Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You’ve Got to Know
Boost your immunity and heal yourself with these tasty, natural anti-inflammatory foods
A number of anti-inflammatory drugs in the market promise to ease our pain and calm angry allergic reactions. While they may provide quick relief, long-term use of some anti-inflammatory medications such as NSAIDs and steroids can actually weaken our immunity or cause unwanted side effects.
Nature has provided us with many anti-inflammatory foods which don’t just work with negligible adverse reaction, but are also great tasting. Besides their abilities to reduce inflammation, they also supply us with loads of essential vitamins and minerals that boost our immune health. Talking about value for money!
In this article, I’ll introduce you to ten foods that are well-known for their inflammation-dousing properties.
1. Kelp
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Kelp such as kombu contains fucoidan, a type of complex carbohydrate that is anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-oxidative. A few studies on fucoidan in recent years have found promising results in using the brown algae extract to control liver and lung cancer and to promote collagen synthesis. The high fiber content of kelp also helps to induce fullness, slow fat absorption and promote weight loss. But whenever possible, get only organic kelps harvested from unpolluted sea.Sidekicks: Need another good reason to re-visit your favorite Japanese restaurants? Besides kombu, wakame and arame are also good sources of fucoidan. A marine vegetable native to the Tongan Islands called limu moui is also a fucoidan powerhouse.
Arch-Enemy: Seaweed snack. Go easy on seaweed snacks as they can be heavily salted and coated with a thick layer of vegetable oil. Check the ingredients list before buying.
2. Turmeric
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: This Asian spice commonly found in pre-mixed curry powder contains a powerful, non-toxic compound called curcumin. Studies found that turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effects are on a par with potent drugs such as hydrocortisone and Motrin, but yet having none of their side effects.Sidekicks: Ginger. This relative of turmeric is also highly prized around the world for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and are used to expel cold and relieve motion sickness and vomiting.
Arch-Enemy: Sugar. It can hardly be called a spice, but the widespread use of sugar rivals that of any spice and has led to a host of illnesses linked to this additive condiment. A diet high in sugar is decidedly inflammation-promoting and should be controlled.
3. Wild-Caught Salmon
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Salmon is an excellent source of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), two potent omega-3 fatty acids that douse inflammation. The benefits of omega-3 have been backed by numerous studies and they range from preventing heart disease and some cancers to reducing symptoms of autoimmune diseases and psychological disorders. Be sure to include some oily fish such as wild Alaskan salmon in your diet twice a week. If fish is not your type of food, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from high-quality fish oil supplements.Sidekicks: Anchovies, mackerel and sardines are also rich sources of omega-3 fats. Flaxseeds and walnuts also supply omega-3 fats called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) which can be converted into EPA and DHA inside the body. But the conversion has been found to be low, and hence they may not be reliable sources of EPA and DHA.
Arch-Enemies: Polyunsaturated vegetable oils. You may be surprised to see polyunsaturated oil (like those from safflower, soybean, corn and sunflower) listed here, but polyunsaturated fats have been found to be unstable and easily damaged by oxygen. High consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, present in higher amount in polyunsaturated oil, have also been linked to inflammatory response in the body, leading to heart disease and cancer. While omega-6 is important to health, the key is to balance your omega-6 and omega-3 intake so that you don’t end up becoming a factory for pro-inflammatory compounds.
4. Shiitake Mushroom
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Enjoyed by the Chinese and the Japanese since ancient times, shiitake mushroom is revered for its immune-boosting properties and its mild smoky taste.
Sidekicks: Maitake, enoki, oyster mushrooms. There is no better way to fight cancer and enhance your health than to feast on a plate of stir-fried medicinal mushrooms. Yummy!
Arch-Enemy: Deep-fried mushrooms and vegetables. Throwing fresh mushrooms and vegetables into a big pot of boiling oil will not only soak up lots of cancer-causing compounds from the overheated oil, their healing powers will also be greatly diminished by the high temperature.
5. Green Tea
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: The flavonoids in green tea are potent natural anti-inflammatory compounds that have been shown in numerous studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.Sidekicks: Water. What can be more cleansing for the body than zero contamination water?
Arch-Enemy: Processed cow’s milk. Non-organic milk carries antibiotics and growth hormone residues that can irritate immune system when they are consumed long-term. Many people, especially those in the East, also cannot digest milk properly, causing distress to the digestive tract.
6. Papaya
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Coined by Christopher Columbus as the ‘fruit of the angels’, papaya contains papain, a protein-digesting enzyme. Together with other nutrients such as vitamin C and E, papain helps to reduce inflammation, and improves digestion and healing from burns.Sidekicks: Pineapple. A tropical fruit worthy of mention, pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids in the healing of indigestion, sports injury, trauma and other kinds of swelling. Extracts of bromelain have also proven to be as effective as some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and are used in a number of natural anti-inflammatory supplements for arthritis.
Arch-Enemy: Preservative-laden fruits. Dried fruits can contain high levels of chemicals such as sulphur dioxide, a preservative which has been linked to increased respiratory disease. Eat fresh fruits whenever possible, but if you must opt for the dried form, make sure it’s preservative-free.
7. Blueberry
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: An antioxidant powerhouse, blueberry is high in phytonutrients that confer anti-inflammatory protection against many diseases such as cancer and dementia.Sidekicks: Blackberries, cranberries, goji berries, strawberries and raspberries. These berries are comparable alternatives to blueberries and are equally high in antioxidants. So start feasting on one type of berries each week.
