What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, nutrient-dense, foods with an emphasis on colourful fruits, leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts and seeds. The aim is to limit processed meats, refined sugars and other nutrient poor, ultra-processed foods. This way of eating may help reduce chronic inflammation and support general well being.
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a natural process that helps your body heal from injury. We’ve outlined it in greater detail here, but inflammation is how our immune system repairs damaged tissue or fights off invaders. Your body sends out cytokines (first responders) and other pro-inflammatory mediators to neutralize threats which cause some pain, redness and swelling in the short term.1,2 It’s important to keep in mind that some inflammatory processes are good for us.
Chronic inflammation, however, is a low-grade and long-term immune response.3,4 This is the one that we want to limit as it’s most linked to health risks. Minimizing inflammation requires a multi-faceted approach which includes stress management, prioritizing sleep, physical activity and of course, diet.4-7
What is an Anti-inflammatory Diet?
You may have heard about an anti-inflammatory diet online and, unfortunately, results can vary greatly depending on the source. We asked ChatGPT and got a mix of facts dusted with a smattering of pseudoscience. There’s an entire sea of non-credible voices talking about cutting out entire food groups to minimize inflammation (gluten, dairy, carbs, nightshades, seed oils and more).
No thanks.
Not only is this approach not supported by research, but it can also lead to an extremely restrictive way of eating that is not sustainable in the long term and can feel exhausting. Remember that the best diet is the one that you can reasonably follow for the rest of your life.
So, what should you be eating?
Anti-inflammatory Foods:7-12
- Fruits and vegetables: especially berries and leafy greens
- Whole grains: try oats, whole wheat, barley and buckwheat
- Fish: especially fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel which are high in Omega-3 fats
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, chia, and flax
- Legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas, edamame
- Olive oil: rich in polyphenols and monounsaturated fatty acids
- Coffee, black and green tea
- Fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi
- Herbs and spices: rosemary, turmeric, basil, and many more
Eating a variety of these foods is key. You don’t have to eat all these foods every single day but incorporating more into your dietary pattern will help you cover more nutritional ground. No one food will fight inflammation which is why it helps to broaden your intake.
What Do Anti-Inflammatory Foods Have in Common?
Vitamins: Especially Vitamins C and E, which are important components of a powerful network of antioxidants that protect your cells from oxidative stress.
They work together to neutralize free radicals (these cause oxidative stress) and regenerate one another after use. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, sunflower seeds and almonds.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The OG inflammation fighters. The most powerful forms (EPA and DHA) are found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and anchovies.11,13
Plant based sources include walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds but we prefer algal oil for its high EPA and DHA content.
Polyphenols: Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found in plant foods that act as powerful antioxidants.9 They’re found in fruits and vegetables, tea and coffee, spices and dark chocolate.
Fibre and Other Gut Boosters: Your gut is one of the largest components of your immune system and keeping a healthy population of gut bacteria can help prevent inflammation.
While we often think of fibre as soluble and insoluble, the reality is that there are many different categories and sub classes of fibre that all have their own nutritional benefits. That’s why it’s best to eat a variety of fibre containing foods, so you can take advantage of the benefits of each type.
But there’s more to fibre than just bran flakes and oatmeal!
Prebiotics and probiotics are also important to promote a healthy gut microbiome. Prebiotics provide food for our healthy bacteria while probiotic foods contain the live bacteria themselves. Not all fermented foods will have live probiotics so it’s important to check the label as heat processing can kill off some of the live microorganisms.
What Are Inflammatory Foods to Limit?8
1. Red meat such as marbled steaks, burgers and ribs. (Pork is considered a red meat)
2. Processed meats like bacon, sausage, and deli meats
3. High sugar foods like candy, pastries, syrups, sodas and jams
4. Deep fried foods like fries, fried chicken, doughnuts, and fritters
5. Refined carbohydrates like bread and pasta made with white flour
6. Excess alcohol
Many of these foods are lacking in nutrients, high in saturated fats and refined sugars. They also tend to be hyperpalatable and are easy to overeat which can contribute to blood sugar surges and weight gain over the long term.
