The effects of drinks on overall health tend to be totally underrated. While it is true that your dietary choices can impact chronic inflammation, and eating a diet rich inhealthy fats, vegetables, fruit and fishcan help combat chronic inflammation, some beverage choices can help accomplish the same goal as well. So if you don’t know where to start to find these “top picks,” you have come to the right place. We dug into the research to find the best drinks to include in your anti-inflammatory diet.
Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
What to Look For When Choosing Anti-Inflammatory Drinks
If you don’t know where to start when choosing your anti-inflammatory drinks, this short guide will help you navigate your best choices.
First: What to avoid. When choosing an anti-inflammatory drink, you want to skip ones high in added sugars and saturated fat, both of which can increase inflammation, according to research published inFrontiers in Immunologyand theInternational Journal of Tryptophan Research, respectively. This can make ordering a fun latte at your favorite coffee shop a bit more challenging—but let’s think of the great goal here.
Instead, opt for drinks low in added sugar and saturated fat, as well as ones that contain plant compounds that can manage chronic inflammation. Many plant compounds have been linked to anti-inflammatory benefits, and some will be highlighted in this article, so keep scrolling.
The 6 Anti-Inflammatory Drinks You Should Be Buying
These sips may benefit your health goals if you are trying to manage chronic inflammation.
Green Tea
Orange Juice
Juice gets a bad rap, but unlike sodas that are made with added sugars,100% orange juice contains natural sugarsalong with a slew of important nutrients, like vitamin C and thiamin.
According to the results of a study published in the journalAdvances of Nutrition,drinking 100% orange juice (without added sugars or colors) may be linked to a reduction of interleukin 6, a marker of inflammation.
Other data published in the journalFood and Nutrition Researchshowed that adults who drank 750 milliliters (or around 3 cups) of orange juice daily for eight weeks showed better anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress markers.
Opting for an orange juice with added turmeric may deliver even more anti-inflammatory effects.Uncle Matt’s Organic Ultimate Defenseis made with organic oranges and 500 milligrams of organic turmeric per 8-ounce serving. A compound found in turmeric, called curcumin, hasanti-inflammatory properties.
Pomegranate Juice
Green Juice
Enjoying a blended drink made from watercress, spinach, kale—or really any leafy green veggie—is also amazing for helping manage chronic inflammation. Some data, such as a 2020 study published inGenes & Nutrition, shows that consuming leafy green veggies has anti-inflammatory benefits.
Watercress is one noteworthy leafy green veggie that can be an important part of an anti-inflammatory juice recipe. This aqueous veggie contains a compound called phenylethyl isothiocyanate, or PEITC, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant properties, according to 2020 research published inMolecules. Watercress can be added toalmost any green juice recipe. Or, you can always use a combo of greens!
Beet Juice
Squeeze the liquid out of this humble root veggie and you’ve got a vibrant red juice. It’s a natural source of betalains (betanin) and nitrates, making it a nutritional powerhouse. A review published inPhytotherapy Researchfound that betalains play a role in eliminating oxidative and nitrative stress and provide anti-inflammatory benefits.Beet juice can be made at home using a juicer, or it can be purchased as a pre-made bottled option, likeArden’s Garden Beet It Better.
Milk
Despite the social media bad rap, dairy milk does not contribute to chronic inflammation, and in some cases, drinking it may have anti-inflammatory effects, according to a review of 27 trials published in theJournal of the American College of Nutrition. When you are choosing your dairy drink choice, opt for one without added sugars. (Chocolate- and vanilla-flavored milks are delicious, but can be laden with the stuff.)
Other Tips to Manage Chronic Inflammation
Drink choices are one small piece of theanti-inflammatorypuzzle.Here are other steps you can take to help your body combat chronic inflammation:
Bottom Line
Your beverage choices can help manage chronic inflammation naturally or promote inflammation, depending on what ends up in your glass (and your belly). Staying away from drinks with excessive amounts of added sugars and saturated fats and sticking to options like green tea, orange juice and green juice may help you on your quest for managing inflammation naturally. While plain water should still be your primary choice for hydration, opt for an anti-inflammatory beverage when you’re craving some flavor.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, August 2023
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