than done, but it’s important to get rid of unnecessary tension in your life if you’re dealing with chronic inflammation. Stress plays a role in the development of many diseases, and it also increases inflammation. You might try meditation, pick up a new form of exercise, or see a mental health practitioner to talk through what’s bothering you.

Get enough rest and exercise

Getting enough movement throughout the day is an important part of reducing inflammation. Make a plan to incorporate exercise, even if it’s only walking for 20 minutes at the start, into your daily routine. Quality sleep is important for reducing inflammation — and if you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll experience more inflammation. In fact, sleep deprivation can put you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other inflammatory conditions.

Inflammation contributes to many diseases, but you don’t have to resign yourself to a lifetime of pain or worries about potential heart disease. Consider adopting a healthier eating pattern now instead of later to enjoy the highest level of health possible.