Which foods reduce inflammation

Excessive intake of alcohol and processed meat can also have inflammatory effects on your body 24 , 25 , Additionally, an inactive lifestyle that includes a lot of sitting is a major non-dietary factor that can promote inflammation 27 , Eating unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol or sugary beverages, and getting little physical activity are all associated with increased inflammation.

If you want to reduce inflammation, eat fewer inflammatory foods and more anti-inflammatory foods. Base your diet on whole, nutrient-dense foods that contain antioxidants — and avoid processed products. Antioxidants work by reducing levels of free radicals. Your anti-inflammatory diet should provide a healthy balance of protein, carbs, and fat at each meal.

One diet considered anti-inflammatory is the Mediterranean diet , which has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers, such as CRP and IL-6 29 , 30 , A low-carb diet also reduces inflammation, particularly for people who are obese or have metabolic syndrome 32 , 33 , In addition, vegetarian diets are linked to reduced inflammation Choose a balanced diet that cuts out processed products and boosts your intake of whole, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods.

Avoid or minimize sugary foods and beverages, processed meat, excessive alcohol, and foods high in refined carbs and unhealthy fats. An anti-inflammatory diet plan should be well-balanced, incorporating foods with beneficial effects at every meal.

Once you have your healthy menu organized, make sure you incorporate these other good habits of an anti-inflammatory lifestyle:. You can boost the benefits of your anti-inflammatory diet by taking supplements and making sure to get enough exercise and sleep. Following an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle may improve markers of inflammation and reduce your risk of many diseases.

Chronic inflammation is unhealthy and can lead to disease. You should aim to choose anti-inflammatory foods for optimal health and wellbeing, lowering your risk of disease and improving your quality of life. Some foods can drive inflammation and raise your risk of chronic disease. Here are 6 foods that increase inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can lead to weight gain and disease. Best part? Small changes you make today can start reducing your inflammation overnight.

Keep a package or two of leafy greens on hand to toss in your lunch bag or on your dinner plate. Having a cup of leafy greens—like baby spinach, arugula, kale, or lettuce—each day is one of the most beneficial diet habits you can adopt.

These leafy greens offer an anti-inflammatory double-punch, thanks to antioxidants and bioactive compounds that reduce inflammation and prevent free radicals from creating new inflammation. Skip the vending machine and sweetened coffee drinks, and opt instead for a fiber-rich snack with a little protein like apple slices and peanut butter, raw veggies and hummus, or a few almonds and cheese cubes.

The reason is that eating a balanced snack without added sugars and refined carbs is key to keeping blood sugar within normal parameters, which in turn helps you avoid cravings, hunger, and irritability.

Not only is this nicer for those around you, but avoiding peaks and drops in blood sugar also prevents inflammation in the body that can lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Turn off Netflix, get off social media, and head to bed a little earlier. Missed your workout today? Take a quick walk around the block!

This results in those classic signs — swelling, redness, and sometimes pain. As long as the body stays in control, that is. The story changes when inflammation lingers and never fully goes away. Fortunately, your inflammation levels are somewhat in your control. Factors like smoking, being overweight or obese, and drinking excessively can increase your risk of inflammation. Are you interested in learning which foods make up the anti-inflammatory diet and how it may help you ward off certain diseases?

Read on. Rather, the anti-inflammatory diet is about filling your meals with foods that have been shown to fight inflammation and — just as important — cutting out foods that have been shown to contribute to it. Brittany Scanniello, RD, a nutritionist based in Boulder, Colorado, says to think of the anti-inflammatory diet as a lifestyle rather than a diet.

Ideally, you would eat eight to nine servings of fruits and veggies per day , limit your intake of red meat and dairy, choose complex carbohydrates over simple ones, and swear off processed foods. Athletes and people who exercise at a high intensity and are looking to lessen their baseline inflammation could also find it beneficial, she says. Several other studies have looked at the effect of eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods on certain health conditions. For instance, a November article published in Frontiers in Nutrition shows that choosing anti-inflammatory foods may help people with rheumatoid arthritis RA.

In particular, the authors write that reducing inflammation in the diet, such as by following a vegan or vegetarian diet , may help delay disease progression, reduce joint damage, and potentially reduce reliance on RA medication when used as a complementary therapy.

The study authors also observed that smokers following an anti-inflammatory diet had a 31 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, a 36 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and a 22 percent lower risk of dying from cancer. Yet research suggests it may help reduce the impact of disease, delay disease progression, reduce how much medication is needed, and reduce joint damage.

Following an anti-inflammatory diet means loading up on foods that research has shown can help lower inflammation and reducing your intake of foods that have the opposite effect. One of the best things about the diet is that there are plenty of food options and lots of wiggle room, so you can pick and choose the foods you like best.

If you need a little more structure, consider adopting the Mediterranean diet. The following sample menu isn't one-size-fits-all, but it does offer some creative ideas for adding anti-inflammatory foods to your meals. If you're managing a certain disease, such as diabetes , you may have dietary needs that this meal plan doesn't address. Be sure to consult your healthcare team before making any major changes to your eating habits.

Breakfast Steel-cut oats with slivered almonds and blueberries and a cup of coffee. Lunch Chopped kale salad with chickpeas, beets, and pomegranate seeds tossed with an olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette. Breakfast Steel-cut oatmeal topped with walnuts and sliced strawberries; a cup of coffee. Lunch Salmon sashimi with a side of broccoli and a side of brown rice and ginger. Breakfast Quinoa bowl with sliced banana, blueberries, and a drizzle of almond butter; a cup of green tea.

Dinner Veggie burger on a whole-grain bun with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. Breakfast Chia seed pudding, apple slices with almond butter, and a cup of green tea.