Just like with the anti-inflammatory foods, this is meant to be a general guide. This isn’t to say that you should never eat these foods ever again. Think about crowding them out rather than cutting them out because what matters most is your dietary pattern over the long term, not what you ate for lunch on Tuesday.
Do Seed Oils Cause Inflammation?
Absolutely not.
Seed oils do not cause inflammation. This is a commonly repeated piece of misinformation that simply is NOT supported by science.
In fact, Omega-6s can do many of the same things as Omega-3s, just not as efficiently and this has been misrepresented as “they do the opposite”. We have thousands of studies which are then combined into systematic reviews and meta-analyses that simply do not show any evidence to support this claim.14-17
The most common Omega-6 fatty acid, linolenic acid, can be converted into another fatty acid, arachidonic acid which can be used as a building block for pro-inflammatory molecules. But the body ALSO uses arachidonic acid to make anti-inflammatory markers. What’s more is that this conversion of linolenic into arachidonic is minimal, even when linolenic is abundant in the diet.18
What Does the Research Say About Seed Oils?
The American Heart Association in a science advisory with nine independent researchers, including three from Harvard, reviewed data from dozens of studies (primarily RCTs and meta-analyses) and they found that:19
- Rates of heart disease decrease as consumption of omega-6 increases
- Replacing saturated fat with omega-6 reduced risk of coronary events and heart attacks by almost 30%
- Replacing saturated fats with PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) had the most favourable effects on the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol (the good one)
- Higher plasma levels of Omega-6 PUFAs were associated with decreased plasma levels of proinflammatory markers
How Can July Health Help With Your Diet?
If this feels confusing and overwhelming, that’s okay. We’ve got your back. Changing your diet is no easy task, nor should it be attempted overnight. Dietary changes should feel sustainable and supportive of your tastes and preferences.
Our dietitians are here to help without resorting to extreme or restrictive diets that feel hard to follow. Our goal is to provide easy swaps and make suggestions that you’ll enjoy incorporating.
If you’re ready to start making changes but you need support, book a consult call with one of our dietitians today.
This article is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for personalized medical advice. Talk to a licensed healthcare provider about testing and treatment options specific to you.
References:
1. Chavda VP, Feehan J, Apostolopoulos V. Inflammation: The Cause of All Diseases. Cells. 2024 Nov 18;13(22):1906. doi: 10.3390/cells13221906. PMID: 39594654; PMCID: PMC11592557.
2. Chen L, Deng H, Cui H, Fang J, Zuo Z, Deng J, Li Y, Wang X, Zhao L. Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs. Oncotarget. 2017 Dec 14;9(6):7204-7218. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.23208. PMID: 29467962; PMCID: PMC5805548.
3. Pawar S. Low-grade chronic inflammation in young adults: An underrecognized epidicemic. Explore (NY). 2026 May-Jun;22(3):103377. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2026.103377. Epub 2026 Mar 5. PMID: 41818927.
4. Pahwa R, Goyal A, Jialal I. Chronic Inflammation. [Updated 2023 Aug 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/
5. Ballesio A, Fiori V, Lombardo C. Effects of Experimental Sleep Deprivation on Peripheral Inflammation: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Human Studies. J Sleep Res. 2026 Feb;35(1):e70099. doi: 10.1111/jsr.70099. Epub 2025 Jun 5. PMID: 40474574; PMCID: PMC12856123.
6. Hammonds TL, Gathright EC, Goldstein CM, Penn MS, Hughes JW. Effects of exercise on c-reactive protein in healthy patients and in patients with heart disease: A meta-analysis. Heart Lung. 2016 May-Jun;45(3):273-82. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2016.01.009. Epub 2016 Feb 23. PMID: 26916454; PMCID: PMC5873310.
