Top 10 anti inflammatory foods

It can be painful, strenuous on the body and outright irritating. That’s right, I’m talking about inflammation. Let’s get straight into it and start by talking about some of the most common causes of inflammation.
The most common cause of inflammation is usually down to an autoimmune disease. When someone suffers from an autoimmune disease, it results in the immune system attacking healthy cells, resulting in inflammation. This can also cause redness, heat, pain, and swelling.

Another common cause of inflammation is long exposure to irritants such as pollutants. When the body tries to fight off irritants, the body’s reaction is to release white blood cells into the affected areas to protect your body. As a result, your body becomes inflamed, especially when suffering from an injury. These effects may linger long after your wound has recovered.

The third most common cause of inflammation in your body is down to your diet. An unbalanced diet can cause inflammation which, as a result, increases the chance of disease. Foods such as refined carbohydrates, sugars, fried foods and saturated fats are the main culprits of inflammation. This is because they provide the body with few necessary nutrients.

Although inflammation is necessary in the healing process, you don’t want it to last too long. This will result in prolonged pain when recovering which will affect your performance.
One of the best ways to speed up recovery and reduce the negative effects of inflammation is to consume a balanced diet. The other benefits of consuming anti inflammatory foods include reduced joint pain, improved function in the gut and improved mood.

Here’s a breakdown of the foods I’m going to mention in the blog post:

· Berries

· Dark leafy greens

· Avocado

· Broccoli

· Garlic

· Ginger

· Chia seeds

· Turmeric

· Olive oil

· Green tea

Berries:

Berries are known for their antioxidant properties, but they’re also commonly used to help reduce inflammation. They train your cells to respond better to future episodes of inflammation. This in turn speeds up recovery after an injury. It also reduces the chance of injury in the first place. They’re high in anthocyanins which have been known to naturally lower blood pressure, improve visual acuity and reduce cancer cell proliferation.

They’re an all round great food for maintaining the health of the body and fighting against illness and toxins. Try to shop for berries at your local farmers market as they will be fresher and it is always important to support small businesses especially during these testing times. I especially recommend blueberries as they’re packed with essential nutrients for helping the body fight off disease.

Dark leafy greens:

Dark leafy greens are not only extremely high in nutrients, there’s also a huge array of variations to pick from. Spinach is full of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6, B9, and vitamin E — and this is just one of the examples of many dark green leafy vegetables. A great choice for anyone looking for a nutrient dense food to add into their smoothies for a relatively inexpensive cost.

Kale is another prime example and is full of fibre which also helps the process of digestion in the body. Dark leafy greens are found in almost any supermarket or farmers market so they are perfect for everyone. Great when added to smoothies, dark leafy greens aren’t hard to integrate into the diet but the effects are mind blowing. They are easy to grow in your garden so are recommended for budding horticulturalists.

I would recommend allowing time and eating a consistent diet before expecting to see results as it can take some time depending on how your body uses the nutrients.

Avocado:

The next anti inflammatory food is Avocado. Not only is it delicious and high in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, but they also contain more potassium than bananas! Their key feature is that they’re great at naturally lowering your cholesterol levels. They’re essential in allowing the body to absorb fat soluble vitamins and they can lower triglyceride levels.

Avocados have become an increasingly popular breakfast food and are inexpensive to buy. So not only are they a great choice of food for their anti inflammatory properties, but they also help reduce the risk of heart disease. Why wouldn’t you want an avocado a day? Try them on toast or in a salad and you’ll find yourself hooked.

Broccoli:

Next, and possibly one of the most popular vegetables you can find in your local supermarkets today, broccoli. This delicious vegetable is not only great in almost any meal, but it’s also high in sulforaphane.
The benefits of sulforaphane include improved liver and fat tissue inflammation. This means that they’ll react to an episode of inflammation much more effectively than before. Broccoli is also a great source of vitamins K and C, a good source of folate and also provides potassium and fibre . Vitamin C builds collagen, which forms body tissue and helps cuts and wounds heal.

