{"id":190443,"date":"2025-12-18T02:24:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T02:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/190443\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T02:24:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T02:24:07","slug":"the-7-best-foods-to-fight-inflammation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/190443\/","title":{"rendered":"The 7 Best Foods to Fight Inflammation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inflammation is a natural process that plays a key role in your body\u2019s immune response<\/a>\u2014but it has a dark side, too. While acute (short-term) inflammation is integral to fighting infection and healing wounds, chronic inflammation\u2014a low-grade variety that lasts for several months to years\u2014is downright harmful. Like the proverbial trickle of water that erodes a boulder over millennia, it moves slowly but has a devastating impact.<\/p>\n

Chronic inflammation drives significant \u201clonger-term health complications,\u201d Vincci Tsui, RD<\/a>, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in Canada, tells SELF. In fact, it\u2019s \u201cassociated with most chronic diseases,\u201d Desiree Nielsen, RD<\/a>, a recipe developer with a focus on plant-based nutrition, says\u2014including big bads like cancer<\/a>, diabetes<\/a>, autoimmune conditions<\/a>, and neurodegenerative disorders from Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> to Parkinson\u2019s. Together, inflammation-related maladies rank as the most significant cause of death in the world, contributing to more than 50% of all deaths, according to a 2019 article<\/a> published in the scientific journal Nature.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, there\u2019s plenty you can do to prevent or counter chronic inflammation<\/a>. Just a few basic lifestyle changes can make a big difference, since factors like high stress<\/a>, irregular sleep<\/a>, and inactivity are all known triggers\u2014not to mention poor nutrition. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about how your diet affects the development and progression of chronic inflammation, and what foods can help beat it back.<\/p>\n

How your eating habits influence your chronic inflammation risk<\/p>\n

When it comes to fighting chronic inflammation, your diet can be a friend or foe: some types of food encourage chronic inflammation, while others discourage it. Notably, \u201cpeople who follow more of a plant-based eating pattern tend to have less,\u201d Tsui says.<\/p>\n

Whether a specific food proves pro- or anti-inflammatory comes down to four main considerations, according to Nielsen. Here\u2019s a brief rundown of each.<\/p>\n

How it impacts your blood sugar: \u201cChronically high blood sugars<\/a> can increase chronic inflammation over time,\u201d Nielsen says. While blood sugar naturally rises and falls in response to a snack or meal, foods plentiful in refined carbs<\/a> and added sugars<\/a> can cause more drastic fluctuations, producing a \u201croller coaster of high highs and low lows\u201d that spells bad news.What fat type it contains: While nutrition lumps \u201cfats\u201d into a single category, the inflammatory footprint (or lack thereof) really depends on \u201cthe type of fat<\/a> we consume,\u201d Nielsen says. Harmful saturated fats\u2014found in animal products like red meat, beef tallow, and full-fat dairy<\/a>\u2014are \u201cassociated with increased chronic inflammation.\u201d Meanwhile, healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) are tied to reduced inflammation.Whether it has anti-inflammatory nutrient contents: \u201cMany nutrients have been shown to support anti-inflammatory pathways in the body,\u201d Nielsen says\u2014from fiber<\/a>, to vitamins (like C and E), to minerals (like zinc<\/a> and selenium), to a class of antioxidant plant compounds<\/a> known as polyphenols<\/a>. Flavonoids, a major family of polyphenols, exhibit particularly potent antioxidant activity and, in turn, are super effective at staving off inflammation-inducing oxidative stress, \u201cso flavonoid-rich foods are a major category that you want to consume more of if you are interested in an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern.\u201dHow it affects your gut microbiome: Quick refresh in case you need it: Your gut microbiome<\/a> refers to the community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your digestive tract. While some of those microorganisms can improve your digestion<\/a> and make you feel better overall, others can have the opposite effect<\/a>\u2014and your diet plays a big role in mediating that balance. Certain foods (refined carbs and added sugars again, plus red meat, fried foods, artificial sweeteners<\/a>, and more) spur on harmful bacteria that are \u201cmore pro-inflammatory,\u201d Nielsen says. On the other hand, healthier choices (fiber and probiotics<\/a>, say) \u201cdrive the growth of beneficial bacteria\u201d that do the reverse.The best foods to fight inflammation<\/p>\n

Generally, limiting highly processed products<\/a>, saturated fats, trans fats, and refined sugar\u2014and prioritizing a diverse array of nutrient-rich items instead\u2014is the most effective way to stave off chronic inflammation through diet. Considering that a plant-based diet is tied to lower inflammation, \u201cleaning more toward plant-based foods\u201d never hurts, Tsui says\u2014but there are exceptions. Without further ado, here are seven of the top options.<\/p>\n

1. Turmeric (but not the supplements)<\/p>\n

Turmeric\u2014the Indian and Middle Eastern spice known for its bright yellow color and distinctive earthy flavor\u2014is among the most well-studied anti-inflammatory foods, according to Nielsen: It\u2019s \u201cquite evidence-based,\u201d she says. For these anti-inflammatory benefits, we have polyphenols to thank, especially curcumin, turmeric\u2019s active ingredient. While turmeric is best known as a staple in curries (and perhaps, now, lattes and wellness bevs), you can also add the spice to soups, smoothies, and other dishes, Nielsen says: Shoot for \u201chalf a teaspoon to a teaspoon of turmeric over the course of the day.\u201d Keep in mind that this advice only applies to actual turmeric: you\u2019ll want to avoid turmeric supplements<\/a> (like those that come in pill form), as the dose is so concentrated that it can cause liver damage.<\/p>\n

2. Plant oils (oils derived from fruits, seeds, nuts, and legumes)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason more and more people are adopting some version of the olive oil-heavy Mediterranean diet<\/a>, according to Tsui: Consuming plant oils<\/a>\u2014not only olive oil, but others like avocado oil as well\u2014\u201cis associated with lower inflammation for two reasons,\u201d Nielsen says. One: They have a healthy fat profile<\/a>, as they are higher in healthy unsaturated fats and lower in harmful saturated fat than comparable animal products like lard, butter, and tallow. Two: They\u2019re high in polyphenols (especially extra-virgin olive oil), so you get that “anti-inflammatory nutrient [content] as well,\u201d Nielsen says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Inflammation is a natural process that plays a key role in your body\u2019s immune response\u2014but it has a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":190444,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[90282,7593,163,85,5204,5195,46,543,2524,73736],"class_list":{"0":"post-190443","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-fermented-food","9":"tag-fish","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-immune-system","13":"tag-inflammation","14":"tag-israel","15":"tag-nutrition","16":"tag-olive-oil","17":"tag-turmeric"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}