#inflammation #infectious diseases #stress+1

Diet Against Inflammation: How to Help the Body Fight Back

October 28, 2025

2 min read

Inflammation is the body's defense reaction to viruses, diseases, or injuries. Examples include when a cut finger becomes red and swollen, and when a cold becomes a cough. These reactions indicate short-term acute inflammation and that immune cells are fighting the infection. However, inflammation can become chronic, lasting months, years, or even a lifetime.

Key takeaways

Inflammation is the body's defense reaction to viruses, diseases, or injuries.
Why inflammation becomes chronic
How can food help fight inflammation?

Who this is for

People exploring Bacterial and viral infections through inflammation, infectious diseases.

Why it matters

This piece helps you get oriented quickly, then move into a collection or series if you want to keep going.

Article author

Dr. Vera

Head of Therapy Department

Why inflammation becomes chronic

A prolonged inflammatory process can develop against the backdrop of an acute form caused by an infection, but this is not the only reason. Other causes include:

Autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system attacks the body's tissue. These include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Allergies, including asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Constant exposure to chemicals and smoking.
Obesity and metabolic disorders. Adipose tissue, especially visceral fat, can produce inflammatory substances such as cytokines.
Prolonged stress can lead to elevated levels of inflammatory markers in the body.
Age. Cell damage and changes in the immune system caused by aging contribute to chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation causes an increased risk of developing type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and cancer.

How can food help fight inflammation?

The anti-inflammatory diet is based on foods high in antioxidants, as they reduce the level of free radicals that cause inflammation. The diet should include vitamins C and E, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. Let's look at what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.

Foods to eat:

Vegetables: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, white cabbage, cauliflower, sweet peppers
Fruits and berries, especially those with intense color: blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, cherries
Healthy unsaturated fats: olive oil, avocado, chia seeds, walnuts, almonds, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and anchovies)
Spices: turmeric and cinnamon
Green tea
Dark chocolate
Red wine: contains resveratrol, which has an anti-inflammatory effect

Foods to avoid:

Sugar, fructose, and corn syrup: a diet high in sugar leads to chronic inflammation and overstimulation of blood vessels and the heart
Refined carbohydrates (white bread, confectionery)
Trans fats
Processed meats and sausages
Highly processed foods

If you find it difficult to plan the diet yourself, it is worth using a ready-made meal plan incorporating one of the popular anti-inflammatory diets. The Mediterranean, Okinawan, Scandinavian, DASH diet and the Andrew Weil diet are all suitable for you.

An anti-inflammatory diet provides relief from rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, Crohn's disease, lupus, obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and even the common acute respiratory infection.

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