Arch-Enemy: Berries with pesticides. Insects and fungi love berries as much as we do. So berries are often sprayed with pesticides to ward off diseases and pests. To make matter worse, it is hard to wash away pesticides from berries due to their size. So it is safer to opt for organic or wild crafted version as much as possible.
8. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Virgin olive oil is Mediterranean’s secret to longevity. Its rich supply of polyphenols protects the heart and blood vessels from inflammation. The monounsaturated fats in olive oil are also turned into anti-inflammatory agents by the body that can lower occurrences of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.Sidekicks: Avocado oil. Also known as alligator pear, avocado produces oil that has a fat composition similar to olive oil, containing high heart-beneficial monounsaturated fats. But, it has an even higher smoke point than olive oil, making it the ideal oil for cooking.
Arch-Enemy: Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. This commercial oil contains trans-fatty acids that lowers the ‘good’ cholesterol and raises the ‘bad’ ones — a shortcut to contracting cardiovascular disease.
9. Broccoli
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Broccoli is a highly nutritious vegetable that contains anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer phytonutrients such as sulforaphane which helps the body to get rid of potentially carcinogenic compounds.
Sidekicks: Cauliflower. A close relative to broccoli, this cruciferous vegetable also contain similar goodness as broccoli that aids the body’s detoxification.
Arch-Enemies: Nightshades vegetables. Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and others are classified as nightshade vegetables, which contain high alkaloid — a substance that may affect the joints, nerve-muscle function and digestion in some individuals. If you are suffering from any of these problems, you may want to try cutting down on the consumption of nightshades vegetables.
10. Sweet Potato
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Anti-Inflammatory Agent: Sweet potato is often overshadowed by other exotic vegetables and fruits. But it is also a good source of complex carbohydrate, beta-carotene, manganese, vitamin B6 and C as well as dietary fiber. Working in concert, these nutrients are powerful antioxidants that help to heal inflammation in the body.
Sidekicks: Spinach. This dark green leafy vegetable is such a rich source of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative flavonoids and carotenoids that it’s almost impossible to believe. But it’s true. And here’s only a partial list: Vitamin A, B2, B6, C, E, K, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and tryptophan. But be sure to buy organic ones whenever possible as it’s also among the foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found.
Arch-Enemies: Processed potatoes. Although potato is a good source of vitamin C and other minerals, potato chips and french fries aren’t. Commercially processed potatoes are usually prepared in overheated polyunsaturated or hydrogenated oils, and are loaded with high amounts of sugar and salt, increasing the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes for anyone who munches on them.
Note: If you’ve allergic to the foods listed here, you must of course avoid them, no matter how nutrient-packed they may be. Consuming food that you’re sensitive to will only cause more — not reduce — inflammation.
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Nightshade veggetables are very well known to be inflammatory. I am bu one of many persons so afflicted by the nightshade family and also by the cruciferous family – IBD refers. So please, anyone who is not so compromised by such, do not knock the facts of the matter. And as for ‘not proven by ‘studies” be advised that no-one is going to set up such studies. Very diff to implement – think about it – and, pharma is not going to make anything out of such studies, so it will receive NO funding. One day the no-sayers will wake up to the facts of the matter, meantime, it behoves those with sense to follow on through and listen to the ‘gut’.
This list is misinformation. Most of the foods listed here are in fact inflammatory some are even highly inflammatory like salmon. The one decently antiinflammatory food listed is broccoli. Whoever wrote this needs to do better research because they mostly got it plain wrong.
Salmon is not in and of itself inflammatory. The big problem with salmon is that it is mostly farmed. Farmed salmon is dredged with antibiotics and chemicals. What ‘was’ a good source of excellent nutrition is now nothing but a lead source to anything but good nutrition – filled as it is with chemicals and the ubiquitous antibiotics and the salmon themselves fed with highly suspect highly processed pelleted foods. I used to like salmon but now it makes me throw up – literally! Refuse to buy it ever again – unless not industrialised, and free roaming in unpolluted waters. Don’t ignore the fact that much of available fish is toxic from mercury pollutents.
I suffer from Irritable Bowel Disease and Inflammatory Arthritis so I am really looking forward to trying this natural approach to help ease my pains.
Many thanks
Inflammatory arthritis – sounds like ankylsoing spondylitis. See a new paper on the SAA (Spondylitis Association of America) websit referencing the gut and inflammatory diseases. At ‘last’ the gut is being more and more addressed as to being strongly linked to inflammatory diseases including AS; RA; PsA (psoriatic arthritis). This follows on from the excellent and ground breaking (seminal) research by Prof Alan Ebringer.
IBD – together with the AS is one of the diseases from which I suffer. Be aware oif the cruciferous vegetables and also the nightshade familyies. In addition, starches arre a definite no-no. Cut down or out if possible, starches. The gut needs to heal. Once healed and given the tiem to heal, thenj can start to re-introduce the foods. But then, continue with a LSD, low starch diet. A wothwhile reference work is that by Carol Sinclair ‘The IBS Low Starch Diet Book’. Full of good information. And again, would reference Prof Ebringer’s seminal work on starches and inflammatory diseases and the link between the gut and inflammatory diseases.
For those of us suffering from gut and inflammatory diseases it is a bit of a mind field. But low starch, avoiding inflammatory foods (all of them) and keeping a food diary, together with addressing helping the gut fuirther by the use of pre and pro biotics (good old *plain yogurt is excellent) one has a chance of conquering the worst of these diseases and leading a normal and pain free life.
Bonne sante.