What Are The Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods?

Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting you from harmful stimuli or potential injury. It can appear in many forms, including pain, heat, swelling, redness, and a slowing down or complete halt of an organ’s function.

There are two types of inflammation: chronic and acute. Acute inflammation is the initial protective response of your body tissues and is most likely to be transient. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is ongoing and persistent. It has the potential to become severe. 

Inflammation can be due to an imbalance of good versus bad bacteria in your body. It can also happen as a result of food allergies, a toxic environment, stress, and/or a bad diet. 

Your diet plays a huge role in decreasing or increasing inflammation in your body. If you consume lots of sugary foods, processed foods, or if you are regularly dehydrated, your body is more prone to inflammation while trying to heal itself. 

Below are just a few anti-inflammatory foods that could help reduce the chances of inflammation or relieve any existing symptoms. 

5 Anti- Inflammatory Foods

1. Oats:

You can use oats by making a bowl of oatmeal or a jar of overnight oats and top with fruit. Oats help your body fight inflammation and may help reduce any current inflammation that your body is dealing with. Here are a few recipes to get you started. 

2. Blueberries:

Blueberries are a very anti-inflammatory food and if consumed on a daily basis. They are rich in flavonoids, polyphenol, resveratrol and Vitamin C, all of which are well known for reducing inflammation. Blueberries consist of anti-oxidants which can easily turn off and block all forms of body inflammations. 

3. Ginger:

Ginger is a fvorite among natural medicine practitioners because of its anti-disease, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. You can add it as a spice in your foods, drink ginger juice, or blend it with honey and drink as a health shot. The most pleasant way to consume ginger, however, is a daily cup of hot ginger tea. I like to make my own (especially in the wintertime, or when I am sick). This is how I make it:

10-15 dime or nickel size slices of freshly peeled ginger 8 oz. filtered water

Place in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and enjoy with fresh squeezed lemon. Great for your immune system, too!

4. Dark Chocolate:

Dark chocolate is a healthier variety of chocolate. You can add some to your oats or combine it with fresh fruit to help reduce inflammation. I always keep a bar with at least 70% cacao (preferably 82%+) in my kitchen cabinet and if I am really craving sugar, I will break some off and that usually does the trick. AND…it’s ok to have a square daily. There are many health benefits to dark chocolate.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory spice that is widely used. You can add it to food or stir a pinch into your milk or smoothie. Turmeric helps slow the production of the two most inflammatory enzymes, 5-LOX and COX-2. 

There are a variety of foods you can add to your diet to help reduce or avoid inflammation. These are a few of the easiest and most accessible. If you are experiencing severe, chronic inflammation, however, be sure to consult a physician before making significant changes to your diet.  

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