10 Ways to Reduce Inflammation
Turn down the dial on the #1 health problem you don't know about with these anti-inflammatory foods and habits.
Inflammation is part of your body's natural defenses-when a cut swells up and turns red, that's inflammation at work healing you. But when it goes into overdrive, sparked by factors like poor diet and smoking, it can cause a host of health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis (including psoriatic arthritis), cancer and even depression. Tame it with these strategies.
1. Try Turmeric
Pictured Recipe: Turmeric Latte
Turmeric is having a moment, thanks largely to curcumin-a compound that gives the sunny spice its anti-inflammatory powers. According to a recent review, curcumin reduces the production of a protein that makes your immune system work overtime. These studies used high doses of curcumin (up to 1,500 mg/day), so it may be worth asking your doctor about supplements. You may not be able to get that much from food (5 teaspoons ground turmeric or 2 ounces fresh has 500 mg of curcumin). But the spice's anti-inflammatory potential is still a good reason to sprinkle it liberally on roasted veggies or sip those trendy golden lattes.
Related: Should I Drink Turmeric Tea?
2. Eat Your Greens
Pictured Recipe: Watercress Salad with Grapes, Blue Cheese & Pecans
Here's yet another reason not to skimp on green leafy vegetables: they are rich in magnesium, a mineral that about half of us don't consume enough of. "I encourage anyone who's susceptible to inflammation to assess their magnesium intake," says Forrest H. Nielsen, Ph.D., a research nutritionist at the USDA's Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota. (Ask your doctor to check your magnesium levels with a blood test.) "There's a lot of evidence that people with high inflammatory markers often have low magnesium levels. Plus, people who have conditions associated with inflammation, like heart disease and diabetes, also tend to have low magnesium levels," Nielsen says.
3. Eat Your Reds, Blues and Purples, Too
Pictured Recipe: Purple Fruit Salad
Speaking of color, green isn't the only one that's good for you. Women who regularly consume roughly 40 mg per day of anthocyanins-the compound that gives produce its deep red and purple hues-have 18 percent lower levels of C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammatory activity, compared to those who eat minimal amounts of them, U.K. researchers found. You can get that daily dose of anthocyanins from 1/3 cup of blackberries, 18 red grapes or 1 cup of shredded red cabbage.
4. Grab a Handful of Nuts
Pictured Recipe: Fruit & Nuts Snack Mix
People who noshed at least five 1-ounce servings of peanuts, almonds, walnuts or cashews each week had lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers compared to those who didn't eat them regularly, found a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Nuts' anti-inflammatory effects are due to their combo of fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
5. Get More Exercise
Obesity-or even just an expanding waistline-is a major cause of inflammation. But you can offset this by amping up your activity. A study published in Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise found that the least sedentary people had the lowest inflammation, even if they didn't lose weight. While they got about 2 1/2 hours of -moderate-to-vigorous activity per day, it included regular life activities like yard work and household chores. (Yes, running around your house scooping up Legos counts!) Even a small increase in activity tames the flames compared to being totally couch-bound.
6. Keep Stress at Bay
Frequently frazzled? A study in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that people who have a strong emotional reaction to stressful tasks (you bite your nails when you have to make a presentation at work or get tense when someone presses your buttons) experience a greater increase in circulating interleukin-6 (a marker of inflammation) during times of stress than those who take stressful tasks in stride. While stress harms your body in many ways, Christopher P. Cannon, M.D., a professor at Harvard Medical School. puts it like this: "Stress increases blood pressure and heart rate, making your blood vessels work harder. Essentially, you're pounding on them more often and creating damage. If that damage happens over and over, inflammation persists."
Try it! 3 Ways to Ease Your Stress
7. Up Your Yoga Game
Women who had regularly practiced 75 to 90 minutes of Hatha yoga twice-weekly for at least two years had markedly lower levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), two key inflammatory markers, compared to those who were new to yoga or practiced less frequently, according to a study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. "A central tenet of yoga is that practicing can reduce stress responses," explains Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D., study co-author and professor of psychiatry and psychology at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University College of Medicine. Researchers think that yoga's benefit is that it minimizes stress-related physiological changes.
