Inflammation is your body’s natural response to illness or injury. While short-term inflammation isn’t necessarily dangerous, it can become detrimental to your health if it turns chronic , leading to symptoms like brain fog, bloating, fatigue, joint pain and more.
Anti-inflammatory diets can ease some of these symptoms and lower your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Shannon Roque, a registered dietitian at Atlantic Health, shares more about these diets and the best ways to get started.
What are anti-inflammatory diets?
Anti-inflammatory diets focus on minimally processed, nutrient-dense whole foods while limiting foods that are more refined and inflammatory. Three of the most common anti-inflammatory diets are:
- Mediterranean diet
- DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet
- Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles
While most people can benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet, it can be especially helpful for patients with metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and obesity — by reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It can also lower chronic inflammation in patients with autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, lupus, thyroid disorders and rheumatoid arthritis.
Anti-inflammatory foods to try
Some of the best anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Heart-healthy fats like walnuts, olive oil and avocados
- Lean protein, including fish, chicken and plant-based sources
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Spices and herbs like turmeric, cinnamon and garlic
“Look out for foods high in phytonutrients, or foods that are deep in color like blueberries, tomatoes and leafy greens,” says Roque. “Also eat foods that are high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C- and E-rich foods like citrus and oily fish.”
While these foods have anti-inflammatory properties, others, especially more processed foods, are harder to digest and promote inflammation:
- Alcohol
- Fried foods
- Processed meats like bacon, sausage and bologna
- Red meats
- White flour and other simple carbohydrates and sugars
How to start an anti-inflammatory diet
Finding an anti-inflammatory diet that works for you starts with your own preferences. Roque often recommends the Mediterranean diet because it is the least restrictive of the three options. When she meets with patients, she also talks through meal prep strategies, supermarket basics and how to uncomplicate what can feel like a big change.
“We use the word ‘diet,’ but it’s really a lifestyle shift,” says Roque. “We need to meet folks where they are and make it make sense for them. If someone isn’t an adventurous cook, made-from-scratch meals might not be a good place to start. As much as we want to keep food clean, some modifications make these diets more doable.”
Changing your diet is just one tool in your toolbox to reduce inflammation. You can also lower inflammation by:
- Getting good sleep
- Lowering stress
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Reducing alcohol consumption
- Staying active
- Stopping smoking
Before starting any major diet or lifestyle changes, speak with your health care team. Diet changes, including anti-inflammatory diets, come with adjustment periods. Symptoms of inflammation may ease quickly, but it can take up to six months of commitment to lifestyle changes before you’ll start to see tangible differences in medical tests.
“It takes time and effort to navigate through these changes,” says Roque. “But the end reward is great.”
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