25 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Can Add To Your Diet

Anti Inflammatory Foods

Although it has a bad reputation, inflammation is a distinctive aspect of the healing process. It's your body's reaction to an infection, irritant, or injury. In some cases, inflammation serves a protective function. 
Unfortunately, chronic inflammation that lasts for months can potentially affect people, and these circumstances may result in serious illnesses like heart disease and persistent pain. To reduce your risk of severe inflammation and safeguard your health, taking precautionary actions, like including the best anti inflammatory foods in your diet, is important.
Although it is obvious how food can affect inflammation, including these foods in your daily diet can be challenging. The risk may increase due to stress, inactivity, and inflammatory foods. Consuming foods that can lower inflammation is therefore highly recommended. So, let us find the top anti inflammatory foods here.

Top 25 Anti-Inflammatory Foods List
Here are 25 anti inflammatory foods that have been demonstrated scientifically to reduce inflammation: 

1] Tomatoes
Lycopene, an antioxidant that safeguards your brain and battles inflammation that causes depression, is abundant in tomatoes. Processed tomatoes contain even more Lycopene than fresh tomatoes because they are in tomato skins. Whatever you decide, eat them with a bit of olive oil to help your body absorb more fat-soluble Lycopene.  

2] Green Tea 
Catechins, a class of antioxidants concentrated in tea plant leaves, give green tea health benefits. Green tea is a stronger anti-inflammatory elixir than black tea because of its high Epigallocatechin gallate and polyphenol content. These anti-inflammatory qualities also help stop the growth and development of skin tumours.  

3] Chia Seeds 
Chia seeds can help you lose weight, control your appetite, and keep your body hydrated all day. They can also stabilise blood sugar levels. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), an overabundance that causes inflammation, have been linked to post-eating blood sugar spikes as a factor in increased inflammation. That's why chia seeds are one of the good anti inflammatory foods. 

 

4] Pineapple
The enzyme bromelain, which also serves as a potent anti-inflammatory and meat tenderiser, is found in pineapple. Most of the bromelain in pineapple is found in the stem, although it is present in all parts of the fruit. Because the stem tends to be tough, you can juice or blend it with the fruit's sweeter flesh to get the bloat-fighting benefits. 

 

5] Spinach
Carotenoids, vitamins C, E, and K, all abundant in spinach, have been found to shield the body from pro-inflammatory cytokines. Alpha-tocopherol, a type of vitamin E, has been shown to reduce inflammation in people with coronary artery disease and reduces the levels of inflammatory adipokine substances. 

6] Whole Grains
Gluten-free wholegrains like quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, and amaranth are highly antioxidants that can help lower the disease risk by preventing inflammation. They are also high in fibre and plant-based protein, which makes them perfect anti inflammatory foods.

7] Apples
Pectin, a naturally occurring fruit fibre abundant in apple peels, is strong enough to support the growth of the good bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Not to acknowledge, apple peels contain 10 mg on average of quercetin, an antioxidant that helps with endurance and reduces inflammation. 

8] Walnuts
Walnuts contain the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids of any nut, particularly alpha-linolenic acid, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, walnuts can increase heart health, improve metabolism, and lower bad cholesterol. Consuming nuts is healthy at the same time; these are good anti inflammatory foods.

9] Raw Honey
Proteolytic enzymes aid in the breakdown of proteins and remove cellular waste products to lessen inflammatory and immune reactions in your body. Because honey is made from the enzyme-rich saliva of bees, it is one of the best sources of these enzymes. 

10] Coconut Oil
Cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil is brimming with anti-inflammatory properties in its fat content. Instead of the chronic inflammation linked to weight gain and other diseases, coconut oil is probably only effective in treating acute inflammation, such as at the site of an infection or injury. Indeed, this is one of the most used anti inflammatory foods. 

11] Miso
Miso is made from soy, containing isoflavones that reduce inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory enzymes and cytokine activities. Miso is also fermented, making it rich in probiotic compounds that ferment fibres into anti-inflammatory compounds. 

