
Anti-inflammatory
Widespread meta-inflammation occurs throughout our lives. It appears in part to be our immune system’s reaction to many unhealthy aspects of daily living—from environmental factors, like traffic pollution and toxic chemicals, to our everyday lifestyle choices, such as cigarettes, sleep, chronic stress, and physical activity level. However, we may introduce into our body the primary driver of meta-inflammatory chronic disease multiple times a day—every time we eat.
Researchers developed the Dietary Inflammatory Index scoring system. The more pro-inflammatory foods we eat on a daily basis, the higher our score, and the more anti-inflammatory foods we eat, the lower our score.
Generally, components of animal products and processed foods, like saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, were found to be pro-inflammatory, while constituents of whole plant foods, such as fiber and phytonutrients, came up strongly anti-inflammatory.
Overall, eating a more inflammatory diet has been associated with 75 percent increased odds of having cancer and 67 percent increased risk of dying from it, the development of frailty and increased fall risk in the elderly, impaired memory and cognitive dysfunction, and worse mental health, including higher rates of depression, and anxiety, and lower sleep quality. Not surprisingly, those eating more anti-inflammatory diets appear to live longer lives with less functional disability.
The spice turmeric is the single most anti-inflammatory food, followed by ginger and garlic, and tea, green or black, is the most anti-inflammatory beverage. Fiber and flavones are the most anti-inflammatory food components. Dietary fiber, found in all whole plant foods, is most highly concentrated in whole grains and legumes. Flavones are plant compounds concentrated in fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
Given that saturated fat ranks as the single most pro-inflammatory food component and fiber as the single most anti-inflammatory food component, an anti-inflammatory diet would be one centered around whole plant foods.
The information on this page has been compiled from Dr. Greger’s research. Sources for each video listed can be found by going to the video’s page and clicking on the Sources Cited tab. References may also be found at the back of his books.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Popular Videos for Anti-inflammatory


Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Purple Potatoes
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties of white compared to yellow and purple potatoes. Purple potatoes may also...
Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Lupus
Green smoothies are put to the test for the autoimmune disease SLE (lupus).
Anti-Inflammatory Life Is a Bowl of Cherries
Sweet red Bing cherries may act as a selective COX-2 inhibitor, reducing inflammation without the...
Benefits of Flaxseeds for Inflammation
Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory, aging-associated oxylipins can be normalized by eating ground flaxseed.
Boosting Immunity while Reducing Inflammation
Cooked white mushroom consumption stimulates antibody production, while potentially still playing an anti-inflammatory role.
Anti-Inflammatory Antioxidants
Even when choosing the same quantity of fruits and vegetables, those making higher antioxidant choices...All Videos for Anti-inflammatory
-
How Does Oatmeal Help with Blood Sugars?
The prebiotic fiber in oats helps to explain why oatmeal can improve diabetic control.
-
The Best Diet for Fibromyalgia and Other Chronic Pain Relief
Anti-inflammatory diets can be effective in alleviating chronic pain syndromes.
-
Diet and Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention and Survival
What kind of diet should cancer patients eat?
-
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Cognitive Decline
AGEs may be one explanation for why those who consume meat may have up to three times the risk of developing dementia compared with vegetarians.
-
Why All Athletes Should Eat Plant-Based Diets
Enhance athletic performance with diet.
-
How to Naturally Reduce Wrinkles with Food
Almonds are put to the test in a randomized controlled trial for facial wrinkles.
-
The Best Diet for Healthy Aging
Swapping just 1 percent of plant protein in place of animal protein was associated with significantly less age-related deficit accumulation.
-
The Role of Kimchi and H. Pylori in Stomach Cancer
What explains the Achilles’ heel in certain Asian diets?
-
How to Keep Your Microbiome Healthy with Prebiotic Foods
We co-evolved a symbiosis with our good gut bacteria, but we are not holding up our end of the bargain.
-
Do Vitamin C Supplements Help with Anxiety?
What are the risks and benefits of using vitamin C for depression and anxiety?