What Are Natural Anti-Inflammatories?
Natural anti-inflammatories are foods that you can eat to lower your odds of having inflammation. If you have a condition that causes inflammation, it may help to change your eating habits.
While medication and other treatments are important, many experts say an anti-inflammatory diet may help, too. If you have a condition like rheumatoid arthritis, changing what’s on your plate won’t be a magic cure. But an anti-inflammatory diet might lessen the number of flare-ups you have, or it might help take your pain down a few notches.
An anti-inflammatory diet is widely regarded as healthy. Even if it doesn’t help with your condition, it can help lower your chances of having other problems.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Any mainstream nutrition expert would encourage you to eat anti-inflammatory foods. They include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins (like beans and nuts), fatty fish, and fresh herbs and spices.
Fruits and veggies:Go for variety and lots of color. Research shows that vitamin K-rich leafy greens like spinach and kale reduce inflammation, as do broccoli and cabbage. So does the substance that gives fruits like cherries, raspberries, and blackberries their color.
Whole grains:Oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and other unrefined grains tend to be high in fiber, and fiber also may help with inflammation.
Beans:They’re high in fiber, plus they’re loaded with antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances.
Nuts:They have a healthy kind of fat that helps stop inflammation. (Olive oil and avocados are also good sources.) Stick to just a handful of nuts a day, or otherwise the fat and calories will add up.
Fish:Put it on your plate at least twice a week. Salmon, tuna, and sardines all have plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation.
Herbs and spices:They add antioxidants (along with flavor) to your food. Turmeric, found in curry powder, does this with a strong substance called curcumin. And garlic curbs your body’s ability to make things that boost inflammation.
Inflammatory Foods
Anything highly processed, overly greasy, or super sweet isn’t a good choice for you if you have inflammation.