5 Gut Healthy Foods That Fight Inflammation

Healing often begins with the food on your plate. 

When it comes to improving your health, fighting illness, and promoting a healthy gut microbiome, you hear about decreasing inflammatory foods and increasing anti-inflammatory foods.

But achieving an optimized diet for gut health and reducing inflammation is not about ticking off a list of tactics and taking a 'eat this, not that' approach.

Rather, it's about sustained lifestyle choices over the course of a lifetime.

What are the gut healthy foods that heal gut inflammation?

In this article, we'll define inflammation and even talk about why it can be a good thing.

We'll highlight some foods that are legit anti-inflammatory superstars, and note the inflammatory food villains to avoid. 

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a normal, natural process that occurs in the body. It is your body's way of protecting itself from infection or illness. In fact, inflammation can be vital for health and healing.

A response of your immune system

When your body encounters a virus, bacteria, toxic chemicals, or suffers from an injury, it activates your immune system. Your immune system then sends out inflammatory cells and cytokines (substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells).

These cells begin an inflammatory response to trap offending agents or heal injured tissues. The results can be pain, swelling, bruising, or redness.

For example, if you stub your toe or experience a fall, you'll experience redness, pain, heat, and swelling in that area - that's inflammation.

Inflammation also affects the body in ways you can't see.

Inflammation is crucial for the healing process in healthy adults but can have adverse effects when it becomes chronic.

The two types of inflammation

Acute inflammation is the response to sudden body changes, such as cutting a finger.

To heal the cut, your body sends inflammatory cells to the injury to begin the healing process. Acute inflammation occurs for a short time, resolving itself in 2 weeks or less.

This type of inflammation is a natural process and a sign that your body is functioning as it should.

SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE INFLAMMATION

• Redness at the site of an injury 

• Pain or tenderness

• Swelling 

• Heat

Chronic (long-term) inflammation is the harmful type of inflammation you want to avoid.

Chronic inflammation occurs when your body continues sending inflammatory cells when there is no outside danger.

Chronic inflammation occurs inside the body without noticeable symptoms.

This type of inflammation can lead to diseases, weakened immunity, gut imbalances, and chronic inflammation disorders. This is why decreasing inflammation is important.

SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION

• Pain 

• Constant fatigue 

• Insomnia 

• Depression, anxiety, and chronic stress

• Digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, and inflammatory bowel disease

• Weight gain

• Frequent infections 

• Poor immune function 

• Chronic inflammatory diseases

Symptoms can vary depending on the condition. For example, in some autoimmune conditions, your immune system affects your skin, leading to rashes. In others, it attacks specific glands, joints, or systems.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

In leaky gut syndrome, a chronic inflammatory response occurs in the digestive tract.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF LEAKY GUT INCLUDE

• Diarrhea

• Constipation 

• Bloating 

• Nutritional deficiencies 

• Fatigue 

• Headaches

• Difficult concentration 

• Skin problems 

• Joint pain 

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Widespread inflammation

The gut is lined by a wall, similar to a net with small holes. These holes act as a filter, enabling the passage of certain substances while keeping bigger, harmful substances from entering the body.

When someone has a leaky gut, it means the gut lining is damaged and can't function as it should. As a result, the smaller holes become larger and allow harmful substances like gluten, bacteria, and undigested food particles to enter your system and cause damage to your health.

Chronic inflammation is a substantial contributing factor to a leaky gut.

A leaky gut also leads to inflammation in other areas of the body. Decreasing inflammation and improving the gut microbiome is essential for maintaining the health of the gut, healing gut imbalances, and improving overall health.

What Causes Chronic Inflammation?

Varying diet and lifestyle factors can contribute to chronic inflammation in the body.

Stress can play a crucial role in causing excess inflammation.

Obesity has been shown to contribute to chronic inflammation. 

Sugar causes inflammation.

Inactivity or lack of exercise has been linked to inflammation.

5 Gut Healing Foods That Fight Inflammation

We're all looking for ways to reduce inflammation and feel our best. Eating foods that are anti-inflammatory and nutrient-dense is one of the best things you can do to support a healthy gut microbiome and strong immune system.

