Foods May Help Heal Inflammation

Inflammation is your body’s alarm system. Sort of like how an ankle swells when you twist it, other parts of your body—even internal ones—will swell in response to injury, exposure to chemicals, or viruses. Doctors are just now beginning to understand that inflammation can have several other health consequences. Research has led experts to believe that inflammation plays a role in heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

However, certain foods may help heal inflammation:

Berries and cherries.
These sweet fruits help reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals in the body and may also help stop tissue inflammation.

Bran cereal.
Fiber from bran cereal is associated with less inflammation in women with type 2 diabetes. And the Physicians’ Health Study found that doctors who ate whole grain cereal every day were 28% less likely to have heart failure over 24 years—an effect that may be linked to reduced inflammation.

Bright vegetables.
Choose deep orange, red, or yellow vegetables, which are full of carotenoids, anti-inflammatory antioxidants.

Chamomile.
Germans use chamomile as a universal healer, referring to it as alles zutraut, or “capable of anything.” As an anti-inflammatory, chamomile works like an NSAID—think ibuprofen or aspirin.

Chicken soup.
When a researcher from the Nebraska Medical Center tested chicken soup in the lab, he found that it could reduce inflammation and congestion caused by virus-fighting immune system agents called neutrophils by about 75%. Canned chicken soup worked, too.

Cloves.
An aromatic spice common in Indian cooking, cloves contain an anti-inflammatory chemical called eugenol. In recent animal studies, this chemical inhibited COX-2, an enzyme that spurs inflammation.

Flaxseed.
Flaxseed is rich in alpha linolenic-acid, which the body uses to make the same type of omega-3 fatty acids you get from fish. Like fish, it guards against inflammation in the body.

Ginger.
Ginger has been used for thousands of years to help with a variety of ailments, from stomachaches to arthritis to heart conditions because of its anti-inflammatory effect. It may play a role in preventing and slowing the growth of cancer as well easing migraines by blocking inflammatory substances called prostaglandins.

Green tea.
Used for centuries for a variety of medicinal purposes, green tea is an excellent source of polyphenols, which may help reduce free radicals in the body that can cause inflammation.

Nuts.
An excellent source of vitamin E, consuming nuts together with fish oil seems to boost the body’s ability to fight inflammation beyond what either nutrient would do on its own, according to two animal studies.

Olive oil.
Olive oil contains antioxidants called polyphenols, which research suggests help to reduce inflammation in the blood vessels and in the brain. Look for virgin olive oil—it retains more of the polyphenols than heavily processed variants.

Orange juice.
When researchers fed volunteers either glucose-sweetened water or OJ, the sweet water triggered an inflammatory response but the OJ did not. The researchers credit the effect to the juice’s vitamin C content and various flavonoids. Choose 100% juice made from frozen concentrate, which has more vitamin C than fresh squeezed after four weeks of storage.

Pomegranates.
These fruits are especially high in antioxidants, such as ellagic acid, that reduce inflammation. That may explain why pomegrantes have been shown in studies to reverse the progression of coronary heart disease.

Sage.
This anti-inflammatory herb has also been shown in some research to boost memory and reduce swelling.

Salmon.
Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids—a family of fats that helps, put the brakes on inflammation. Studies suggest that increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids can help quell symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Soy.
Soy is packed with isoflavones, plant hormones with anti-inflammatory properties. An Oklahoma State study found that people with knee pain reported less discomfort and used fewer pain meds after eating soy protein every day for 3 months.

Turmeric.
Curcumin, the chemical responsible for turmeric’s yellow color, helps to quell the inflammation that contributes to cancer growth. Scientists are also studying curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effect on cystic fibrosis.

Wine.
Vino drinking has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and it could be due to an anti-inflammatory effect. But don't overdo it. Heavy drinking has been linked to cancer.

THE BOTTOM LINE
• Inflammation can lead to chronic conditions including diabetes and cancer.
• Inflammation of internal organs and the circulatory system has been linked to heart disease.
• Many foods, including nuts, fruits, and spices can help cool inflammation.