\u201cDiet is powerful, but it is not a magic on-off switch for autoimmunity,\u201d Moyer said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean food doesn\u2019t matter, because it impacts how you feel day-to-day, how your medications work, your weight, your heart health and long\u2011term risks of complications. But I don\u2019t want patients carrying unnecessary guilt or being blamed for a disease process they did not create with their lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are some of the top foods these experts frequently recommend to patients. <\/p>\n
![\"Olive](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/69f8b7dc180000438aa3920b.jpeg\")
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HakanEliacik \/ 500px via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Olive oil contains oleocanthal, a natural compound that can lower inflammatory markers.<\/p>\n
Olive oil has anti-inflammatory effects similar to ibuprofen.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kam Shojania<\/a> is head of the rheumatology division at Vancouver General Hospital in Canada. He tells his patients to think of extra-virgin olive oil as a practical anti\u2011inflammatory staple to drizzle on food. \u201cPeople are shocked to learn olive oil contains oleocanthal, a natural compound that data has suggested<\/a> can lower inflammatory markers and protect blood vessels,\u201d he said. \u201cOleocanthal has anti-inflammatory effects similar to ibuprofen. There\u2019s also emerging research on its immune effects, including in inflammatory arthritis and lupus.\u201d<\/p>\n Fatty fish has proven results for autoimmune disease.<\/p>\n \u201cThe omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA have the strongest evidence of any single food intervention in rheumatology,\u201d said Dr. Devon Charlton<\/a>, a fellow in the American College of Rheumatology and director of rheumatology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. \u201cI recommend eating fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies two times per week.\u201d<\/p>\n He cited a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of nearly 26,000 participants<\/a> that concluded those who consumed 1 gram per day of EPA and DHA showed a 15% to 18% reduction in confirmed and probable autoimmune disease. \u201cIt was an effect that grew stronger with longer duration of supplementation and persisted for two years after participants stopped taking it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Fibermaxxing can actually help fight inflammation. <\/p>\n Dr. Micah Yu<\/a> is quadruple board-certified in rheumatology, internal medicine, integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine. He encourages his patients to increase their fiber intake whenever possible. \u201cFiber helps lower inflammation, and can help reduce joint inflammation,\u201d he said. \u201cIn addition, those who eat more fiber have been shown to have a lower weight, which can help with disease symptoms.\u201d Yu encourages his patients to seek out fiber from natural sources like beans, fruits, vegetables and other whole foods, not supplements.<\/p>\n Fermented foods support gut-based immune strength.<\/p>\n If you check in Dr. Yoon Qiu<\/a>\u2019s refrigerator, you\u2019d probably find a bag of cabbage and a few jars of fermented foods. The rheumatologist and assistant professor of medicine at Emory Healthcare is a big fan of cabbage, since this member of the brassica family contains sulforaphane, which is anti-inflammatory. Even better, Qiu said, \u201cIt lasts a long time in the fridge.\u201d Even longer lasting, and possibly even more beneficial, can be fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut, which are both made with cabbage. \u201cI recommend eating fermented foods to support the gut biome,\u201d Qiu said.<\/p>\n Kinga Krzeminska via Getty Images<\/p>\n Cabbage contains sulforaphane, which is anti-inflammatory.<\/p>\n![\"Cabbage](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/69f8b777180000228aa3920a.jpeg\")
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