12] Oysters
Healthy nutrients like copper support the body's ongoing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant reactions. The antioxidant activity of the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) is crucially dependent on the ability of three minerals found in abundance in oysters: copper, zinc, and manganese, to inhibit cell-damaging free radicals.  

13] Cinnamon
Cinnamon is high in antioxidants. Its properties make it one of the finest anti inflammatory foods. It also contains the essential oil cinnamaldehyde, which has antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. 

14] Mussels
Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, found in mussels, have several positive effects, including enhancing brain function and lowering inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Also, these are a perfect addition to your breakfast or meal, supporting you with the adequate energy you need. 

15] Blueberries
Berries are a great source of dietary fibre and vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that boosts resistance to infection. They are a good source of antioxidants that fight disease and are lower in sugar than many other fruits, making them good anti inflammatory foods. 

16] Raw Oats
Resistant starch, a type of carb that bypasses your digestive system undigested, is what raw oats are. Instead of feeding you, it provides the good bacteria in your gut, producing butyrate, a fatty acid that promotes more effective fat oxidation. More butyrate in your body lowers inflammation and aids in reducing insulin resistance. 

17] Ginger
Ginger is frequently used as a treatment for motion sickness and nausea. Because of its high antioxidant content, it may be able to prevent some cancers. Compared to dried ginger, fresh ginger has more active ingredients. 

18] Dark Chocolate
Cocoa's antioxidants prevented lab mice from gaining weight and reduced their blood sugar levels. Gut microbes ferment chocolate in our stomach into heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory substances that turn off genes related to insulin resistance and inflammation.  

19] Wild Salmon
You can get Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid from wild salmon, which are already active, making them more effective at combating excessive inflammation. Because of increased adiponectin levels, a hormone that improves your muscles' ability to use carbohydrates for energy, speeds up metabolism, and burns fat, lowering inflammation markers. 

20] Red Peppers
The bioflavonoids beta-carotene, quercetin, and luteolin, as well as the inflammatory-biomarker-reducing vitamin C, are most abundant in red bell peppers compared to the other two colours. Carotenoid beta-carotene is a fat-soluble substance linked to the severity of inflammatory diseases like arthritis and asthma. 

21] Turmeric
The turmeric compound curcumin has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that prevent the production of COX-2 and 5-LOX, two pro-inflammatory enzymes, directly inhibiting the activation of inflammatory pathways. Curcumin has been linked to several positive health effects and reduces arthritis-related pain and inflammation in the joints. 

22] Beets
The betalain pigments found in beets have been found to have strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemopreventive properties. Betaine reduces inflammation and speeds up metabolism, positively impacts insulin resistance, elevates mood, and turns off genes that keep the fat in place. 

23] Broccoli
The glucosinolates in sprouts reduce the genetic production of pro-inflammatory mediators and help prevent unwelcome inflammation when converted to I3C. It also contains a lot of vitamin K, a nutrient that is abundant in leafy and cruciferous vegetables and which has anti-inflammatory properties. 

24] Black Beans
Pulses have a powerful Resistant starch punch that gives your good gut bacteria something to ferment into the fatty acid butyrate, which reduces inflammation. Anthocyanins linked to reducing inflammation are abundant in black beans. 

25] Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil contains higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants like lignans, which may guard against cancer due to its minimal processing. Additionally, it has polyphenols, which can lessen inflammation.

 

A proper diet has a lot of additional advantages besides the potential to reduce inflammation. All the anti inflammatory foods mentioned above can reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity, and other diseases. 

We know that not everyone should adhere to food arrangements, especially those who suffer from eating disorders, which is why Foodhak was created. Foodhak will help and advise you to select the best anti inflammatory foods and ensure you receive what you came for.

If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, please visit Foodhak for a customised diet solution. 

Also read: Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Anti-inflammatory diet meal plan