Eat to Heal: Can Your Everyday Food Choices Calm Inflammation?

Eat to Heal: Colourful fruits, veggies, olive oil, and fish calm inflammation, while processed snacks and sugary drinks can turn it up.

Every bite you take can influence how your body feels and functions. Inflammation, often called the “silent fire,” is your body’s natural defence against harm but when it lingers, it can quietly contribute to fatigue, joint pain, heart disease, and even mood changes. The good news? What you eat every day can either fuel or calm this process. By choosing nourishing, whole foods and making small, consistent changes, you can help your body heal from within and keep chronic inflammation in check.

Q1: What does “inflammation” really mean?

Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting itself when something goes wrong like an injury or infection. That’s normal and even helpful. But when this reaction doesn’t switch off and continues quietly for months or years, it becomes chronic inflammation (1,3). Over time, this can harm your heart, blood vessels, joints, and even mood.

Q2: What I eat cause or reduce inflammation?

Food is one of the biggest daily influences on inflammation. Highly processed foods, sugary drinks, fried snacks, and red or processed meats can trigger your body’s inflammatory response (2). On the other hand, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and fish can calm it down and help your body heal naturally (4,5).

Q3: What are the best foods to eat to reduce inflammation?

The best anti-inflammatory foods are colourful fruits and vegetables like spinach, berries, and capsicum, as well as healthy fats from olive oil, avocado, and salmon (2). Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, and garlic are also powerful. These foods contain antioxidants that protect your cells and support your immune system.

Q4: Do I have to follow a special diet to get results?

Not really. You don’t need to follow a strict plan. Small daily changes make a big difference like adding one more serving of vegetables, switching white bread to wholegrain, or using olive oil instead of butter. The Mediterranean-style way of eating has been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease (4,5).

Q5: Are there foods I should try to avoid?

Yes, but balance matters more than perfection. Try to limit processed foods, fast food, sugary snacks, and soft drinks. These can raise inflammatory markers in the body and make you feel sluggish (1,2). If you enjoy them sometimes, that’s okay  just make sure most of your meals come from fresh, whole ingredients.

Q6: Besides food, what else affects inflammation?

A few lifestyle habits make a big difference. Lack of sleep, high stress, smoking, and not moving enough can all increase inflammation (1,3). Even if your diet is healthy, these habits can slow your progress. A little exercise, mindfulness, and rest each day help your body recover and stay balanced.

Q7: What’s I can start doing today to reduce inflammation?

Start with one change maybe add more greens to lunch or drink water instead of a soft drink. Try eating more home-cooked meals with olive oil, vegetables, and fish. These simple shifts can reduce inflammation naturally and make you feel better in just a few weeks (1–5).

References

1. Margină D, Ungurianu A, Purdel C, Tsoukalas D, Sarandi E, Thanasoula M, Tekos F, Mesnage R, Kouretas D, Tsatsakis A. Chronic inflammation in the context of everyday life: dietary changes as mitigating factors. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(11):4135. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17114135

2. Calder PC. Nutrition, immunity and inflammation: From basic mechanisms to the clinic. Proc Nutr Soc. 2022;81(1):1-17. DOI: 10.1017/S0029665121003141

3. Furman D, Campisi J, Verdin E, Carrera-Bastos P, Targ S, Franceschi C, Ferrucci L, Gilroy DW, Fasano A, Miller GW, Miller AH, Mantovani A, Weyand CM, Barzilai N, Goronzy JJ, Rando TA, Effros RB, Lucia A, Kleinstreuer N, Slavich GM. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med. 2019;25(12):1822-1832. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0

4. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, Covas MI, Corella D, Arós F, Gómez-Gracia E, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Serra-Majem L, Pintó X, Basora J, Muñoz MA, Sorlí JV, Martínez JA, Martínez-González MA; PREDIMED Study Investigators. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018;378:e34. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1800389

5. Serra-Majem L, Roman B, Estruch R. Scientific evidence of interventions using the Mediterranean diet: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2006;64(2 Pt 2):S27-S47. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2006.tb00268.x