Here are five of the best foods to help keep your gut healthy and fight inflammation. Add them to your diet and feel the difference!

1. Berries

Berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are high fiber foods rich in vitamins, and minerals. In addition to their many health properties, berries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory effects.

Snacking on berries through the day, adding them to a salad, smoothie or greek yogurt parfait is a great way to fight inflammation and improve your gut health.

Eating berries during the day is best. Consuming berries with their natural sugars close to bedtime, some say anytime after dark, may disrupt your sleep patterns.

Learn more about the connection between gut health and sleep in this article giving you tips on how to improve both.

2. Fermented Food

Fermentation is a process in which bacteria and yeast break down sugars. The fermentation process creates lactic acid bacteria, which act as a preserving agent to the vegetables, and creates a delicious taste.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF FERMENTED FOODS

In 2021, researchers at Stanford Prevention Research Center found that eating a diet rich in fermented foods can also boost the number and diversity of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome, decrease inflammatory markers and improve immune responses.

While we're on the subject of fermented foods and inflammation, eating fermented foods can also improve microbiome diversity and provide beneficial bacteria to the gut, which helps to lower inflammation.  Ideal foods and drinks such as fermented tea like kombucha tea, fermented vegetables like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, or other fermented vegetables may reduce inflammation.

Incorporating naturally fermented foods into your diet is important for the health of your gut. If you've tried our products here at Olive My Pickle, you know just how delicious eating fermented foods can be.

There's 7 principal health benefits to eating fermented foods.  Do you know what they are?  Check your facts in this post.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that you can find in any grocery store. Studies show that curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, may reduce inflammation in the body. 

Turmeric is common in Indian cuisines, such as curry, but can be incorporated into many dishes. It's also great to add to your smoothies or make a golden milk latte.

Olive My Pickle's Turmeric & Spice LiveBrine, is a powerful probiotic elixir. LiveBrine is the pickle juice that's resulted from our lactic acid bacteria fermentation process. It's has the highest concentration of probiotic bacteria of any of our fermented food products. Many in our customer community enjoy a shot in the morning to start their day.

4. Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collards are high fiber foods packed with nutrients that fight inflammation. However, research has found that different greens offer different anti-inflammatory properties, so it's important to eat a wide variety of greens.

Aim to eat a serving of greens with each meal - blend them in your smoothies, add them to cooked veggies, or enjoy a tasty salad. A diet rich in leafy greens can decrease inflammation and offer a variety of health benefits.

Fiber, fats and ferments are part of a balanced gut healthy lifestyle as they all work together synergistically.  Read more about the importance of fiber in this article where we break it down for you.

5. Green Tea

Tea contains antioxidants called catechins, which are known to reduce inflammation.

Green tea contains EGCG, the most powerful type of catechin. Consuming green tea has been shown to reduce inflammation-driven conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer's, and certain cancers.

Green tea offers less caffeine than coffee but can provide your body with more natural, sustained energy. It's a great coffee replacement that's much easier on the digestive tract!

Inflammatory Foods to Avoid

Sugar or high-fructose corn syrup - candy, chocolate, soda, juice, desserts, and some cereals

Artificial trans fat - baked goods, processed foods, fried foods, meat, and dairy products

Refined carbohydrates - white bread, white flour, white rice, pastries, pasta, soda, processed snacks, and some cereals

Processed meat - sausage, bacon, lunch meat, and beef jerky

Alcohol - more than two standard drinks per day

By eating a diverse palette, incorporating fiber-rich fermented foods, and a simple change in diet, you'll be helping your body fight chronic inflammation, and improve your gut health! 

Ready to start eating fermented foods and kick inflammation to the curb?

At Olive My Pickle, we make caring for your gut simple. We know real fermented foods can be hard to find, which is why we deliver tasty, fermented foods right to your door. We offer many fermented foods such as pickles, kraut, kimchi, olives, fermented vegetables, and vegetable brine drinks to help decrease inflammation and improve overall microbial diversity.

Visit our shop to explore our unique fermented foods and start optimizing your gut health today!