Inflammatory & Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Some foods calm inflammation. Others fuel it. And most of what you eat every day falls somewhere in between.

We've reviewed the scientific evidence behind each food and assigned it a score from 1 to 10 on the inflammation scale. Here you'll discover why a food may be inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, what to eat instead when it scores poorly, and recipes featuring foods with potential health benefits. Start with the food you eat most often.

Glass jug of oat milk beside a wooden bowl of rolled oats on a dark wood table

Oat Milk

Oat milk is mildly inflammatory, and the reason is not the oats. It is the step that turns them into a drink.

Chunks of butter in a small dish on a dark background

Butter

Butter is mildly inflammatory, and the reason has almost nothing to do with dairy.

Bowl of plain cooked white rice on a dark surface

White Rice

White rice is mildly inflammatory, and what makes it so is what has been taken out of it.

Glass bowl of plain yogurt topped with oats and sliced strawberry on a wooden table

Yogurt

Yogurt is anti-inflammatory when you buy it plain. Plain yogurt is milk that bacteria have already worked on: they eat most of the lactose and break down part of the protein.

Wheat ears, loose wheat grains and a wooden spoon of white flour beside a loaf of rustic bread

Gluten

Gluten is inflammatory, and how much depends entirely on who is eating it.

White bowl filled with freshly popped plain popcorn on a dark background

Popcorn

Popcorn is not inflammatory on its own, but the version most people eat usually is.

Fresh pineapple cut into slices next to the whole fruit

Pineapple

Pineapple is anti-inflammatory, and nearly all of that comes down to bromelain, an enzyme whose job is to cut protein apart.

Cinnamon sticks, bark pieces and a pile of ground cinnamon on a white background

Cinnamon

Yes, cinnamon is anti-inflammatory, and it sits near the bottom of the inflammation scale at 2 out of 10.

Glass carafe of extra virgin olive oil beside fresh olives and olive branches

Olive Oil

Olive oil is anti-inflammatory, and the part that does the work is the part you can taste.

Whole garlic bulbs, peeled cloves and sliced garlic on a light stone surface

Garlic

Garlic is anti-inflammatory, and it gets there in an odd way: the compound that does the work does not exist in a whole clove.