You may be surprised to learn that what you ingest can really make a difference to the symptoms of inflammation. Many people have succeeded in naturally reducing inflammation by eating anti inflammatory foods.
Let’s take a look at what an anti inflammatory diet should consist of, as well as some supplements you can add to it to really boost results if eating the recommended foods isn’t possible.
Top Anti Inflammatory Foods
- You should try and eat a diet that’s high in raw foods — up to 75% raw foods if possible. In addition, you drink plenty of herbal teas and juices.
- Foods that are high in flavonoids are powerful antioxidants, and are useful for reducing inflammation. Spinach and blueberries are particularly good sources of flavonoids. Strawberries contain smaller amounts.
- Pineapple and papaya are rich in enzymes (bromelian and papain, respectively) that reduce swelling and inflammation. If you can, consume half a pineapple or papaya a day. Make sure you only eat fresh, not canned fruit.
- Oily cold water fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and sardines are high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties.
- Green lipped mussels, native to New Zealand, are a rich source of a potent Omega 3 fatty acid with superior anti inflammatory capabilities.
In addition there are certain foods that you should avoid. These include:
- Junk food, cola, sugar, and white flour.
- Saturated fats and oils should also be limited.
Anti Inflammatory Diet Supplement Recommendations
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to have a diet filled with anti inflammatory foods. Plus, as explained by Dr Ray D. Strand, M.D., in his book What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You
In addition to taking a quality nutritional supplement, it’s possible to get the nutrients from many other anti inflammatory foods in supplement form.
- Bromelian (found in pineapple) is available as a supplement. It works more effectively if you take it with 100-500 mg of Magnesium and 500 mg of L-Cysteine (an amino acid). Note that it shouldn’t be taken with iron or copper.
- Omega 3 fatty acids are available in concentrated fish oil supplements, as well as green lipped mussel extract.
“Research shows that Omega-3 fatty acids lower inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.” — University of Maryland Medical Center.
Without a doubt, the most important supplement that you can take to treat inflammation is one that contains a high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. The anti-inflammatory capabilities of Omega-3 fatty acids are supported by ample scientific research. Findings indicate that all Omega-3s have the ability to reduce inflammation by tying up the enzymes (lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase) that make inflammatory compounds (leukotrienes and prostaglandins) in the body.
However, there’s a lot of debate about green lipped mussel and fish oil, and which one is more effective.
The issue is that while both supplements are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, they are different ones. Fish oil contains the two most nutritionally important Omega-3s — Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Yet, green lipped mussel extract contains a rare omega-3 fatty acid called Eicosatetraenoic Acid (ETA).
The Eicosatetraenoic Acid in green lipped mussels has the capabilities to go one step further than other Omega-3s in fighting inflammation.
The ETA works at the gene level to reduce the production of cyclooxygenase, the enzyme that’s used in making inflammatory prostaglandins.
ETA also reduces the formation of Arachidonic Acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid that the body uses to produce the inflammatory compounds. Instead of making Arachidonic Acid, an enzyme called delta-5-desaturase (d5d) actually uses the ETA to make EPA (yes the same omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil)!
All this doesn’t mean that fish oil should be overlooked though. The Omega-3s from fish oil are still an important part of anti inflammatory foods. In fact, it’s recommended that fish oil be taken along with green lipped mussel extract in order to boost the results and get the benefit of all types of Omega-3s.
Which Omega-3 Supplements are Best?
The fact that fish oil and green lipped mussel extract are natural products means that there’s unfortunately a lot of variation in quality on the market. This is a result of the raw materials used (type and quality of fish and mussels) and the processing methods.
Simply selecting the cheapest product available doesn’t mean you’re getting the best product, as this comparison of green lipped mussel brands reveals.
When it comes to your health, it’s better to spend a little more to make sure you get a potent product that works!
That’s why we recommend the supplements from a New Zealand based, family owned, company called Xtend-Life. They devote substantial resources to research and development in order to provide the most effective products to their customers. We strongly believe that their products represent the best value for money possible. And, reassuringly, they’re backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Xtend-Life Green Lipped Mussel Powder is made from specially harvested mussels, and using a unique to the market manufacturing process that only takes 30 minutes. This means that, unlike other manufacturing methods, there’s no need for chemical stabilizers to be added to the mussels to ensure they don’t oxidize.
Xtend-Life Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil is a fish oil with exceptional anti-inflammatory properties, derived from the type of fish used. A clinical study found Xtend-Life Fish Oil to have 2.5 times the anti-inflammatory properties of ‘normal’ fish oil and even double the anti-inflammatory properties of highly refined and concentrated fish oil!
We suggest that you have a look at the comprehensive FREE Fish Oil Buyer’s Guide and Green Lipped Mussel Buyer’s Guide provided by Xtend-Life.
These guides contain a wealth of information to help you gain a better understanding about each supplement. It’s very rare for a company to provide so much information, so please do take advantage of it. There are no sign-ups or purchases necessary.
