It is generally known that low-grade inflammation plays a role in the development of a number of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, Type-2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Many healthy eating regimens, including the Nordic, Okinawan, and Mediterranean diets, are regarded as anti-inflammatory. Each of these diets regularly includes a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Defining the Anti-inflammatory Diet
There is no one diet that is anti-inflammatory. Many traditional eating habits that have undergone thorough examination are regarded as anti-inflammatory, including the Mediterranean, Nordic, and Okinawan diets.
The DASH diet and whole-foods-based flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets are all anti-inflammatory.
A diet that reduces or prevents inflammation includes a variety of entire, primarily plant-based foods that are high in antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, gut-friendly fiber, and phytochemicals.
Choosing the Right Foods for an Anti-inflammatory Diet
Daily consumption of a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables is part of an anti-inflammatory diet. Among the top anti-inflammatory foods are:
- Dark green leafy greens, such as collard greens, Romaine lettuce, rapini, Swiss chard, and spinach;
- Orange-colored produce (such as apricots, mango, winter squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes);
- Citrus fruit, berries, tomatoes, red grapes, plums, and pomegranate seeds;
- additional vegetables, such as eggplant;
- brown rice, quinoa, oats, farro, freekeh, bulgur, and whole wheat pasta are examples of whole grains;
- nuts, such as almonds or walnuts;
- fatty fish, which should be consumed twice a week, contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats (excellent selections include Arctic char, salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, and herring);
- Vegetable proteins (e.g., black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, edamame, lentils, tofu, and tempeh).