Which fruits are anti-inflammatory?
LIST OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FRUITS TO HAVE IN YOUR DIET
Inflammation is a health condition that is quite commonly known to affect human beings. Once you develop chronic inflammatory diseases, they are very difficult to recover from, and in such cases, the suffering from inflammation increases. Though inflammation is an important phase in the healing process of the body, there have been instances, when this inflammation may become quite severe and can eventually affect the overall physiological condition of your body and can therefore hamper your overall wellness.
Inflammation becomes more severe in your body when the inflammatory cells reach the area in which the infection has occurred and as a result of this, your body functioning might be affected. When inflammatory cells affect your site of injury or when a foreign body, especially germs like bacteria and viral cells enter the body, the disease can be caused if your immune system gets impaired and if the inflammatory cells stay too long on the spot of the disease, the condition may result in chronic inflammation. Inflammation can be prevented to some extent by consuming an anti-inflammatory diet that consists of foods that are rich in essential nutrients. A major part of an anti-inflammatory diet, that many healthcare experts advise you to consume includes fruits. However, many might be confused about which fruits must be included in an anti-inflammatory diet. This article will help you to get a detailed account of an anti-inflammatory diet and a list of fruits that you must consume to reduce the risks of inflammation and related chronic health conditions.
Anti-inflammatory diet and its nutrients: All you need to know about its benefits
There are several types of food components that you can include in an anti-inflammatory diet and fruits and vegetables form a major part of such a diet. This is because an anti-inflammatory diet is rich in essential nutrients that are not only beneficial for your overall health, but their anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the risks of inflammatory diseases in your body and thus help you to stay healthy and free from the occurrences of various types of health issues (including infections and related harmful diseases). Fruits are often advised by healthcare experts and dieticians to comprise of a vital part of a person’s diet, especially if it is an anti-inflammatory diet. Moreover, fruits are rich in antioxidant properties, along with plenty of key micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. These biochemical components also help to reduce the risks of inflammation in the body, so fruits are a must addition to your regular diet- for instance, there are certain types of fruits, which when consumed can help to lower the risks of inflammation in your lungs. Try to add fruits to your diet that are filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties and will be beneficial for reducing the risks of developing chronic diseases.
List of fruits to include in your anti-inflammatory diet to reduce inflammation:
If you find it difficult to figure out which types of fruits should be included in an anti-inflammatory diet, it is important to focus on fruits that are rich in antioxidant components and are beneficial in preventing chronic inflammation. These fruits will help to reduce the trigger of inflammation and will therefore prevent the chances of developing chronic diseases. Some such fruits that you may add in your daily anti-inflammatory diet can be listed below:
1. Pomegranates:
Pomegranates are dark, red, juicy fruits that are rich in several nutrients, including anti-inflammatory properties that are highly beneficial for your health. Pomegranate extracts consist of essential micronutrients such as vitamins C, and K, minerals like potassium, and a lot of fiber. Besides these, this fruit is rich in some of the key antioxidants, especially potent phytochemicals such as anthocyanin and resveratrol. Many healthcare professionals also claim that apart from reducing inflammatory conditions in the body, pomegranates also play a major role in managing your blood pressure levels at the optimum. This fruit also helps to take good care of your heart by reducing high cholesterol levels. The health extracts in pomegranates aid in regulating your blood sugar levels as well as reducing the risks of developing severe conditions like diabetes. So, add pomegranates to your daily diet- you may either have them raw (eating the juice from the pulp and the seeds) or you can simply drink the juice.
2. Cherries:
Cherries, just like pomegranates are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Other than having so many crucial nutritional and anti-inflammatory properties, cherries also have a sweet and tangy taste that many would like to enjoy. Healthcare professionals usually advise you to consume sweet and tart cherries as they are rich in essential nutrients which will help you to lower the risks of developing chronic inflammatory diseases by reducing inflammatory blood proteins. This helps to reduce the sensations of pain in your body and thus provides chronic pain relief, much similar to the effects of medications such as ibuprofen. Apart from these, cherries also consist of important antioxidants like anthocyanin- this is a vital property that helps you lower the risks of inflammation in your body by preventing some of the most harmful disease-causing free radicals from damaging your body cells. Moreover, the health extracts in cherries help to promote sleep in the body and thus reduce the risks of sleeplessness and other sleep-related issues like insomnia.
3. Strawberries:
Fruits like strawberries need special mention when you are planning to have an anti-inflammatory diet. Strawberries are rich in significant amounts of vitamin C and citrus nutrients. When you have strawberries, the vitamin C extracts help to strengthen your immune system and thus provide enough ability to your body so that you can fight diseases and infections. The vitamin C derived from strawberries works as an antioxidant to help you have enough protection for the body against the activities of disease-causing free radicals. The vitamin C in strawberries works effectively to reduce the risks of oxidative damage to the body cells and tissues by reducing the risks of inflammation in the body. So, try to add some fresh strawberries to your diet- either in your breakfast or in your snacks. Strawberries can be eaten raw as they have a nice, sweet taste and texture.
4. Watermelon:
Watermelon can be a favorite fruit for many, especially in the summer months, particularly because this fruit has water inside, which makes it a healthy, tasty, and refreshing fruit to have. This sweet and juicy fruit is a rich source of essential components like lycopene and they are anti-inflammatory, for which watermelons should be included as an important part of your anti-inflammatory diet. Moreover, the lycopene extracts that are present in watermelon help to protect the free radicals of the body from getting damaged and act as a powerful compound that helps to reduce the risks of inflammation significantly. Add watermelon to your diet either as a raw fruit or have watermelon juice each day.
5. Walnuts:
Consuming nuts are more or less considered to be healthy and nourishing. Walnuts are particularly advised to be consumed in an anti-inflammatory diet as they consist of healthy fat, vitamin E, minerals, and phytochemicals known as sterol. These substances help to prevent inflammation in the body and thus help to keep you healthy. Moreover, walnuts help to provide you with a lot of energy, as a result of which you do not feel an appetite frequently, as walnuts are high in calories and can make you feel full for a long time.
6. Apples:
Who does not consume apples in their snacks or breakfast? But do you know that apples can be a healthy addition to your anti-inflammatory diet? Despite having lesser amounts of antioxidant compounds than that of berries, the health extracts in apples help to lower the risks of inflammation in your body. Apples also have properties that help to strengthen your gut health and help in improving the conditions of your gut bacteria.
7. Avocado:
Avocado is a plant-based source of healthy fats and a lot of essential nutrients such as magnesium, fiber, potassium, and many other vital components. Moreover, avocados are powerhouses of some of the key vitamins that your body needs to strengthen the immune system and fight diseases including vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B complex, along with antioxidants like polyphenol, which aids in preventing cell damage in the body.
8. Oranges:
Oranges are also rich in citrus vitamins like vitamin C, along with other powerful nutrients such as potassium, folic acid or folates, fiber, calcium, and so on. These components not only take good care of your heart but also aid in improving your overall immune system and thus form a major part of your anti-inflammatory diet.