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.

Two halves of a fresh orange on a wooden board, showing the segments and the white pith

Oranges

Oranges are anti-inflammatory, and much of the reason comes down to hesperidin, the main flavonoid in oranges.

Whole black peppercorns in a wooden spoon on a linen cloth

Black Pepper

Is black pepper anti-inflammatory? Where it sits on the inflammation scale, and how piperine works.

Wheat grains on a wooden spoon beside a bundle of wheat ears

Wheat

Wheat is mildly inflammatory for most people, and how much depends on the form it comes in.

Half a loaf of white bread cut open to show the airy crumb, with ears of wheat behind it

Bread

Bread is inflammatory for most people, and the reason is how quickly it digests.

Raw streaky bacon rashers laid out in a metal frying pan

Bacon

Bacon is inflammatory. It is pork belly packed in salt and sodium nitrite for days, often smoked, then fried until the edges crisp.

Glass cup of freshly brewed black tea on a saucer

Black Tea

Black tea is anti-inflammatory, and the compounds behind that are theaflavins.

Red and yellow raw potatoes spilling from a wicker basket onto a wooden surface

Potato

Potato is not an anti-inflammatory food, and on the inflammation scale it sits in the middle, at 5 out of 10.

Bowl of golden chicken bone broth with a piece of poultry lifted out on a spoon

Bone Broth

Bone broth is anti-inflammatory, and it is made by simmering animal bones and joints in water for several hours.

A small ceramic dish of dark soy sauce on a wooden table

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is mildly inflammatory. The reason is how much salt it carries: one tablespoon contains about 900 mg of sodium, more than a third of the amount recommended for a whole day.

Fresh spinach leaves on a wooden chopping board

Spinach

Spinach is anti-inflammatory, and two nutrients explain most of it: magnesium and vitamin K.