The Top 10 Superfoods for Inflammation

Do you feel:

• Inflammation on your joints or all over the body?
• Stomach pain, burning, or aching 1-4 hours after eating?
• Unpredictable abdominal pain?
• Gas immediately following after a meal?
• Excessive belching, burping, or bloating?

If you are experiencing any of these situations, then try these top ten superfoods to prevent inflammation in your body.

Superfoods lack any formal criteria, and people wonder what makes a food a superfood. Medical experts agreed that foods with the title “superfood” have health benefits that go far beyond what is listed on their nutrition labels. There is a wide range of health-promoting superfoods that can be incorporated into a person’s diet in several different ways. Eating superfood alone will not make anyone healthier overnight, but adding them to an already balanced diet can give anyone a mega-dose of added health benefits to their body.

Getting to Know Superfoods

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a superfood is defined as “a food that rich in compounds and considered beneficial to a person’s health. It can be any foods that have antioxidants, fatty acids, or fibers in their nutrient compounds. While the Oxford Dictionary defines a superfood as “a nutrient-rich food that is considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.”

Here are the top ten superfoods that have been scientifically proven to help optimize the body’s ability to function correctly. These superfoods are not only super healthy, but they are affordable and readily available in the grocery stores, online, and at farmer’s markets.

Açai Berries

Açai berries are high in antioxidants. They also contain B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, healthy fats, and phosphorus. The açai berry is one of the most well-known superfoods that is beneficial for the body’s microbiome. Studies have shown that açai berries have anti-inflammatory properties, help improve the cognitive function, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and protect against heart diseases. The berries themselves have also been suggested to help slow down age-related memory loss in individuals.

Studies have shown that the health benefits of the açai berries are that the berries contain a range of polyphenols that protects cellular oxidative damage in vitro and can provide ant-inflammatory signaling in the body by reducing the production of free radicals by inflammatory cells. Chronic inflammation in the body can lead to diseases like fibromyalgia. So consuming this berry can help lower the risk of inflammation in the body.

Plant-based protein

Plant proteins are abundant, branched-chain containing essential amino acids, and are exceptionally high in lysine. Research has been shown that lysine can help balance blood glucose in the body. Lysine even can increase muscle strength and combat anxiety in the body.

Plant-based proteins that contain carotenoids and flavonoids can modulate inflammatory responses in the body as well as the immunological process as well. Plant foods have anti-inflammatory potential that everyone needs in their diet to reduce inflammatory responses that is in the body.

Salmon

Salmon is a superfood that has one of the highest sources for omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower the risk of developing coronary heart diseases, lowers metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Studies have been shown that fish oil has also been known to help combat late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Consuming salmon or any foods that contain omega-3s may help alleviate oxidative stress that the body may have picked up. Omega-3s even play a role in lowering the risk of inflammation on individuals who have to develop fibromyalgia. Since it associates with pro-inflammatory cytokines, eating omega-3 fatty foods can help lower the inflammation and alleviate it as well.

Avocados

Avocados are a nutrient-rich superfood, high fiber fruits that play a significant role in combating chronic diseases in the body. Eating avocados regularly have been known to lower the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Since avocados are a nutrient-dense source of MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), the fruit can be used to replace SFA (saturated fatty acids) in a diet to lower LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the body.

Kale

Kale has an excellent source of nutrients like zinc, folate, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, fiber, and iron. Research has shown that dark leafy greens can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Olive oil

Olive oil is a superfood that has been shown to provide a range of various health benefits. Extra virgin olive oil is associated with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality on individuals that have a high cardiovascular risk.

Olive oil has a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which helps reduce inflammation in the body.

Sweet potato

Sweet potato is the superfood root vegetable that is full of nutrients that are beneficial to the body. They are an excellent source of carotenoids, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Consuming sweet potato is beneficial for the body due to reducing the risk of inflammation and DNA damage. Since it contains high levels of antioxidants, it may also prevent cell damage as well in the body.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir sauerkraut, and many others are heavily sought after superfoods by consumers. This is because fermented foods have a range of fantastic health benefits like antioxidants, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, andante-diabetic properties.

Green tea

Green tea is a lightly caffeinated beverage that has a broad spectrum of health benefits for the body. It is rich with antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds that can protect the body against chronic diseases and be a useful tool for bodyweight management.

Seaweed

Seaweed is packed with several nutrients like folate, vitamin K iodine, and fiber that is beneficial for the body. It plays an essential role by helping lowering blood pressure and to treat several chronic illnesses. Studies have shown that due to their potential beneficial activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects that are beneficial to prevent flare-ups in the white adipose tissue and systemic IR.

Conclusion

Superfoods are an essential additive boost to any healthy diet. These ten superfoods contain anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial to the body to prevent the risk of inflammation in the body. Eating these foods combine with these products will provide relief from oxidative stress and inflammation that the body may encounter, as well as providing support to the endocrine system.

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .

---

References:

Basu, Arpita, et al. “Dietary Factors That Promote or Retard Inflammation.” Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16484595.

Dellwo, Adrienne. “The Potential Benefits of Omega-3 for Fibromyalgia & CFS.” Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 7 July 2019, www.verywellhealth.com/omega-3-for-fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-715987.

Felman, Adam. “Fibromyalgia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 5 Jan. 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147083.php.

Jensen, Gitte S, et al. “Pain Reduction and Improvement in Range of Motion after Daily Consumption of an Açai (Euterpe Oleracea Mart.) Pulp-Fortified Polyphenolic-Rich Fruit and Berry Juice Blend.” Journal of Medicinal Food, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3133683/.

Oh, Ji-Hyun, et al. “Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Diabetic Effects of Brown Seaweeds in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.” Nutrition Research and Practice, The Korean Nutrition Society and the Korean Society of Community Nutrition, Feb. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4742310/.

Smriga, Miro, et al. “Lysine Fortification Reduces Anxiety and Lessens Stress in Family Members in Economically Weak Communities in Northwest Syria.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences, 1 June 2004, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15159538.

Tanaka, Takuji, et al. “Cancer Chemoprevention by Carotenoids.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 14 Mar. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22418926.

Unknown, Unknown. “What Are Superfoods? Top 10 Superfoods.” Fullscript, 4 Mar. 2019, fullscript.com/blog/superfoods.

Unni, Uma S, et al. “The Effect of a Controlled 8-Week Metabolic Ward Based Lysine Supplementation on Muscle Function, Insulin Sensitivity and Leucine Kinetics in Young Men.” Clinical Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22524975.

Wang, Li, et al. “Effect of a Moderate Fat Diet with and without Avocados on Lipoprotein Particle Number, Size and Subclasses in Overweight and Obese Adults: a Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Journal of the American Heart Association, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 7 Jan. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25567051.

Wang, Ping-Yu, et al. “Higher Intake of Fruits, Vegetables or Their Fiber Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Diabetes Investigation, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Jan. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26816602.

Watzl, Bernhard. “Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Plant-Based Foods and of Their Constituents.” International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. Internationale Zeitschrift Fur Vitamin- Und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal International De Vitaminologie Et De Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19685439.

Şanlier, Nevin, et al. “Health Benefits of Fermented Foods.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28945458.