Inflammation occurs naturally in the body as part of the body’s immune response: when your body is fighting an infection or injury, it sends inflammatory cells to the rescue. Things change if inflammation lingers without fully going away. This means your body is always in a state of high alert, and it can trigger major health issues, including (heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer).

Inflammation as a body response

Filling your meals with foods known to fight inflammation and cutting out foods known to contribute to it. Ideally, you would eat 7 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies per day, limit your intake of red meat and dairy, choose complex carbohydrates over simple ones, and swear off processed foods. You’ll want to choose foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

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Before you can fully grasp why an anti-inflammatory diet may be helpful and one of the most buzzed-about diets right now, it helps to understand what inflammation is in the first place. When you hear the word "inflammation," you might immediately think about the swelling or redness that comes from stubbing your toe, for instance. Those are definitely two external signs of inflammation, but there's more to it.
Inflammation occurs naturally in the body as part of the body’s immune response. When your body is fighting an infection or injury, it sends inflammatory cells to the rescue. The result is those classic signs — swelling, redness, and sometimes pain. That’s completely normal and natural. So long as the body stays in control, anyway. The story changes when inflammation lingers without fully going away. This chronic inflammation means your body is always in a state of high alert, and it can trigger some major health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. 
Thankfully, your inflammation levels are somewhat in your control. Factors like smoking, being overweight or, and drinking excessively can increase your risk of inflammation. (1) <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/best-worst-diet-plans-for-weight-loss/">Diet</a> also plays a role, and some experts say adjusting the foods and drinks you take in could be a better route to lowering inflammation levels than relying on medication. ( <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation">2</a>) Taking medication for chronic pain only when necessary may also be a good thing, since many come with unpleasant side effects, like fogginess, sleepiness, and memory loss. ( <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/transcripts/2748_the-anti-inflammatory-diet-a-way-to-manage-chronic-pain">3</a>)
There isn’t a formal diet plan that outlines exactly what to eat, how much of it, and when. Rather, the anti-inflammatory diet is about filling your meals with foods that have been shown to fight inflammation and — just as important — cutting out foods that have been shown to contribute to it. Ideally, you would eat seven to nine servings of fruits and veggies per day, limit your intake of red meat and dairy, choose complex carbohydrates over simple ones, and swear off processed foods.
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Before you can fully grasp why an anti-inflammatory diet may be helpful and one of the most buzzed-about diets right now, it helps to understand what inflammation is in the first place. When you hear the word "inflammation," you might immediately think about the swelling or redness that comes from stubbing your toe, for instance.

What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Inflammation as a body response

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

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