Related: 3 Health Benefits of Yoga
8. Get Enough Sleep
It may be more than just a lack of sleep that causes inflammation. How you behave when you're tired may be what's stoking the flames. In a study from The Ohio State University, inflammation shot up when sleep-deprived couples started squabbling. When faced with a conflict, partners' inflammatory markers jumped 6 percent for every hour of sleep they lost below seven hours. Inadequate rest may make you more sensitive to stress, which in turn causes inflammation. The good news: Using healthy conflict-resolution strategies protected both partners.
Related: 9 Foods to Help You Sleep
9. Enjoy a Massage
A massage isn't just a treat-it can be part of staying healthy. Receiving a 45-minute Swedish massage can greatly lower levels of two key inflammation-promoting hormones, according to a study in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. "Massage may decrease inflammatory substances by [appropriately] increasing the amount of disease-fighting white blood cells in the body," says Mark Hyman Rapaport, M.D., co-author of the study. "It may also lower stress hormones. Either way, these results can be seen after just one massage."
10. Drink Green Tea
Pictured Recipe: Soothing Ginger-Lemon Tea
Even if coffee is your beverage of choice, you might not want to bag tea altogether-especially the green variety. Green tea is full of potent antioxidants that help quell inflammation. In fact, researchers from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock found that green tea can inhibit oxidative stress and the potential inflammation that may result from it. "After 24 weeks, people who consumed 500 mg of green tea polyphenols daily-that's about 4 to 6 cups of tea-halved their oxidative stress levels," says Leslie Shen, Ph.D., the study's lead author.
The Best and Worst Carbs to Eat for Inflammation
Attention, carb lovers: here's what you should be eating more of to reduce inflammation (plus some things you may want to avoid).
Eating an anti-inflammatory diet isn't just about eating salmon, spinach and almonds; a large part of reducing inflammation actually has to do with the type of carbs you eat. In fact, the carbs you eat have a much bigger impact on inflammation than what you'll gain from eating a few anti-inflammatory foods. So, what's the connection between carbs (including grains, fruits, veggies and dairy items) and inflammation?
The body has a two-sided relationship with carbohydrates. Not only are they a primary energy source, but carbs are the only natural source of dietary fiber, which has a positive impact on inflammation in terms of glycemic response (or how quickly a food increases your blood sugar) and gut health. And carb-rich foods in their whole state (or minimally processed—think whole-wheat bread vs. white bread) are packed with powerful antioxidants and bioactive compounds that can prevent free radical damage and reduce inflammation.
But on the flip side, your blood sugar can spike from eating too many refined, low-fiber carbs. Additionally, carbohydrates with added sugar (think: cupcakes or processed bread) can increase inflammation in the body. In fact, the effect that carbs have on blood sugar—whether that's slow and steady or a sudden spike—is considered a primary driver of inflammation. Not to mention, eating too many refined carbs or items with lots of added sugar can lead to weight gain which further drives inflammation.
The Best and Worst Carbs to Eat for Inflammation
Best Carbs for Inflammation
ALISON MIKSCH PHOTOGRAPHY / KINDSEY LOWER PROP STYLING / RISHON HANNERS FOOD STYLING
1. Corn Tortillas
Switching to corn tortillas is an easy way to reduce inflammation, since they trigger less of a glycemic response because they're lower in calories and carbs and higher in fiber than flour tortillas. They also tend to be much more filling. Toast them slightly with a touch of oil or cooking spray in the skillet before serving for best flavor and texture. Try making your own corn tortillas and putting them in our Summer Corn Tortilla Soup or stuffing them with our Spicy Shrimp Taco filling.
2. Berries
Berries—strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and others—are top carb-containing fruits for two reasons. First, they're packed full of antioxidant compounds that have both anti-inflammatory and protective effects from new inflammation. Second, berries also have a lower glycemic impact (because they're full of fiber) in comparison to others like grapes and bananas. Sprinkle them on top of your oatmeal or use them in a healthier dessert, like our Mini Berry Cream Pies recipe.
3. Yogurt
Strengthening gut health by increasing foods with probiotics is essential in fighting inflammation, and one of the best ways to do this is to consume yogurt with live bacteria cultures on a regular basis. Choose regular or Greek yogurt with a label that specifies "active, live cultures" and opt for "plain" to avoid added sugars; then add fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey for sweetness.
