10 Everyday Foods That May Be Driving Inflammation in Your Body

Inflammation is your immune system’s natural response to irritants, injury, or infection. Although short-term inflammation helps you heal, chronic (long-term) inflammation can damage your body over time, increasing the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. While some foods help fight inflammation, others, like processed snacks, alcohol, and fast food, can make it worse.

Understand : Soda, candy, pastries, ice cream, sugary drinks

Why it’s important:

• High consumption of added sugar can disrupt your gut health and increase inflammatory markers.
• Sugary foods are linked to diseases such as heart disease, fatty liver disease and obesity.
• Excess sugar can trigger gut dysbiosis, a bacterial imbalance linked to inflammation.

Understand : Foods high in processed meats, refined grains, added sugar and salt

Why it’s important:

• Fast food can harm your overall health and lead to weight gain.
• A high-salt diet stimulates inflammatory proteins like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
• Fast food is linked to inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Excess salt from fast food can cause atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), which increases the risk of heart disease.

Understand : Grilled steak, bacon, hot dogs

Why it’s important:

• Processed meat is linked to inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP).
• Diets high in red and processed meat can increase trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a gut-derived compound linked to inflammation and diseases such as heart disease.

Understand : Fries, bacon, fried chicken

Why it’s important:

• Fried foods are high in harmful inflammatory compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGES).
• Fried foods can contribute to inflammation, oxidative stress and cell damage.
• Diets high in fried foods are linked to accelerated aging and diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and some cancers.

Understand : Chips, crackers, frozen meals, sweet pastries

Why it’s important:

• Processed foods are high in added sugar, sodium, and refined grains, which are linked to increased inflammation.
• Processed foods may increase your risk of RA and Crohn’s disease.

Understand : Soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil

Why it’s important:

• Omega-6 fatty acids are generally pro-inflammatory. On the other hand, omega-3 fatty acids (found in foods like oily fish) are anti-inflammatory.
• These oils may increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Note: Recent research suggests that linoleic acid, a common source of omega-6, may reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic health. More studies are needed to understand the full health effects of omega-6. Talk to your healthcare professional about how to balance your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Understand : Fast food, chips, pretzels, savory sauces

Why it’s important:

• Excess salt increases the production of pro-inflammatory proteins in your body.
• Foods high in salt can cause or worsen inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• Added salt is harmful to good gut bacteria.

Understand : White bread, white rice, pastries

Why it’s important:

• Refined grains contain less intestinal fiber than whole grains.
• These grains can also contribute to weight gain and inflammation in your body.

Understand : Aspartame, sucralose

Why it’s important:

• Artificial sweeteners could trigger a pro-inflammatory environment in your digestive tract.
• These non-nutritive sweeteners can harm your gut microbiota, leading to an unbalanced gut environment and increased inflammation.

Understand : Wine, beer, liquor

Why it’s important:

• Excess alcohol can trigger the formation of free radicals, highly reactive substances that overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defenses, leading to oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Alcohol also increases the production of pro-inflammatory proteins like TNF-α.
• Too much alcohol can lead to alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

An anti-inflammatory diet consists of foods known to be rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats.

Following a anti-inflammatory diet can:

• Fight inflammation
• Reduce oxidative stress
• Suppresses the production of inflammatory markers like TNFα and CRP
• Reduce your risk of certain cancers and heart diseases
• Helps manage inflammatory diseases like IBD and arthritis

The following foods have powerful anti-inflammatory properties:

• Fruits: Berries, apples, grapes, melons, oranges, papayas, lemons, pomegranates, cherries, peaches, nectarines
• Vegetables: Kale, spinach, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, beets, asparagus, sweet potatoes
• Healthy fats: Avocados, olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil
• Herbs and spices: Turmeric, parsley, cocoa, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, basil, saffron, rosemary
• Seafood: Trout, salmon, sardines, clams, oysters, mussels
• Seeds, nuts and nut butters: Chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts
• Whole grains: Oats, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, sorghum, bulgar, farro, barley, millet
• Legumes: Chickpeas, red beans, lentils, black beans
• Drinks: Green tea, hibiscus tea, green smoothies, citrus juice, pomegranate juice, tart cherry juice, ginger tea

In addition to avoiding inflammatory foods, you can reduce inflammation by:

• Exercise regularly
• Managing stress (breathing, yoga and mindfulness)
• Maintain a body weight that you and your doctor have determined is optimal for you
• Reduce exposure to toxins like pollution
• Drink less alcohol
• Avoid smoking

Note: Some inflammation is caused by factors beyond your control, such as aging or genetics. If you have a chronic condition like RA or IBD, work with a healthcare professional on a personalized plan.