Experts sometimes describe inflammation as a necessary evil. On one hand, this essential immune system response helps you stay safe and heal from illnesses, though it isn’t always pleasant: often causing symptoms like redness, swelling and soreness.
But when inflammation levels in your body remain high for months or years at a time — even in the absence of a threat — it can create health risks of its own. Untreated, chronic inflammation can increase the risk of serious health issues like cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and metabolic conditions like Type 2 diabetes.
The condition, which some surveys estimate affects about a third of U.S. adults, is hard to diagnose. This is in part because chronic inflammation symptoms can vary widely and there isn’t a test that can reliably diagnose it.
Diets high in highly processed and sugary foods are connected to chronic inflammation, while consuming certain healthy foods — fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber and certain fats — have been shown to help tamp it down. Here are the foods with demonstrated anti-inflammatory benefits.
Vegetables, Especially Leafy Greens
Dr. Sean Spencer, a gastroenterologist and physician-scientist at Stanford University, said that the fiber in vegetables is essential for feeding and maintaining the gut microbiome, which signals the immune system to keep inflammation down. The antioxidants in vegetables can help reduce inflammation too.