4. Edamame
All beans and legumes are great carb options since they're packed with fiber, protein and potassium and have a lower impact on glucose than many grains and other carb sources. But, edamame offers a little extra since it also contains isoflavones, bioactive compounds that appear to specifically target inflammatory molecules in the body. Use up your edamame in our tasty Edamame & Veggie Rice Bowl.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes can—and should—be part of an anti-inflammatory diet. They're a great way to meet daily carb needs, and they have an even lower glycemic impact than brown rice or whole-wheat bread. These spuds offer additional anti-inflammatory potential by being loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene, two protective antioxidants. Turn a humble sweet potato into a delicious lunch by making our Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing.
6. Veggie Noodles and "Rice"
Many benefit by not only lowering overall carb intake, but also by getting a higher proportion of carbs from vegetables. To do both, swap carb-rich foods like pasta and rice for zucchini spirals and riced cauliflower or broccoli. Cauliflower and broccoli offer extra perks since they contain sulfur-containing compounds that have powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
7. Quinoa
Whole grains boast extra fiber, protein and nutrients, but vary greatly in how they impact blood sugar. Quinoa is a good option because it has a lower glycemic index compared to brown rice or whole-grain breads and pastas. Other goods ones are barley, farro and whole oats.
8. Legume-based Pastas
Craving pasta? Try one of the newer pastas that are made with flour from chickpeas, fava beans or lentils. Legume-based pastas have more protein, fiber and other nutrients compared to refined and whole-grain options to increase satiety and minimize glycemic impact.
9. Dark Chocolate
Some days just call for a bite of something sweet, and it's okay to incorporate some treats with added sugars periodically and in moderation. One of the best ways to do this is opt for a 1-ounce serving of dark chocolate. Look for a chocolate made with 70% or more cacao, which will have more anti-inflammatory polyphenols and usually only a few grams of added sugar. Top a chocolate square with a little nut butter for a more-filling sweet treat!
Worst Carbs for Inflammation
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1. Doughnuts and Breakfast Pastries
The dough may be fried or baked with butter and lard. Either way, flaky breakfast pastries are a source of saturated, which are top inflammatory components. Adding super-sweet glazes, icings and fillings just spurs inflammation on further. (Craving a donut? Try one of our healthier donut recipes!)
2. Brightly Colored Candy
Concentrated sources of sugar have an immediate impact on blood sugar, and you can feel the sugar rush. But not long after that, you'll feel blood sugar drop. The rollercoaster effect taxes the body and leads to inflammation, and bright artificial colorings can act as irritants that lead to additional inflammation.
3. Sugar-Sweetened Drinks
Sugary sodas are obvious inflammation triggers, so drinks like lemonade or sweet tea may seem like a much better choice. However, they really aren't much better because they contain comparable amounts of sugar, and excess sugar has the same effect on the body no matter where it comes from.
4. Muffins or Bagels
Though muffins or bagels look a lot healthier than a doughnut or cinnamon roll, and they do often have less added sugar, these breakfast treats are usually oversized and made with refined flours. The result is way more carbs than most need at a meal and a glycemic impact that's similar to a doughnut.
5. Packaged Snack Foods with More Than 5 Ingredients
Not all packaged snack foods are bad (in fact, here are some of our favorite ones). However, if that packaged snack food has five or more ingredients—especially a few you've never heard of—then it's a safe bet that's not a healthy one. It probably also has an assortment of inflammatory triggers that may include refined flours, added sugars, artificial colors and chemical additives and compounds.
6. Specialty Coffee Drinks
They're easy to forget about, but coffee drinks can be a major source of calories and carbs, thanks to added syrups and sugars. And while a cup of coffee or two is fine, consuming anything in excess—including caffeine—can lead to inflammation. Keep tabs not only what's going in your coffee, but also on how much you're getting in a day.
7. Sugary Cocktails
Alcohol can be part of an anti-inflammatory diet if it's in moderation and with minimal extra calories and carbs, but frozen adult beverages like margaritas are loaded in calories and carbs from sugar. A glass of wine, beer or liquor with a low-sugar mixer is a much better bet!
Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, is author to the new cookbook, Meals That Heal: 100 Everyday Anti-Inflammatory Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less, and a culinary nutrition expert known for ability to simplify food and nutrition information. She received a 2017 James Beard Journalism award. You can follow her on Instagram @realfoodreallife_rd or on carolynwilliamsrd.com.
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