Inflammation and Diet: How Your Plate Can Help Healing

Inflammation got you down? It turns out that doctors have actually found the solution could be on your plate rather than in a pill bottle. Inflammation actually protects our health when genuine invaders are present, but chronic inflammation has been linked to many diseases.

"Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects." 

• Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health

Foods that cause inflammation:

• Refined carbohydrates (white bread, pastries)

• Fried food (french fries)

• Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages

• Red meat (burgers, steak)

• Processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)

• Margarine, shortening, and lard

Anti-inflammatory foods:

• Tomatoes

• Olive oil

• Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, collards)

• Nuts (almonds, walnuts)

• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines)

• Fruits (strawberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges)

An overall healthy diet reduces inflammation and chronic disease, and improves quality of life. To reduce inflammation specifically, fruits and veggies like apples, blueberries and leafy greens have been found to have protective compounds, and nuts and coffee have been associated with reducing and protecting against inflammation.

To learn more about what foods to eat when following a specific diet, check out Easy Platter’s recipes.