The Ultimate Anti Inflammatory Food Index

The Ultimate Anti Inflammatory Food Index

I find inflammation truly fascinating because nearly every single disease has some link to increased inflammation in the body at a cellular level. One of the most potent inflammatory sources is the food we eat so we can do a great deal to help reduce inflammation by eating more anti-inflammatory foods.

I came across a couple of excellent research studies that have classified food into an anti-inflammatory index. I have used those studies to make up this detailed list of anti-inflammatory foods that you can include more of in your every day The Anti Inflammatory Index

I’ve listed the foods or nutrients in descending order from the most anti-inflammatory, so for example, magnesium is the most anti-inflammatory nutrient. Of course this is not a definitive list of every single food or nutrient there is but these are the key nutrients they found to be anti-inflammatory. Below you will find detailed food lists for some of these nutrients.

Food/Nutrient	Inflammatory Weight
Magnesium	-0.905
Turmeric	-0.774
Beta Carotene	-0.725
Vitamin A	-0.580
Tea	-0.552
Fiber	-0.520
Quercetin	-0.490
Wine	-0.480
Luteolin	-0.430
Vitamin E	-0.401
Omega 3 fats	-0.384
Vitamin D	-0.342
Vitamin C	-0.367
Zinc	-0.316
Vitamin B6	-0.286
Garlic	-0.270
Niacin	-0.260
Folate	-0.214
Ginger	-0.180
Saffron	-0.180
Daidzein	-0.170
Riboflavin	-0.160
Cyanidin	-0.130
Epicatechin	-0.120
Thiamin	-0.50
Protein	-0.50
Caffeiene	-0.35
Iron	-0.29
Selenium	-0.21

Now let’s dig into each nutrient and list some of the food sources.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the top anti inflammatory nutrient so here are the foods highest in magnesium.

Vegetables
Seaweed	218mg
Potatoes	196mg
Spinach	157mg
Chard	150mg
Sun dried tomatoes	105mg
Acorn squash	88mg
Artichokes	77mg
Kale	74mg
Sweet potato	61mg
Pumpkin	56mg
Beetroot	39mg
Fruits
Tamarinds	110mg
Bananas	108mg
Figs	101mg
Prunes	84mg
Grapefruit	79mg
Avocadoes	67mg
Gluten free grains
Brown rice flour	177mg
Amaranth	157mg
Millet flour	142mg
Quinoa	118mg
Brown rice	86mg
Millet	76mg
Wild rice	52mg
Beans and legumes
Chickpea flour	153mg
Tempeh	134mg
Lima beans	126mg
Adzuki beans	120mg
Navy beans	105mg
Mung beans	97mg
Lentils	71mg
Pinto beans	56mg

Turmeric

I won’t be including foods with turmeric because turmeric is a spice that can be eaten both fresh or from the dried spice. There are lots of ways you can use turmeric in cooking and since it is one of the most anti inflammatory spices I will be sharing lots of turmeric recipes here soon

Beta carotene and Vitamin A

Beta Carotene is a version of Vitamin A, so these are the foods highest in beta carotene and Vitamin A.

Amount equivalent to 1 cup of each food.

Sweet potato without skin	30976ug
Sweet potato baked in skin	25126ug
Peas and carrots frozen	13136ug
Frozen, carrots, collards, kale – boiled	11971-11470ug
Spinach – boiled	11318ug
Kale – boiled	10625ug
Raw carrots	10605ug
Mustard greens	10360ug
Butternut Squash/pumpkin- baked	9368ug
Collards- boiled	8575ug
Beet Greens	6610ug
Turnip greens	6588ug
Chinese cabbge	4333ug

 Tea

That’s all types of tea but I do also think drinking green tea is better for you. It doesn’t contain as much caffeine and is very high in antioxidants as well.

Fiber

The best place to get dietary fiber is from fruit and vegetables. You will also see that amongst the other food lists there are many fruits and vegetables, so eating plenty of those provides an anti-inflammatory effect. A minimum of 5 servings of vegetables a day should be consumed. One serve is equal to 1/2 cup broccoli or 1 cup lettuce or spinach. You should easily be able to eat way more than 5 serves but this should be a minimum guide.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavonoid. A flavonoid is a group of plant pigments that give fruits and vegetables their colour. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants helping the body fight free radicals, which can damage cells. All types of fruit and vegetables may contain a certain amount of quercetin. The ones in the list are the highest sources.

