8 best anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet

An anti-inflammatory diet has many benefits to our health. From the obvious one, which is helping to reduce inflammation, there's also reducing the risk of chronic disease, promoting joint health, lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, boosting energy levels and enhancing mental health. That's a lot of good points, right? So, it'd only make sense - especially if you were looking to better your body in any of these areas - to incorporate some anti-inflammatory foods into your daily diet. So, without further ado, here are 8 of the best foods to eat (in moderation, as always)… (Picture: Getty Images)

1. Oily fish

Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel are good sources of omega-3s. These fatty acids - which the body can't produce itself - can help to reduce inflammation. So, it's important to absorb them through your diet. According to BBC Good Food, oily fish also has heart benefits, and is often recommended to those at risk of cardiovascular disease, and other inflammatory diseases. The outlet explains that our bodies break down these fatty acids into compounds called resolvins and protectins - both of which help manage inflammation (Picture: Getty Images)

4. Olives and olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is an extremely healthy fat. Rich in monounsaturated fats, the University of California reports it has been shown to increase levels of 'good' cholesterol (HDL) while lowering 'bad' cholesterol (LDL). Harvard Health also adds that an antioxidant compound found in olive oil, known as oleocanthal, has similar anti-inflammatory properties as ibuprofen. Essentially, it works by preventing the production of pro-inflammatory enzymes. As for olives, WebMD says that they contain two antioxidants, hydroxytyrosol and oleanolic acid, that can help with chronic inflammation (Picture: Getty Images)

5. Avocado

Avocados (and its oil) are naturally full of monounsaturated fats, carotenoids, and fat-soluble vitamin E, which can help reduce inflammation, specifically in the skin, BBC Good Food reports. The outlet adds that incorporating avocado into your diet can also lower BMI and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which is an inflammatory condition, that, according to the NHS, can 'put you at risk of type 2 diabetes or conditions that affect your heart or blood vessels' (Picture: Getty Images)