10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Add to Your Diet

You've likely heard a lot about chronic inflammation lately and how it contributes to cellular damage, disease and premature aging. But making healthy lifestyle choices — like eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and other foods with anti-inflammatory properties — can help keep it from becoming a serious health risk.

Everyone needs some inflammation in their bodies.

When your immune system detects an injury or a foreign substance (like bacteria or a virus, for example), it triggers an inflammatory response that sends blood cells rushing to the affected area. That's called acute inflammation, which causes symptoms like redness and swelling, and it helps the body to heal and repair, per Harvard Health Publishing.

But chronic, low-level inflammation is something different — it's a sign that the body's immune system is overreacting, and it's been linked to numerous health problems. For example, inflammation causes joint pain and stiffness for people with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis, says Matthew Black, RD, a dietitian at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

"But even for people without autoimmune disease, there's also inflammation on a cellular level that we're not aware of on a daily basis," Black adds. "Even though we can't see or feel it, that inflammation can contribute to things like heart disease down the road."

Chronic inflammation is measured by proteins in the blood or saliva, called cytokines, that are produced when the body is in an inflammatory state. These cytokines — which include interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) — help doctors understand what's going on in the body, so they're also known as inflammatory markers.

Many things contribute to chronic inflammation, including genetics and lifestyle choices like smoking and lack of physical activity. But diet plays a large role, as well. "Processed foods, many enriched flour and partially hydrogenated oils — also known as trans fats — have all been linked to an increase in inflammatory markers," Black says.

"Getting these foods out of your diet, and focusing more on whole foods and plant-based foods, are some of the best things you can do," Black says.

Here are 10 foods that have been associated with lower levels of inflammation in the body, along with smart ways to incorporate them into your diet.

Fish are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of monounsaturated fat that has been shown to slow the production of inflammatory proteins, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, adding more fish to your diet can help you eat less red meat, which is high in saturated fat and may fuel inflammation, Black says.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week. (Children and pregnant people, however, should choose fish low in mercury.)

For the most omega-3s per serving, opt for oily or fatty fish. "Salmon is probably the most popular choice that people think of most often," Black says, "but other good options are mackerel, sardines and tuna."

Using cinnamon in food or drink recipes does more than add a warming, feel-good spice; it may also increase the inflammation-fighting effects of whatever you're making.

Cinnamon contains several chemical compounds, known as flavonoids, that have anti-inflammatory properties, per an April 2014 review in ‌Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine‌. And a small May 2018 study in the ‌Journal of the American College of Nutrition‌ found that people with rheumatoid arthritis who took cinnamon supplements for 8 weeks saw a greater reduction in inflammatory markers in their blood — as well as less pain and swelling — than those who took a placebo.

So go ahead and sprinkle a bit of the spice onto your morning oatmeal.

Dairy isn't always considered an anti-inflammatory food group. Studies have been inconsistent, as an August 2017 report in ‌Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition‌ points out: Some studies have found that milk and cheese increase markers of inflammation in the body, while other research suggests that some dairy products have anti-inflammatory benefits.

But yogurt — a fermented dairy product that contains live bacterial cultures — seems to be worth including in an anti-inflammatory diet. A June 2018 study in the ‌Journal of Nutrition‌ found that low-fat yogurt helps bolster the lining of the intestines, which can prevent inflammatory cytokines in the gut from entering the bloodstream after high-calorie or high-fat meals.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that low-fat dairy products, including yogurt, can fit into a nutritious eating pattern — and their research supports this recommendation. But sweetened yogurt can be high in added sugar, which should be limited to no more than 10 percent of your daily calories. For the best anti-inflammatory effects, choose unsweetened or low-sugar yogurt (like one of these best protein-rich yogurts).

You already know that spinach, kale and broccoli are good for you. You may not know, however, that they contain high levels of lutein — a chemical that researchers suspect helps fight chronic inflammation in the body.