This amazing superfood helps prevent inflammation, which in turn improves performance. Like most of the anti-inflammatory foods on this list, they’re inexpensive and easy to find.

Garlic:

Moving onto the next food. Delicious, and found in most hearty meals, garlic. Many use it to boost the immune system as it contains a high level of quercetin. Quercetin naturally inhibits histamine and sulphur compounds which stimulate the immune system to fight disease. Garlic is also used to combat sickness which can aid overall health and recovery.

The benefits of anti inflammatory foods such as garlic include its ability to help detoxify metals in the body and improve performance during physical activity. This food is low in calories, high in nutrients and super cheap. Why wouldn’t you want to incorporate it into your diet?

Ginger:

Ginger is our next anti-inflammatory food, as it is known to help relieve pain and improve joint function in people who have arthritis. It’s a great food which can also aid and speed up digestion. Ginger contains antioxidant-like compounds called phytonutrients that can reduce cell damage.

The root can prevent inflammation starting by reducing cell-signaling activity. It can be added to almost any meal, smoothie,snack or even as a tea. It’s cheap and in powder form has a long shelf life. It does have a strong taste so I always incorporate it into my smoothies for the best results. It’s not only delicious in smoothies, try it with your porridge to give it a little kick of flavour.

Chia seeds:

This next food without doubt has the most benefits. Chia seeds are not only extremely high in fibre which helps aid digestion, but they’re also able to balance blood sugar levels and gut health.

The importance of gut health should be mentioned as a healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system. In addition, it helps aid heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep, and effective digestion. Most notably, chia seeds, unlike most foods, are able to fight free radicals and are high in omega 3.

Omega 3 fatty acids reduce the production of molecules and substances linked to inflammation, such as inflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines. Chia seeds are a little harder to find and a little more expensive but if you have a large supermarket nearby, it shouldn’t be hard to find this amazing food.

Turmeric:

Turmeric is another food that helps with the reduction of inflammation. It’s one of the only other foods apart from chia seeds that’s able to fight against the effects of pollutants and free radicals.

Most commonly used to treat inflammation caused by eye infections, it has also been noted for its skin boosting benefits. Raw turmeric can help eliminate toxins from the blood and regulate blood clot formation. Turmeric, like garlic and ginger can be added to almost any meal. It’s also a delicious spice that gives any dish that extra kick of flavour.

I find that adding it to curries is a great way to integrate this food as it can have a strong kick, perfect for a hearty curry. You’ll not only provide the immense flavour, but the amazing benefits along with it.

Olive oil:

Olive oil, just like avocado, is high in monounsaturated fats and is inexpensive. Often used to fry foods, it provides strong anti-inflammatory properties. Key amongst the many antioxidants found in olive oil is oleocanthal which works similarly to some pharmaceutical drugs used to help with inflammation.

There is often a misconception that consuming olive oil will cause you to gain weight, but this isn’t true. Just like with any food, when consumed in a reasonable proportion, its benefits heavily outweigh the calories it contains. Not only that, but olive oil also has a long shelf life which means it works out as the cheapest on the list.

You’ve also got to consider the fact that most cooking oils are extracted from plants or vegetables so contain a lot of the same nutrients as them.

Green tea:

The final anti inflammatory food isn’t actually a food but a drink. Most commonly used to detoxify the body, green tea has become very popular in recent years. This is due to its ability to de bloat the stomach. Praised for preventing cardiovascular disease and helping with gut health, many drink it in the morning to give them a boost of energy. Green tea doesn’t contain as much caffeine as coffee, but enough to produce a response without causing the jittery effects.

Tea is rich in polyphenols, which are natural compounds that have numerous health benefits. It hydrates the body and is a perfect choice for anyone struggling with inflammatory problems. You can find green tea amongst all the other variations of tea in your local supermarket and in comparison to a lot of other teas, is relatively inexpensive.