9 Natural Anti-Inflammatories + Tips to Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Are you a regular NSAID (ibuprofen) user? If so, this one's for you!
NSAID's have become an extremely popular form of anti-inflammatory pain-relief for many of the common complaints most individuals suffer from at one point or another.
But have you ever wanted to try an alternative approach?
Before we dive into some of the best natural anti-inflammatories, let's first shed some light on inflammation's beneficial (but sometimes damaging) bodily response.
Acute Inflammation vs. Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is an essential part of our body's healing process after injury or during pain, illness, infection, or stress. On the surface, this type of immediate and short-term response, known as acute inflammation, can be identified by local redness, heat, swelling and pain in which symptoms typically last only a few days to a few weeks.
Not only is this response beneficial and necessary in many emergency situations, but our body's ability to heal wounds (and ultimately survive) actually depends on it!
On the other end of the spectrum is chronic inflammation, which is classified as long-term, harmful, low-grade inflammation. This type of bodily response can often become the underlying root cause of not only various aches and pains, but also inflammatory linked diseases such as Alzheimer’s, asthma, cancer, heart disease, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and Type 2 diabetes.
Important note: If you believe chronic inflammation to be a factor for you, it's always recommended to work with your doctor, primary care physician, or naturopathic doctor to discuss diagnosis and treatment. Oftentimes, blood will be tested for high levels of "C-reactive protein (CRP)", which can indicate higher than usual levels of inflammation.
Did you know any health condition ending with "-itis" involves inflammation?
Natural Anti-Inflammatories to Fight Chronic Inflammation
When it comes to fighting chronic inflammation in the body, eating a wide variety of nutrient-dense whole foods is one the best ways to do so! Not only can eating an anti-inflammatory rich diet help prevent + reduce chronic inflammation, but it can also be helpful in reducing localized pain and discomfort in acute inflammatory responses.
Below are 9 natural anti-inflammatories you can include in your diet:
1. Pineapple
Pineapple contains a mixture of enzymes called bromelain which reduces the activity of inflammatory molecules in the body. It also appears to have immune-modulating abilities which helps regulate the immune response that often triggers unnecessary inflammation.
2. Turmeric
Turmeric’s primary compound, curcumin, is its active anti-inflammatory component which is shown to have beneficial effects against fighting inflammation in the body.
3. Ginger
Ginger is an immune modulato