A May 2017 study in ‌Atherosclerosis‌ looked at levels of six different plant-based compounds, called carotenoids, in the blood of people with coronary artery disease. They found that lutein was the only one that corresponded with the inflammatory marker IL-6. The higher a person's lutein levels, the lower their IL-6 levels.

Then, the scientists collected immune cells from those people and experimented with them in a laboratory setting. Sure enough, they found that treating the cells with lutein lowered their inflammatory activity.

Studies have not yet confirmed whether lutein from food sources (like dark leafy greens) has the same effect on us — but there are plenty of other reasons to eat these foods, regardless. "We know they're low in calories and high in antioxidants already," Black says, "and if they turn out to be anti-inflammatory as well, that's another bonus."

Foods high in fiber help fight inflammation because they feed beneficial bacteria living in the gut and help rid the body of unhealthy cholesterol, Black says. Eating a fiber-rich diet can also help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, which can also keep inflammation at bay, Black says.

"One of the best ways to boost fiber in your diet is to eat more whole grains, like brown rice and whole-wheat bread and pasta," Black says. Compared to white bread and other refined grains — which break down rapidly in the body and quickly turn to sugar, which fuels inflammation — whole grains take longer to digest and help keep blood sugar levels stable.

Whole grains also contain compounds such as vitamins B and E, zinc and selenium, according to an October 2018 review in ‌Medicine‌ — these nutrients may also contribute to whole grains' anti-inflammatory benefits.

Red and black grapes contain resveratrol, a chemical compound that's been linked to anti-inflammatory effects.

A small October-December 2014 double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial in the ‌Jornal Brasileiro de Nefrologia‌ found that people with chronic kidney disease who took grape supplements didn't see increased inflammation markers while the placebo group did.

But it's likely the combination of many different compounds in grapes that account for their full range of anti-inflammatory and health-supporting properties, according to an August 2015 report in the ‌Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences‌. Those authors conclude it's likely more beneficial to eat whole grapes and whole-grape products (like grape juice) than it is to take a supplement with just one isolated component.

The plant Camellia sinensis is used to make green, black and oolong tea. The difference is in the preparation: For green tea, the leaves are only lightly steamed.

Because it's less processed than other types, green tea contains higher levels of compounds called catechins — especially one type called epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG. A 2016 review in ‌Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry‌ suggests that these compounds inhibit the production of inflammatory compounds in the body, and are linked to lower rates of diseases (such as gingivitis and gout) caused at least in part by inflammation.

Green tea is considered safe when you drink it in moderate amounts, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but always talk to your doctor if you're considering taking a supplement or extract, or if you're drinking large amounts on a daily basis. Green tea at high doses can reduce the effectiveness of the beta-blocker drug nadolol, and it may also interact with other medicines, per the NIH.

Several studies have shown that ginger can decrease the production of inflammatory markers, according to an August 2019 review in ‌Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine‌. It's also been linked to a decrease in stiffness and pain in people with arthritis.

The root has also been used throughout history to settle upset stomachs, and ginger may also have cardiovascular benefits. Try whole ginger or ginger extract in tea, or add it to your recipes for a potent, spicy kick.

Cocoa is a favorite ingredient in desserts, which are often high in sugar and saturated fat. But by itself, cocoa contains powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, Black says.

The best way to get those beneficial compounds is to choose dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa content, Black says. In a small October 2018 study in the ‌International Journal of Preventive Medicine‌, people with type 2 diabetes who enjoyed 1 ounce of 84 percent dark chocolate every day lowered levels of inflammation in their blood more than those who did not have daily chocolate.

"An anti-inflammatory diet should include lots of fruits and vegetables, and the best thing to do is to eat a wide variety," Black says. And berries should be a big part of that: Not only are these tiny fruits low in calories and high in antioxidants, but they also contain anti-inflammatory properties as well.

An August 2017 study in ‌Nutrients‌, for example, found that eating about a quarter cup of strawberries every day for 12 weeks reduced pain and inflammatory markers in adults with obesity and osteoarthritis. Although the study was small, containing only 17 people, the authors concluded that dietary strawberries may have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects on this population.