People often experience inflammation after a hearty or rich meal due to overeating or consuming spicy and oily foods. Some might even feel inflammation if they haven’t eaten for longer.
Either way, doctors now suggest that instead of taking medicine, it’s better to switch to an anti-inflammatory diet to eliminate inflammation.
Various foods have anti-inflammatory properties; adding these to your diet can reduce inflammation. However, constantly choosing a diet that constitutes foods that cause inflammation can worsen the condition over time.
Foods that cause inflammation are mostly the ones that are bad for health, so try clean eating, and you will be able to fight inflammation.
If you are interested in finding a cure for inflammation through your diet, continue reading to know the anti-inflammatory foods chart, vegan, anti-inflammatory sources, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Anti-inflammatory Foods List
Inflammation occurs when our immune system detects anything foreign, such as an invading microbe, chemical, or plant pollen. This activates the painful process which we experience in the form of inflammation.
Some people experience inflammation day and night regardless of what they eat. This is when it’s a big enemy.
Chronic inflammation may lead to many other conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Here is a pdf list of anti-inflammatory foods that can help fight chronic inflation.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods Chart
| Berries | Bone broth | Grapes | Nuts |
| Fatty fish | Cherries | Green tea | Turmeric |
| Broccoli | Dark chocolate | Leafy greens | Oranges |
| Avocados | Flax and chia seeds | Oats | Tomatoes |
| Beets | Coffee | Olive oil | Mushrooms |
Also read: The Best Vegan Sources of Calcium
Anti-inflammatory Fruits and Vitamins
An anti-inflammatory diet that focuses on fruits and vegetables is one of the ways you can fight inflammation. This is because plant-based foods are rich in oxidants which help remove free radicals from the body, which can cause cell damage.
Most fruits create a feeling of being full, so in return, you tend to eat less, which is also known as portion control. Fruits taste tremendous, and people usually prefer one or the other fruit, so it’s a great idea to include it in your meal.
It would be best if you tried eating at least one and a half cups of mixed fruits every day to boost the antioxidant activity in your body.
You should also make sure to eat with the season to get the maximum benefits from the fruits you consume. For example, we eat stone fruits in summer, cherries in the spring, pomegranates in the winter, and so on.
Check the list below to learn more about fruits that have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Apples
- Grapes
- Citrus
- Pomegranates
- Peaches
Also read: Food Combining guide
Anti-inflammatory Vegan Foods
A vegan diet consists of colorful vegetables and fruits and vegan proteins, including lentils, beans, tofu, and seitan. You can also add plant-based milk and yogurts to your diet.
Healthy fats such as avocado oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, seeds, and nuts are some things you can consume on a vegan, anti-inflammatory diet.
There is no specific diet plan regarding portions or what to eat in an anti-inflammatory vegan diet; the focus is more on eating anti-inflammatory foods to fight inflammation. In this diet, you should consume more whole foods full of antioxidants and avoid sugar, alcohol, and processed foods.
To prepare your vegan meals, you can use anti-inflammatory spices such as turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon sticks, cayenne pepper, and cloves.
This will enable digestion, fight other digestive problems and enhance the taste of your food. If you follow an anti-inflammatory diet through vegan foods, avoid all forms of animal proteins in your meals.
You can also keep a printable list of anti-inflammatory foods given above to help you design your meals. To know more about the foods to eat on a vegan diet, refer to the table below.
| Vegetables | Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, bell peppers, tomatoes and most vegetables. |
| Starchy vegetables | Beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, and chickpeas. |
| Fresh fruit | Cherries, grapes, fresh berries, citrus fruits, etc. |
| Unprocessed plant-based proteins | Tempeh, miso, tofu and edamame. |
| Legumes | Gluten-free oats, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, and brown rice. |
| Whole Grains | Cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, thyme, basil, and clove. |
| Nuts and seeds | Almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, and nut butter. |
| Chocolate | Dark chocolate-unsweetened |
| Herbs and spices | Avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, and coconut oil. |
| Tea | Green and herbal tea. |
| Healthy oils | Omega 3s Walnuts, flax seeds, seaweed, walnuts algae, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and soybeans |
| Omega 3s | Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, and most vegetables. |
Also read: Omega 3 Foods
Natural Anti-inflammatory Foods and Herbs
Using inflammatory spices and foods in our diet is the leading cause of inflammation. While resorting to an anti-inflammation diet, we should also use anti-inflammatory foods and herbs when preparing our meals. This will significantly affect your overall health and how you feel.
In recent years herbal medicine and natural foods have gained much popularity, and now they are available in several forms to be consumed quickly.
You can consume these herbs and natural foods in their fresh or dried form. There are also other alternative ways to have them, which include capsules, infusions, and teas.
If you don’t want to add them to your meals, you can consume them before or after meals to avoid inflammation.
However, some herbs may have side effects, including rash, upset stomach, etc. In this case, you should immediately discontinue its use and consult a doctor.
Here’s a list of natural foods and herbs you can add to your meals or consume in the dried form to reduce inflammation.
- Spearmint
- Chamomile
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Cardamom
- Turmeric
- Calendula
- Cat’s claw
- Black pepper
- Green tea
- Rosemary
- Ginseng
- Fenugreek
- Cinnamon
Also read: Purine Foods
FAQs
Are eggs anti-inflammatory?
Yes, eggs are considered among the best anti-inflammatory foods. The vitamin D in the eggs creates an anti-inflammatory response. Various studies suggest that egg yolk is the part of the egg which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Is vitamin D anti-inflammatory?
Vitamin D is confirmed to have anti-inflammatory properties. It reduces the pro-inflammatory mediators and increases the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines allowing the body to fight against inflammation.
Is omega-3 anti-inflammatory?
Omega-3 fatty acids release an enzyme that produces prostaglandin hormone, suppressing inflammation. Research suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, can fight inflammation.
Conclusion
Every meal that you make is a contribution towards your health so make sure to make the right choices.
Every time you eat, you feed or fight disease
Heather Morgan
By eating healthy, we can save ourselves from mild problems such as inflammation that can cause various other conditions.
Eating healthy will make you feel light, and you will get rid of the discomfort of inflammation. You can easily avoid tons of anti-inflammatory medications just by switching to healthy eating.
Refer to the anti-inflammatory foods chart above to learn about the top 20 anti-inflammatory foods you can add to your meals to fight inflammation.