Why follow the Mediterranean diet? As a weight loss coach, based in Irvine California, I follow the Mediterranean diet and advise my clients to do the same. Sadly, many people are looking for magic diets and have not even heard of this anti-inflammatory diet.
This well-known eating plan is loaded with anti-inflammatory foods that help your heart, brain, and more
Despite its well-deserved reputation for contributing to health problems, inflammation in small doses is actually good for our bodies. It helps fight off foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria and subsides once the threat is gone.
But when inflammation doesn’t let up and becomes chronic, it can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and cancer.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
In addition to age, a common risk factor for chronic inflammation is a high-fat, high-sugar diet. But eating the right foods each day can help keep chronic inflammation at bay, says Vanessa King, RD, clinical nutrition manager for the Queen’s Health System in Oahu, Hawaii, and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And the foundation of anti-inflammatory eating? Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, and food high in omega-3 fats.
Why Follow the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes those foods and is backed by extensive research. For example, after older adults followed this plan for six months, they had lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood, while those who followed their usual diet didn’t, according to a 2023 study in the journal Nutrients.
It’s not hard to follow a Mediterranean-style eating plan. Here are six anti-inflammatory foods that can help you stack the odds in your favor.
Cherries and Berries
While fruit is always a nutritious choice, there’s evidence that cherries and berries, in particular, can lower inflammation, thanks to an array of plant nutrients, including polyphenols and carotenoids. Eating sweet or tart cherries was linked with decreased markers of inflammation in 11 studies in a 2018 research review in Nutrients. Those same compounds in many other berries, including cranberries, strawberries, and blueberries, have been found to lower the body’s inflammatory response.
To get more:
Add frozen berries or cherries to your morning oatmeal or defrost and mix them with plain yogurt for sweetness without added sugar.
Greens and Beans
“Dark, leafy green vegetables may lower inflammation by increasing antioxidant levels,” says David Dunaief, MD, an internist in East Setauket on Long Island and in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., and author of a 2019 study in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine that looked at the benefits of veggies. Antioxidants help balance unstable molecules that can damage the body’s tissues, and the decreased stress on the body leads to lower inflammation.
Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils, offer plenty of healthy protein. Their fiber and antioxidant compounds are known for helping to prevent inflammation.
To get more:
Try blending a cup of baby spinach into a morning smoothie, eating a kale salad with lunch, and adding bok choy to your stir-fry dinner. For beans and legumes, heat up a bowl of lentil or black bean soup or blend white beans with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic for a delicious dip.
Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil contains several beneficial plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory effects. For example, one called oleocanthal targets the same pathways as the pain reliever ibuprofen. When you taste an olive oil that contains the compound, you’ll feel a bitter spiciness in your throat upon swallowing it.
To get more:
Some of the olive oil you eat should be uncooked. Cooking olive oil with low levels of oleocanthal can further reduce those levels. So add uncooked oil to salad dressings or drizzle it on grilled fish or steamed vegetables.
Fermented Foods
One way the Mediterranean eating plan—and fermented foods like yogurt and kefir, in particular—can reduce inflammation is by improving the diversity and activity of gut bacteria.
To get more:
Have yogurt, kefir, or cottage cheese (labeled “cultured” or “probiotic”) at breakfast, and sauerkraut or other pickled vegetables (look for jars labeled “fermented” or “raw” in a store’s refrigerated section) with lunch or dinner.
Tomato Sauce
Research suggests that eating tomatoes and tomato products may help lower inflammation. Lycopene is one of the main anti-inflammatory compounds in tomatoes, and cooked tomato foods are typically the most concentrated source of the nutrient. Like some other tomato sauces, sofrito also has onions, garlic, and olive oil, which are also anti-inflammatory
To get more:
Aim to eat tomato sauce or other tomato products daily for the most benefits. For a sauce that doesn’t require hours of simmering, try a sofrito: Dice an onion and sauté in olive oil until browned. Add 5 minced garlic cloves, 3 chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 7 ounces of tomato paste. Simmer for about 20 minutes, adding liquid as needed for the consistency you want.
Fatty Fish
Oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies are high in omega-3 fats. In a 2021 study in the journal Molecules, people at high risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes who ate those fish twice a week for eight weeks saw lower blood levels of inflammatory markers like CRP.
To get more:
You don’t need to spend a lot of kitchen time or money on fish. The kinds mentioned here are all available in cans or pouches. A couple of times a week, pop one open on a bed of leafy greens, top it with fresh herbs like basil or dill, and drizzle with high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Foods to Avoid
• Fried foods have high levels of acrylamide, a chemical byproduct thought to produce inflammation.
• Refined carbohydrates made from white flour contribute to high blood sugar, which can create oxidative stress and set off low-grade inflammation.
• Added sugars (sugary beverages, candy, desserts) promote inflammation. In animals, at least, they may do so by altering the gut microbiome.
• Processed meats (luncheon meats, bacon, sausage) are linked to inflammation that can contribute to cancer.
Click here to get answers to why follow the Mediterranean diet and contact me in Irvine if you want more reliable nutrition information. This diet is also the best diet for weight loss because it is sustainable.
