If you have a cut and it gets red and inflamed for a short time before healing, this is an example of the body’s natural inflammation response. In the case of a healing cut, short-term inflammation is beneficial. But longer-term inflammation is associated with chronic illness, ranging from arthritis to diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Effects of chronic inflammation
The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care says that in addition to short-term inflammation that can result from injuries, allergic reactions, and sensitivities, chronic inflammation can result in immune-related disease. Common chronic inflammatory diseases include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
According to Dr. Varinthrej Pitis, Internal Medicine specialist at Scripps Clinic in Carmel Valley, “When you don’t eat healthy, don’t get enough exercise, or have too much stress, the body responds by triggering inflammation.” You might not have any obvious symptoms of chronic inflammation, or the signs could be subtle.
Reducing inflammation risk
Nutrition can be just as important as supplements and medication, according to Dr. Pitis. Good nutritional choices include getting enough fresh fruits and vegetables each day and reducing the amount of refined sugar you eat. Basic anti-inflammatory fruits include grapes and blueberries. Other foods and ingredients that have anti-inflammatory properties include:
- Salmon and tuna
- Flax seeds
As long as you’re eating anti-inflammatory foods, it can also help to cut back on foods that promote inflammation. Known inflammatory foods include:
- Red meat
- Trans fats (margarine, fried foods)
- Process foods (which can include many preservatives and other inflammatory ingredients)
- White flour
- White rice
- Refined sugar
- High-fructose corn syrup
This list shows why a fast-food hamburger could contribute to inflammation because most of its ingredients are on the “inflammation” list.
Other ways to reduce inflammation
Getting enough exercise helps to prevent inflammation. The National Institutes of Health recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio exercise each week. Adding weight and strength training can boost your exercise benefit.
If you are not at the weight you’d like to be, losing weight isn’t just a general health recommendation. It can also help to decrease inflammation. Managing stress is important as well. Yoga, meditation, biofeedback, and guided imagery can also help to reduce stress.
Supplements can also help to fight inflammation. Some of them reduce some types of inflammation better than others, so when choosing an anti-inflammatory supplement, your individual health needs should come first.
Supplements that can reduce inflammation
Studies have revealed the benefits of different supplements for different types of inflammation. Some supplements can fight more than one type of inflammation at a time as well. Here are some natural supplements that are made from plants and foods and the types of inflammation they can potentially fight:
- Omega-3 fatty acids: These fatty acids are found in fatty fish like salmon and cod. They’ve been shown to benefit vascular inflammation (found in cardiovascular disease) and degenerative disc disease.
- Bioperine: Made from black pepper, bioperine has been studied for similar anti-inflammatory effects as the ingredient in red pepper which is anti-inflammatory: curcumin.
- Curcumin: Curcumin is an active ingredient in the bright yellow spice, turmeric. Studies on the effectiveness of curcumin showed it could reduce inflammation from metabolic conditions. Conditions it may benefit include insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia.
- Ginger: Ginger root contains compounds called Gingerol and Zingerone, which have been associated with reduced inflammation in people with a variety of health concerns. Studies have shown that ginger supplements, combined with healthy habits, reduced inflammation in people with kidney damage, ulcerative colitis, breast cancer, and diabetes.
- S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e): SAM-e is made naturally in the body, and it influences epigenetic changes. Epigenetic changes are changes in the body’s genes related to stress or external factors like pollution and tobacco smoking. SAM-e has been shown to improve conditions as varied as osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia, depression and liver conditions.
- Zinc: The mineral zinc helps to boost the immune system, and it has also been shown through several studies to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress triggers inflammation and is associated with cancer.
- Green tea: Green tea contains caffeine, but also a lot of other beneficial compounds that could reduce inflammation. Researchers have discovered that green tea can reduce inflammatory symptoms of arthritis and also slow cartilage loss.
- Capsaicin: Hot peppers get their heat from capsaicin. It can relieve nerve and muscle pain, and a number of pain-revealing rubs as well as capsaicin capsule supplements are available.
Considering anti-inflammatory supplements
The type of supplement you choose to fight inflammation should be influenced by your individual needs. Some supplements have studies that show benefits on specific conditions, while others seem to have more general anti-inflammatory effects. When you’re considering taking anti-inflammatory supplements, remember that making lifestyle changes to improve your overall health play a role as well.
Evaluating supplements that could reduce inflammation
Gummy or capsule? Some people prefer gummies for a variety of reasons, including not being able to swallow capsules effectively, especially if they’re very large. Others can take capsules and prefer them. If you’re choosing a supplement to reduce inflammation, you’ll want to think about your dietary preferences, and whether the supplements contain natural or organic ingredients. Finally, be aware of added sugar or preservatives, because these ingredients promote inflammation.
If you’re interested in taking curcumin and ginger to reduce inflammation, BeLive’s turmeric, ginger & black pepper gummies have an appealing tropical flavor and contain no additives or preservatives. They are gluten-free and also won’t stick together if the bottle gets warm thanks to a nutritional sand coating. BeLive’s gummies are “vegan friendly” as well.
If you want to take capsules, BioSchwartz offers a capsule with refined and standardized curcuminoids, the ingredients from turmeric that have anti-inflammatory properties. BioSchwartz premium ultra pure turmeric and curcumin, along with bioperine (black pepper) capsules are also natural, vegan, and have no fillers or binders. Nature’s Nutrition makes an anti-inflammatory supplement that includes turmeric curcumin and bioperine (black pepper extract) which is non-GMO and vegan.
Other anti-inflammatory supplements can affect pain, anxiety, and sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is another way to reduce inflammation. GummiMi’s hemp gummies contain hemp extract along with Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamins B and E.
Adding ginger to turmeric and black pepper can also increase anti-inflammatory benefits. Vimerson Health’s anti-inflammation capsules include turmeric, bioperine (black pepper extract), and ginger extract.