Chronic inflammation is something most people experience without really even noticing it. For some, it can cause unpleasant symptoms such as aching, soreness, and nerve pain. However, for the majority, the effects can go unnoticed despite it causing serious problems throughout their bodies.

Inflammation can definitely be a problem, but there are things you can do to reduce it. If you think you might be having trouble with chronic inflammation, there are some foods you can eat which are exceptionally good at combating it.

What Exactly Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's way of protecting itself from foreign pathogens or materials that have the potential to cause harm.

Whenever something potentially hazardous is detected, white blood cells are sent to either contain or destroy it, thereby removing the threat.

Why Is Inflammation Bad?

Inflammation usually isn' a bad thing, but there are many instances in which it causes more harm than good. Chronic inflammation ultimately impedes the body's ability to work optimally and can even cause tissue damage in some cases.

The most common way in which inflammation can be an issue is related to arterial plaques. Excess fat in the bloodstream is often perceived as a bodily threat, so inflammatory responses trap and coagulate fat cells into plaques to keep them from freely roaming. When parts of these plaques detach from the walls of blood vessels, they can cause blockages that prevent blood from flowing, leading to strokes and heart attacks.

Good Food Choices for Inflammation Reduction

Eating a healthy diet to begin with is going to be a great way to limit inflammatory responses, but there are some foods that are especially good at reducing chronic inflammation.

Blueberries

Blueberries are an incredibly good food choice for inflammation reduction. One of the biggest reasons for this is that blueberries contain lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they bind to oxygen atoms (free radicals) that would otherwise attach themselves to organic molecules, causing tissue damage and inflammation. When you eat blueberries, the antioxidants it contains help fight excess inflammation.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are one of the healthiest things you can eat in general, but they have many components which excel at inflammation reduction.

To begin with, they contain a sizable amount of antioxidants, but they also come with an array of extremely healthy fats (Omega 3 & 6) which help regulate cholesterol that might otherwise buildup in your bloodstream, leading to inflammation and the formation of plaques.

Additionally, they contain many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B and magnesium, which play a pivotal role in metabolic function and inflammation regulation.

Beets

Not necessarily everyone's favorite food, but it undoubtedly is good at decreasing the amount of inflammation that occurs in the body. This is because it contains a very significant amount of magnesium, which reduces inflammation, and also contains a considerable amount of antioxidants.

Beets are also somewhat unique in that they prevent the release of cyclo-oxygenase enzymes which are a principal component in the triggering of inflammatory responses, effectively keeping inflammation in check.

Turmeric

Turmeric is an extremely potent anti-inflammatory. It contains a compound called curcumin which helps reduce inflammatory responses substantially. In fact, the effects of curcumin have been shown to be much more effective than over-the-counter medications, such as Advil, at reducing inflammatory symptoms.

Ginger

Perhaps the holy grail of reducing inflammation is ginger. Ginger has a very long history among many different cultures for being good at improving health outcomes. The primary way it accomplishes this is by reducing the severity of inflammatory responses.

Beyond just reducing general inflammation, it's often considered to be a potential treatment for mild forms of allergies or even asthma as it has the ability to clamp down on the body's overactive responses to potential toxins or hazards.

It is, overall, a good choice for keeping inflammation levels to a minimum.

Improving Your Health

Chronic inflammation might not seem like a problem you experience, but the reality is that excess inflammatory responses are extremely common in most people, especially nowadays in the age of highly processed foods.

You can never be too careful, so be sure to incorporate as many anti-inflammatory foods as you possibly can, your body will thank you for it!