5 Anti-inflammatory Foods to Include in Your Diet

You must have heard of inflammation. But what is inflammation? It is the body’s natural response to injury and infections, which makes it a vital part of the immune system. Think of it as a signal from the body to the immune system to repair the tissue which may be damaged by free radicals – bacteria and viruses.

Inflammation, as it turns out, is both good and bad. While it improves the efficacy of the immune system in defending against injury and infection, chronic inflammation causes diseases and weight gain. When inflammation is mixed with stress and no exercise, you are at an even higher risk of diseases. Luckily, some foods fight and keep inflammation low. Connect with certified dietitians for personalized diet recommendations with FITFEAST to stay healthy. Keep your immunity up in the lockdown.

Best Anti Inflammatory Foods

• Broccoli

Broccoli is one of most nutritious vegetables – a cruciferous vegetable – counted among the likes of kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and others. Several studies done on cruciferous vegetables suggest that they are associated with a reduced risk of cancers and heart disease. The anti-inflammatory properties of these vegetables can protect you against deadly diseases like cancer. Broccoli is packed with sulforaphane – inflammation-fighting antioxidant – that reduces inflammation-causing compounds in the body.

• Green Tea

You must have heard that Green Tea is the healthiest beverage or at least one of them. What you have heard is correct. Drinking green tea is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other deadly conditions. These benefits of green tea are attributable to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, especially a substance known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate or EGCG. This substance reduces the production of inflammation-causing substances like cytokine that damage the fatty acids in your cells.

• Mushrooms

The types of edible mushrooms are just a very small fraction of the thousands of types of mushrooms available across the world. Shiitake, truffles, and portobello mushrooms are some of the edible ones. Coming to their nutritional value, they are rich in B vitamins, copper, and selenium while being low in calories.

More importantly in this context, they contain several antioxidants including phenols that fight inflammation. Lion’s Mane is a type of mushroom associated with reduced obesity-related inflammation. However, do not cook mushrooms thoroughly; light cooking will help you reap the benefits of mushrooms.

• Grapes

The anthocyanins in grapes are known to reduce inflammation. Studies suggest that grapes are good to reduce the risk of diseases like diabetes, obesity, eye disorders, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. Grapes are packed with resveratrol, a compound known to be healthy for you. People who eat grapes are likely to witness a decrease in their inflammatory gene markers.

• Turmeric

Turmeric is used in many Indian dishes. It is packed with curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient. Consuming turmeric is good for people with diabetes and arthritis. Consuming 1 gram of curcumin with piperine (from black pepper) reduces inflammatory markers in people with metabolic syndrome. You may consider taking curcumin supplements combined with piperine.

Working out is known to bring down inflammation as well. Stuck at home and can’t workout? Get FITCOACH and workout with dynamic recommendations from an AI-based smart fitness coach.