7. Yu X, Pu H, Voss M. Overview of anti-inflammatory diets and their promising effects on non-communicable diseases. Br J Nutr. 2024 Oct 14;132(7):898-918. doi: 10.1017/S0007114524001405. Epub 2024 Oct 16. PMID: 39411832; PMCID: PMC11576095.
8. Scheiber A, Mank V. Anti-Inflammatory Diets. [Updated 2023 Oct 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597377/
9. Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2009 Nov-Dec;2(5):270-8. doi: 10.4161/oxim.2.5.9498. PMID: 20716914; PMCID: PMC2835915.
10. Kabisch S, Hajir J, Sukhobaevskaia V, Weickert MO, Pfeiffer AFH. Impact of Dietary Fiber on Inflammation in Humans. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Feb 25;26(5):2000. doi: 10.3390/ijms26052000. PMID: 40076626; PMCID: PMC11900212.
11. Costabile G, Della Pepa G, Vetrani C, Vitaglione P, Griffo E, Giacco R, Vitale M, Salamone D, Rivellese AA, Annuzzi G, Bozzetto L. An Oily Fish Diet Improves Subclinical Inflammation in People at High Cardiovascular Risk: A Randomized Controlled Study. Molecules. 2021 Jun 2;26(11):3369. doi: 10.3390/molecules26113369. PMID: 34199645; PMCID: PMC8199776.
12. Winiarska A, Jachimowicz-Rogowska K, Kwiecień M, Stamirowska-Krzaczek E, Kałwa K, Stryjecka M, Tomczyk-Warunek A, Olcha P. The Use of Spice Herbs May Reduce Chronic Inflammation and Improve the Quality of Life of Women with Metabolic Syndrome-A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2026 Mar 24;18(7):1018. doi: 10.3390/nu18071018. PMID: 41978070; PMCID: PMC13075058.
13. Calder PC. Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes. Nutrients. 2010 Mar;2(3):355-374. doi: 10.3390/nu2030355. Epub 2010 Mar 18. PMID: 22254027; PMCID: PMC3257651.
14. Nagra M, Goldman DM, Belury MA, Messina M. Concerns about the health effects of industrially produced seed oils are without scientific foundation: a scoping narrative review of the clinical and observational evidence. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2026 Apr 28:1-61. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2026.2657527. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42047660.
15. Fornari Laurindo L, Fornari Laurindo L, Dogani Rodrigues V, da Silva Camarinha Oliveira J, Leme Boaro B, Cressoni Araújo A, Landgraf Guiguer E, Rucco Penteado Detregiachi C, Maria Cavallari Strozze Catharin V, Federighi Baisi Chagas E, Cavallari Strozze Catharin V, Direito R, Barbalho SM. Evaluating the effects of seed oils on lipid profile, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and glycemic control of diabetic and dyslipidemic patients: a systematic review of clinical studies. Front Nutr. 2025 Feb 7;12:1502815. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1502815. PMID: 39996006; PMCID: PMC11849496.
16. Fritsche KL. Linoleic acid, vegetable oils & inflammation. Mo Med. 2014 Jan-Feb;111(1):41-3. PMID: 24645297; PMCID: PMC6179509.
17. Schwingshackl L, Bogensberger B, Benčič A, Knüppel S, Boeing H, Hoffmann G. Effects of oils and solid fats on blood lipids: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Lipid Res. 2018 Sep;59(9):1771-1782. doi: 10.1194/jlr.P085522. Epub 2018 Jul 13. PMID: 30006369; PMCID: PMC6121943.
18. Rett BS, Whelan J. Increasing dietary linoleic acid does not increase tissue arachidonic acid content in adults consuming Western-type diets: a systematic review. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2011 Jun 10;8:36. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-8-36. PMID: 21663641; PMCID: PMC3132704.
19. Sacks FM, Lichtenstein AH, Wu JHY, et al. Omega-6 fatty acids and risk for cardiovascular disease: a science advisory from the American Heart Association Nutrition Subcommittee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Circulation. 2009;119(2):326-347. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191627
