Eating certain foods and avoiding others may help reduce and prevent inflammation. Anti-inflammatory foods include fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish.
Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting itself from infection, illness, or injury.
However, chronic inflammation is harmful because it slowly damages healthy cells, tissues, and organs. This raises your risk of developing diseases like:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Fatty liver disease
- Cancer
The good news? There are plenty of ways to lower inflammation and boost your overall health.
This article gives a detailed plan for an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.
Anti-inflammatory foods to eat
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, nutrient-rich foods packed with antioxidants. These help reduce free radicals—unstable molecules that can cause inflammation when they build up.
Some great anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet:
- Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower
- Fruit: Especially deeply colored ones like blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, and cherries
- High-fat fruits: Avocados and olives
- Healthy fats: Olive oil and avocado oil
- Fatty fish: Salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies
- Nuts: Almonds and others
- Dark chocolate
- Spices: Turmeric, fenugreek, and cinnamon
- Green tea
- Red wine (in moderation, since resveratrol in wine may have anti-inflammatory effects)
Your meals should balance protein, carbs, and healthy fats while meeting your needs for micronutrients, fiber, and water.
Some diets are also linked to lower inflammation, such as:
- Mediterranean diets (shown to reduce inflammatory markers like IL-17A and IL-6)
- Low-carb diets (may help with inflammation in people with obesity)
- Vegetarian diets (associated with reduced inflammation)
Foods to avoid
Some eating habits can increase inflammation, like consuming:
- Too much sugar and high-fructose corn syrup
- Refined carbs
- Trans fats (which the FDA has banned)
- Alcohol
More specifically, these foods are tied to higher chronic inflammation risk. Try cutting back on:
- Sugary drinks (soda, fruit juices, sweetened beverages)
- Refined carbs (white bread, white pasta)
- Desserts (cookies, candy, cake, ice cream)
- Processed meats (hot dogs, bologna, sausages)
- Processed snacks (crackers, chips, pretzels)
- Certain oils (processed seed and vegetable oils like soybean and corn oil)
One-day sample menu
Having a plan makes sticking to a diet easier. Here’s a sample day of anti-inflammatory meals:
Breakfast
- 3-egg omelet with 1 cup (110 g) mushrooms and 1 cup (67 g) kale, cooked in olive oil
- 1 cup (225 g) cherries
- Green tea and/or water
Lunch
- Grilled salmon on mixed greens with olive oil and vinegar
- 1 cup (125 g) raspberries with plain Greek yogurt and chopped pecans
- Unsweetened iced tea or water
Snack
- Bell pepper strips with guacamole
Dinner
- Chicken curry with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli
- Red wine (5–10 oz or 140–280 mL)
- 1 ounce (30 g) dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa)
*(Click here for a 7-day anti-inflammatory meal plan.)*
Benefits of a better diet and lifestyle
An anti-inflammatory diet, along with exercise and good sleep, can offer many perks, such as:
- Improved symptoms of arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, and other autoimmune disorders
- Lower risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer, and other illnesses
- Reduced inflammatory markers in your blood
- Better blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels
- More energy
Frequently asked questions
What’s the fastest way to reduce inflammation?
Besides an anti-inflammatory diet, try these habits:
- Supplements: Fish oil and curcumin may help.
- Exercise: Lowers inflammation and disease risk.
- Sleep: Poor sleep can increase inflammation.
- Stress management: Stress-relieving activities help.
- Quit smoking: Smoking boosts inflammation.
What’s the #1 best drink to fight inflammation?
There’s no single “best” drink, but these may help:
- Baking soda and water
- Parsley and ginger green juice
- Lemon and turmeric tonic
- Bone broth
- Functional food smoothies
- Matcha tea
- Greens and berry smoothies
Takeaway
Chronic inflammation is unhealthy and can lead to disease. Often, your diet and lifestyle fuel or worsen it.
Choosing anti-inflammatory foods supports better health, lowers disease risk, and improves your quality of life.