Food source	Mg/100g
Dill	55.16mg
Buckwheat	23.09mg
Cacao powder	20.13mg
Red onions	19.36mg
Spring onions	14.24mg
Cranberries (raw)	14.02mg
Tarragon	10mg
Kale (raw)	7.71mg
White onion	5.19mg
Coriander (raw)	5mg
Spinach (raw)	4.86mg
Chives (raw)	4.77mg
Apples	4.42mg
Tomato puree	4.12mg
Watercress (raw)	4mg
Red grapes	3.54mg
Celery	3.50mg
Broccoli – raw	3.21mg
Blueberries	3.11mg
Cherry tomatoes	2.77mg
Green beans (raw)	2.73mg
Buckwheat flour –wholegrain	2.72mg
Green tea	2.69mg
Apricot	2.55mg
Black grapes	2.54mg
Iceberg lettuce	2.47mg
Lemons	2.29mg
Looseleaf lettuce	1.95mg
Cherries	1.25mg
Plums	1.20mg
Broccoli -cooked	1mg

Wine

Red wine has long been shown to have anti inflammatory effects BUT that’s only if it’s consumed moderately – no more than 2 glasses a day. Unfortunately most of us can’t stick to just 2 glasses, after which it becomes inflammatory.

Luteolin

Luteolin is another type of flavonoid. These are just a few of the foods that have been studied for luteolin levels.

Food	Mg/kg
Lemon grass	178mg
Broccoli	74.5mg
French beans	35-42mg
Carrot	37mg
Bell pepper	13-31mg
White radish	9mg

Vitamin E

An amount equivalent to 1 cup of each food.

Seaweed – spirulina	5.60mg
Tomato puree	4.92mg
Frozen spinach	4.70mg
Taro	4.03mg
Spinach	3.74mg
Tinned tomatoes	3.74mg
Turnip greens	3.47mg
Lambs quarters	3.36mg
Chard	3.31mg
Red bell pepperd	3.22mg
Sweet potato – boiled	3.08mg
Canned asparagus drained	2.95mg
Butternut squash	2.64mg
Mustard greens	2.49mg
Broccoli	2.48mg

Omega 3 Fats

You’ve probably heard of the anti-inflammatory benefits of Omega 3 fats. The most common way to take these is in supplement forms such as cod liver oil or other fish oils. Krill oil is also an omega 3 and can be taken in supplement form. The benefits of omega 3s are found in the EPA and DHA and of course…there are also food sources you can include more of and most of these are fish, hence the reason why people often find it easier to take a supplement.

Mackarel	2.202gEPA /4.032DHA
Herring – pacific	1.788gEPA/1.272DHA
Red salmon fillets with skin- sockeye alaska	0.977EPA/1.642DHA
Sablefish	0.737EPA/0.792DHA
Pink salmon canned	0.718EPA/0.685DHA
Tinned sardines-atlantic	0.705EPA/0.758DHA
Trout rainbow	0.669EPA/0.774DHA
Farmed pink salmon	0.586EPA/1.284DHA
Halibut fish	0.573EPA/0.429DHA
Tuna canned in water	0.198EPA/0.880DHA

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is mostly synthesized via our skin, which is why getting sun on our skin is so important. Many people are becoming deficient in Vitamin D because in our modern world we don’t get enough sun exposure. We’ve all heeded the sun smart message a little too much because even though sunscreen may provide protection, it also blocks the synthesis of vitamin D. Vitamin D is not widespread in food but only found in a few food sources.

Equivalent to 1 cup of ingredient.

Mackarel	1368IU
Halibut	1360IU
Maitake Mushrooms	786IU
Red salmon tinned	715IU
Portabella mushrooms	539IU
Trout	539IU
Canned pink salmon -drained	493IU
Catfish	425IU
Canned tuna in olive oil – drained	393IU
Canned sardines	288IU
Eggs	118IU

Vitamin C

Vegetables highest in Vitamin C	Mg per cup
Yellow peppers	341.3mg
Red peppers	230.8
Green peppers	217.6
Mustard spinach	195mg
Broccoli	106.2mg
Kohlrabi	89mg
Kale	87.1mg
FRUITS
Guavas	376.7mg
Kiwifruit	166.9mg
Litchis	135.8mg
Lemons	112.4mg
Oranges	97.5
Pineapple	93.1mg
Strawberries	89.4mg
Papaya	88.3mg
Grapefruit	85.1mg

Zinc

Food	Mg/100g
Mollusks, oysters (eastern)	90.95mg
Mollusks, oysters (pacific	16.62mg
Beef	12.28mg
Veal	12mg
Tahini (sesame seed paste)- unroasted	10.45mg
Pumpkin seeds	10.30mg
Sesame seeds	10.23mg

B vitamins – B6, niacin, folate, riboflavin, thiamin

Vitamin B6 – Prunes, bluefish, banana, potato, watermelon, chicken breast, tuna, meats, legumes

Niacin – Chicken breast, tuna, fish, ground minced meat, liver, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, peanut butter, nuts, and protein foods

Folate  – Beans and lentils, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, seeds, liver

Riboflavin – Liver, clams, mushrooms, plain yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs

Thiamin – Pork loin, acorn squash, brown rice

 

Garlic and Ginger

Of course, garlic and ginger don’t have food lists either because they are both spices. Use these more in cooking as well for their powerful anti-inflammatory actions.

 

There are a few other things that are lower down on the anti-inflammatory food index but if you focus on including more of the top foods, starting at the top of the list with magnesium, then you will definitely notice a reduction in your inflammation before too long.

If you want all of this info in a take-home guide, grab your copy below and get started 

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