The anti-inflammatory diet is one of the most searched nutrition topics I encounter, and also one of the most misunderstood. Walk into any pharmacy or scroll through social media and you'll see "anti-inflammatory" stamped on everything from teas to expensive supplement bundles, often promising to "detox" your body or cure conditions ranging from joint pain to fatigue. As a dietitian, I want to give you the honest, unglamorous version: certain eating patterns genuinely do help manage chronic low-grade inflammation, and the evidence behind them is solid — but there's no single food, drink, or supplement that will switch inflammation off like a light switch, and anyone selling you that idea is selling you marketing, not science.
I work with clients across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Turkey managing conditions with an inflammatory component — from joint pain and autoimmune conditions to cardiovascular risk and general fatigue — and diet is consistently one of the most useful, sustainable tools available. Let's talk about what chronic inflammation actually is, what really helps, and what to skip.
Before we go further, an important note: food can meaningfully support your body's inflammatory response and overall health, but it is not a treatment for any diagnosed medical condition, and it doesn't replace medication, physiotherapy, or specialist care. If you have an inflammatory or autoimmune condition, please continue working with your doctor or specialist, and treat dietary changes as a complement to your treatment plan, not a replacement for it.
What Chronic Inflammation Actually Is
Inflammation itself isn't the enemy — it's your immune system's normal, essential response to injury or infection, and without it you couldn't heal a cut or fight off a virus. The concern is chronic, low-grade inflammation: a persistent, background level of immune activation that isn't resolving the way acute inflammation should. Over years, this has been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and can worsen symptoms in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis.
Chronic inflammation is driven by a mix of factors: genetics, stress, sleep, physical activity, body composition, smoking, and — yes — diet. Food is one lever among several, not a magic switch. I say this not to downplay its importance, but because I think you deserve realistic expectations rather than promises that don't hold up.
The Mediterranean Pattern as a Foundation
If there's one dietary pattern with genuinely strong, consistent evidence for reducing inflammatory markers, it's the Mediterranean-style diet. It isn't a rigid list of rules but a pattern built around:
- Vegetables and fruit at most meals
- Olive oil as the primary fat
- Whole grains over refined ones
- Legumes several times a week
- Fish and seafood regularly
- Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs
- Red meat kept occasional rather than daily
- Herbs and spices used generously in place of excess salt
This isn't about eating "Greek" or "Italian" food specifically — it's a template you can build using Turkish, Dutch, or German staples too. Think a Turkish-style bean stew (kuru fasulye) with olive oil and bulgur, or a Dutch vegetable soup loaded with legumes and olive oil instead of cream.
Omega-3s From Oily Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA found in oily fish, have some of the best-studied anti-inflammatory effects of any nutrient. They work partly by balancing out omega-6 fatty acids, which are abundant in many processed foods and, in excess relative to omega-3s, are associated with more pro-inflammatory signalling.
Good sources include:
- Salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, anchovies
- Aim for 2 portions of oily fish per week where possible
- If you don't eat fish, algae-based omega-3 supplements are a legitimate alternative — walnuts and flaxseed provide a plant omega-3 (ALA), but conversion to the more active EPA/DHA forms in the body is limited, so they're a helpful addition rather than a full replacement
Colourful Vegetables, Fruit and Polyphenols
The pigments and compounds that make plant foods colourful — polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids — have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The simplest practical advice I give clients is to aim for variety and colour on the plate rather than obsessing over any single "superfood."
Particularly well-studied sources of polyphenols include:
- Extra virgin olive oil — contains oleocanthal, a compound with effects that have been compared, in a mild way, to ibuprofen
- Berries — blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and in Turkey, mulberries and sour cherries
- Leafy greens — spinach, kale, chard
- Herbs and spices — turmeric, ginger, garlic, rosemary, cinnamon; using them generously in cooking is a low-cost, high-impact habit
- Green tea — a good alternative or addition to coffee, with its own polyphenol profile
- Dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa) in modest amounts
A practical goal: try to get at least 5 different colours of fruit and vegetables across your day, most days.
