TL;DR

Diet is one of the strongest drivers of chronic inflammation. Research shows that diets rich in colorful fruits, vegetables, polyphenols, and carotenoids may help lower inflammatory markers and support metabolic and cardiovascular health.

Diet and Inflammation

Your dietary choices can create pain and inflammation, or they can alleviate pain and inflammation. The Western diet causes inflammation. Click to read the Roadmap to Health, to learn more.

  1. Avoid foods that obviously cause inflammation: This includes refined foods, sugar, chemical additives, oils that have been processed (those oils in the center of the supermarket that have been extracted with heat or chemicals).
  2. Eat foods that help reduce inflammation: This includes brightly colored produce, which is high in polyphenols and carotenoids. Polyphenols and carotenoids: Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants. They are mainly yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigments, including carotene. They give color to plant parts such as ripe tomatoes, carrots, and most vegetables. Many of them are converted to vitamin A. Polyphenols are micronutrients that we get through certain plant-based foods. They’re packed with antioxidants and potential health benefits. Polyphenols can improve or help treat digestion issues, weight management difficulties, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that carotenoids and polyphenols reduce inflammation,1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Bottom line: a diet that is high in brightly colored fresh produce will help combat pain. Eating a diet that is 75% (by volume) fresh fruits and vegetables will reduce pain and inflammation.
  3. Extra discipline (because sometimes good food causes problems): The Roadmap to Health strictly limits complex carbohydrates, like grains. This will have you avoiding dairy (which contains lactose), gluten, and other foods that may feed an undesirable microbiome. We ask you do this part for 30 days, then introduce new foods one-at-a-time, to see if any cause problems.

All diseases and all symptoms have inflammation as a component. By improving your diet, you automatically reduce inflammation. You also improve the health of the microbiome. Don’t think of this as treatment; you are just optimizing health and helping your body to better deal with any symptoms or health issues.

Foods That Help Reduce Inflammation

Many plant foods contain compounds that help regulate inflammatory signaling in the body. These compounds include polyphenols, carotenoids, and other antioxidants.

Examples of foods commonly associated with lower inflammation include:

• Berries – rich in anthocyanins that help regulate inflammatory pathways
• Leafy greens – spinach, kale, and other greens provide carotenoids and magnesium
• Tomatoes – contain lycopene, a carotenoid linked with reduced inflammation
• Fatty fish – salmon and sardines provide omega-3 fatty acids
• Olive oil – rich in polyphenols and monounsaturated fats
• Avocados – provide healthy fats and anti-inflammatory plant compounds
• Nuts – especially walnuts and almonds
• Colorful vegetables – carrots, peppers, squash, and other brightly colored produce

References:

  1. Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):913-22 Strawberry anthocyanin and its association with postprandial inflammation and insulin
  2. J Nutr. 2015 Jul;145(7):1459-63. Supplementation of the Pure Flavonoids Epicatechin and Quercetin Affects Some Biomarkers of Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammation in (Pre)Hypertensive Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial
  3. Food Chem. 2020 Apr 25;310:125797 Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men
  4. Nutr Rev. 2019 Jun 22:nuz018 Impact of anthocyanin-rich whole fruit consumption on exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  5. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Mar 12;19(3):816. Anthocyanin-Rich Extract from Red Chinese Cabbage Alleviates Vascular Inflammation in Endothelial Cells and Apo E -/- Mice
  6. PLoS One. 2018 Apr 11;13(4):e0195502 The flavonoid compound apigenin prevents colonic inflammation and motor dysfunctions associated with high fat diet-induced obesity
  7. Nutr Diabetes. 2017 May 15;7(5):e276 Flavonoid intake is inversely associated with obesity and C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, in US adults
  8. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Aug 26;149(1):169-75 The root barks of Morus alba and the flavonoid constituents inhibit airway inflammation
  9. Nutr Res. 2018 Apr;52:98-104 A diet high in carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits favorably impacts inflammation status by increasing plasma concentrations of IFN-α2 and decreasing MIP-1β and TNF-α in healthy individuals during a controlled feeding trial
  10. Br J Nutr. 2014 Oct 28;112(8):1341-52 Patterns of dietary intake and serum carotenoid and tocopherol status are associated with biomarkers of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk
  11. J Perinatol. 2012 Jun;32(6):418-24 Cerebrospinal fluid levels of inflammation, oxidative stress and NAD+ are linked to differences in plasma carotenoid concentrations