Plus, easy ways to incorporate it into your diet. While inflammation isn’t inherently bad and plays an important role as part of the body’s natural defense system, high levels of chronic inflammation can cause all sorts of health woes. “ Chronic, low-grade inflammation can cause a host of symptoms […]
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Plus, easy ways to incorporate it into your diet.
While inflammation isn’t inherently bad and plays an important role as part of the body’s natural defense system, high levels of chronic inflammation can cause all sorts of health woes. “Chronic, low-grade inflammation can cause a host of symptoms across the whole body. Digestive issues, brain fog, cardiovascular disease, chronic aches and pains, weight gain, hormone imbalances and autoimmune disease are all signs that the body is struggling to manage inflammation,” says functional medicine nutritionist Barbara Sobel, MS, CNS, LND. She adds that what we eat is one of the greatest modifiers of inflammation.
There are many, many foods and drinks that are anti-inflammatory, helping to prevent chronic inflammation. Coffee, tea, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and herbs are all anti-inflammatory and it’s best to eat a wide variety of these foods to get a wide range of nutritional benefits. But if you want to focus on adding one incredible anti-inflammatory food to your diet, there’s one in particular that healthy eating experts recommend: berries.
Related: How To Reduce Inflammation In the Body, According to Doctors
Why Berries Are So Beneficial for Preventing Chronic Inflammation
Whether your favorite is blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or cranberries, there are specific properties that berries have in common that are linked to preventing chronic inflammation. According to Sobel, this includes antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols (a specific type of antioxidant).
Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD, a registered dietitian who leads a team of dietitians in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, says that since most of the scientific studies surrounding berries and health have been done on animals and in labs, it’s difficult to know exactly why they’re so powerful in protecting against inflammation, but there is a lot of research supporting the benefits of antioxidants, including polyphenols. Scientific studies show that antioxidants protect tissues in the body from damage caused by free radicals, which in turn prevents an inflammatory response.
Yarker also says that —which berries contain—is also linked with preventing chronic inflammation. One reason why this is particularly noteworthy is because a full , which is Incorporating berries into your diet is an easy (and yummy!) way to up your amount. “A diet rich in fiber, especially soluble fiber, has been shown to dampen this inflammatory process,” Sobel says. She adds that blackberries and raspberries each have eight grams of fiber per cup, while strawberries and blueberries have closer to three or 3.5 grams of fiber per cup.
There’s certainly no shortage of ways to incorporate berries into your diet. They can, of course, be eaten as is. Some breakfast ideas that include berries along with other anti-inflammatory foods include , or . For lunch and dinner, berries can add an unexpected bit of sweetness to . And of course, there are plenty of dessert recipes that incorporate berries; just be mindful of the amount of sugar that’s used to keep it healthy.
While eating berries regularly can help prevent inflammation, both experts emphasize that it isn’t the only food to prioritize and that eating berries can’t cancel out a diet that is primarily full of foods that , such as simple refined carbohydrates, sugar and fried foods.
“Including a variety of different berries regularly in our along with a variety of other colorful plant foods, getting enough sleep, moving our bodies, managing stress, having close supportive connections with others, and addressing any microbiome imbalancescontribute to decreasing inflammation,” Sobel says.
, functional medicine nutritionist specializing in digestive, cognitive, and hormonal health
, registered dietitian who leads a team of dietitians in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