Whole Grains, Legumes and Nuts
Fibre-rich, minimally processed carbohydrates play a genuine role here too, partly through their effect on gut bacteria, which produce short-chain fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
- Swap refined grains (white bread, white rice, regular pasta) for wholegrain versions where you can
- Build legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) into meals several times a week — they combine fibre, plant protein, and polyphenols in one food
- A small daily handful of nuts (walnuts, almonds) has been linked with lower inflammatory markers in several studies, likely from their fat profile, fibre, and polyphenol content
What to Reduce: Ultra-Processed Food, Added Sugar and Excess Alcohol
The anti-inflammatory conversation often focuses so heavily on what to add that what to reduce gets lost. In practice, this side may matter just as much:
- Ultra-processed foods — packaged snacks, fast food, processed meats, and foods with long ingredient lists dominated by refined starches, added sugars and industrial oils have been associated with higher inflammatory markers in observational research
- Added sugar and refined carbohydrates, particularly in large amounts and in sugary drinks, contribute to blood sugar spikes and, over time, low-grade inflammation
- Excess alcohol — while patterns like moderate red wine consumption get a lot of attention in Mediterranean diet research, regular heavy drinking is clearly linked to increased inflammation and shouldn't be reframed as "part of an anti-inflammatory lifestyle"
- Trans fats and excess industrial seed oils used in deep frying and packaged baked goods
The goal isn't perfection or eliminating these entirely — that kind of restriction tends to backfire — but shifting the overall balance of your week so these are the occasional foods rather than the daily default.
A Sample Day, Anti-Inflammatory Style
- Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with walnuts, berries, and a drizzle of honey, or eggs with spinach and wholegrain bread
- Lunch: Lentil soup with olive oil, a side salad with lots of colour, and a piece of wholegrain bread
- Snack: A small handful of almonds and a piece of fruit
- Dinner: Grilled salmon or mackerel, roasted vegetables, and bulgur or quinoa
- Extras: Herbal or green tea, herbs and spices used generously throughout the day
Common Myths About Anti-Inflammatory Eating
"Detox teas and juice cleanses reduce inflammation." There's no credible evidence that these products "flush out toxins" or meaningfully change inflammatory markers. Your liver and kidneys already do this job continuously; expensive teas mostly do it to your wallet.
"Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, aubergine) cause inflammation in everyone." This is a popular claim online, but for the vast majority of people there's no good evidence that nightshades are inflammatory. A small subset of people with specific sensitivities may notice a personal reaction, but it's not a universal rule, and cutting out nutrient-dense vegetables for no clear reason isn't a good trade-off.
"Going gluten-free reduces inflammation for everyone." Unless you have coeliac disease or a diagnosed gluten sensitivity, there's no strong evidence that removing gluten reduces inflammation. Wholegrain, gluten-containing foods like wheat and barley actually offer fibre and polyphenols that support the anti-inflammatory pattern.
"This one supplement will fix chronic inflammation." Isolated supplements rarely replicate the effect of the whole dietary pattern they're extracted from. Turmeric capsules, for instance, don't reliably replicate the effects of turmeric used regularly in cooking with black pepper and fat, which improve its absorption.
"An anti-inflammatory diet can cure my autoimmune condition." Diet can meaningfully support symptom management and overall health, but it isn't a cure for autoimmune or chronic inflammatory diseases, and should never replace prescribed medical treatment.
Working With Hanzi Nutrition
Chronic inflammation is rarely about one missing food or one "bad" ingredient — it's about the overall pattern of how you eat, week after week, alongside sleep, movement, and stress. I enjoy helping clients build a realistic anti-inflammatory pattern that fits their actual life: their culture's staple foods, their schedule, their taste preferences, and any medical conditions they're managing alongside a doctor or specialist.
When we work together, we start with a first consultation to understand your health history, current eating pattern, and what your doctor has already advised. From there, I build a personalised plan grounded in the Mediterranean-style, whole-food approach we've covered here, adapted to foods you'll actually enjoy and stick with — not a restrictive list that falls apart after two weeks. I then provide ongoing support as we track how you're feeling and refine the plan together, always coordinating with your medical team so your nutrition and medical care work in the same direction.
I work fully online, in English and Turkish, with clients across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Turkey.
If you're dealing with joint pain, fatigue, or an inflammatory condition and want a realistic, evidence-based nutrition plan instead of another detox fad, book a consultation with me today.
Hanzi Nutrition offers dietitian-led nutrition counselling across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Turkey, fully online, in English and Turkish. This article is general education and not a substitute for individual medical care. Please coordinate any changes to your nutrition, supplements, or treatment with your doctor.
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