TOP 15

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

FOODS
 TOP 15 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

A lot of aspects of our modern-day lifestyles end up complicating our

health later in life; less movement and more processed foods and rinks
lead to some pretty scary health implications. Issues like arthritis, heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, inflammatory bowel
disease (IBD) are very common today. But what many people don’t
realize is that the most common culprit of these common issues (and
many others!) is inflammation.

What Is Inflammation?

The process of inflammation is not always a bad thing. When you get
injured or sick, your body sends white blood cells to the affected areas
to aid in the healing process. With these white blood cells, the affected
area might show signs of swelling, redness, heat, or pain. However,
sometimes this function in our bodies can cause more harm than
good. When our immune systems overreach and begin attacking
healthy tissues, issues like leaky gut, arthritis, and fibromyalgia occur.
Unfortunately, when people discover they have one of these serious
diseases, diet isn’t always the first thing that professionals assess.

In a 2014 study that focused on diet and irritable bowel disease, all the
patients who consumed anti-inflammatory foods found enough relief
that they could remove specific medications from their treatment
plans.

What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Today’s American diet is very imbalanced and processed. In order to

follow an anti-inflammatory diet, we need to move away from the
processed/imbalanced diets of our western culture and return to the
eating patterns of the ancient Mediterranean. The Mediterranean diet
we’re talking about the following characteristics:

Fresh fruits and vegetables

An abundance of omega-3 foods

Little to no red meat

Top 15 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Experts do not suggest that you completely overhaul your diet and
replace everything with Mediterranean foods. Rather, they suggest
slowly introducing anti-inflammatory foods to your diet over time,
removing highly processed foods in the process. Eventually, you’ll find
anti-inflammatory foods that satisfy you just as much as processed
foods.

Here are the top 15 anti-inflammatory foods to introduce into your diet:

Green Leafy Vegetables

Greek leafy vegetables are especially high in antioxidants. For
example, Swiss chard is high in vitamin A, C, and K, which can
protect your brain against oxidative stress caused by free radical
damage.
 Bok Choy
Bok choy is also a strong source of antioxidant vitamins. Recent
studies have shown that there are over 70 antioxidant phenolic
substances in the vegetable. Although its roots are in Asian
cuisine, this vegetable is very versatile and can be used in many
recipes.

Celery
Celery has properties that help improve
blood pressure and cholesterol. Celery
seeds have benefits in their own right,
especially in lowering inflammation and
fighting bacterial infections. It is
important to have mineral balance in our
diets regarding sodium and potassium-
rich foods. Sodium brings in fluid and
nutrients, while potassium flushes toxins.
Our current diets have a lot of sodium
but not an even amount of potassium.
Luckily, celery is an excellent source of
potassium. A great choice to introduce
into your anti-inflammatory diet!

Beets
eets’ deep color is an immediate indicator of how antioxidant rich the
food is. Specifically, beets have the antioxidant betalain, which gives
them their unique color. Beets also contain a large amount of
magnesium; without enough magnesium in your body, calcium begins
to build up, which can cause problems like kidney stones. When
consuming anti-inflammatory foods like beets, your body is able to
balance nutrients and minerals more effectively.
Broccoli

Broccoli is high in potassium and

magnesium. It is also an antioxidant
powerhouse, with key vitamins,
flavonoids, and carotenoids, which all
work together to lower the oxidative
stress in the body and fight chronic
inflammation.

Blueberries
Blueberries contain the antioxidant quercetin, which fights inflammation
and cancer. A recent study showed that blueberry consumption
slowed down cognitive decline and improved memory and motor
function; these results were linked to the presence of that key
antioxidant, quercetin.

Pineapple
Interestingly, quercetin is often paired with the digestive enzyme
bromelain, which is found in pineapple. Bromelain has been found to
regulate the immune response that so often created unwanted and
unnecessary inflammation. Pineapple is also known to improve heart
health, because bromelain can fight blood clotting and it has been
shown to prevent blood platelets from sticking together.

Salmon
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3s, which are some of the
most potent anti-inflammatory weapons. Research shows that
omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and are certainly linked to
improving or preventing chronic diseases. If you introduce this food into
your diet, be sure to consume responsibly sourced fish that were
caught in the wild and not farmed.
Bone Broth
Bone broth contains minerals that
your body needs in forms that are
easy to absorb. Specifically, bone
broth contains chondroitin
sulphates and glucosamine, which
are very pricey when bought in pill
form. Experts suggest bone broth to
individuals suffering from leaky gut
syndrome, because it contains
collagen and amino acids that
heal the damaged cell walls of the
stomach.
Walnuts
If you’re not a big meat eater,
adding in nuts and seeds to
your diet can help make up
the difference in proteins and
omega-3s that you’re
missing. Walnuts are a
delicious addition to any leafy
green salad. Walnuts contain
phytonutrients, which help
protect against metabolic
syndrome, cardiovascular
problems, and Type 2
diabetes.

Coconut Oil
Interestingly, oils have been shown to make anti-inflammatory
partnerships with herbs. Lipids and spices create strong anti-
inflammatory compounds, which together fight inflammation. Coconut
oil works especially well with turmeric (see #14). Coconut oil also fights
osteoporosis due to its ability to fight free radicals and with its high
levels of antioxidants.

Chia Seeds
Chia seeds offer both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which
should be consumed in balance with one another. Chia seeds are an
anti-inflammatory powerhouse, containing essential fatty acids alpha-
linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, vitamins A, B, E, and D, and
minerals including sulphur, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, niacin,
thiamine. These factors make chia seeds a great promoter of heart
health.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are an excellent source
of antioxidants. They contain
lignans, a unique fiber-related
polyphenol that provides you with
antioxidant benefits for anti-aging, even proven to outwork aspirin and
hormone balancing, and cellular
health. They can also support the
growth of probiotics and fight off
candida infections.
Turmeric
Turmeric’s primary compound,
curcumin, has been found to be
one of the most potent anti-
inflammatory agents in the word,
ibuprofen. Turmeric is useful for
people fighting rheumatoid arthritis
especially, having been found to
reduce the inflammatory markers
of the disease.

Ginger
Marked for its health benefits before recorded history, ginger is known
as an immune modulator in all its forms (fresh, dried, or in
supplements). Experts believe that because ginger is effective at
warming up the body, it can help break down toxins within your organs.

You now have a healthy list of anti-inflammatory foods to introduce

into your diet. Introduce the ones that sound interesting to you slowly,
replacing processed foods that are causing unwanted inflammation
and complications.

This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe, and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not
intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health
questions. Neither the author nor publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of
any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All readers of this content,
especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before
beginning any nutrition or supplement or lifestyle program.

Note: References for this content can be found at draxe.com.