Inflammation is the immune system’s way of fighting infections or healing injuries. Acute inflammation is a short-term response that involves sending inflammatory cells to attack viruses, bacteria, or toxic chemicals and repair damaged tissue. Common symptoms of acute inflammation include redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function. While the symptoms of acute inflammation certainly do not feel good, they are indicators that your body is doing its job to restore your immune system.
Chronic inflammation poses a larger issue as the body is in a long-term state of the immune system fighting a non-existent infection or injury. Symptoms of chronic inflammation include body discomfort, insomnia, fatigue, and weight gain or loss. Chronic inflammation can lead to health problems and last for a long time if undetected and unmanaged.
To manage chronic inflammation, it's essential to reduce its causes. One effective approach is to consume anti-inflammatory juices, which can help decrease inflammation for individuals with or without chronic inflammation. By incorporating anti-inflammatory juices into your diet, you can lower your risk of developing chronic inflammation and potentially alleviate its symptoms. Here are six types of juices that can help reduce inflammation:
1. Tomato Juice
Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Many juices that help reduce inflammation contain antioxidants as a common ingredient, which can help prevent unnecessary inflammatory responses.
If you're looking for an anti-inflammatory juice, consider making tomato juice with an added apple for a touch of natural sweetness.
Tomato Juice Recipe
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium apple
Serves 2. Get the full recipe here.
2. Carrot Juice
Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant with even stronger anti-inflammatory properties than lycopene. It's found in carrots, giving them their characteristic orange color.
But did you know that purple carrots exist too? Purple carrots have 28 times the levels of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds compared to their orange counterparts because they contain an additional anti-inflammatory antioxidant called anthocyanins.
If you had to choose between orange carrots and purple carrots, purple carrots are the way to go!
Carrot Juice Recipe
- 4 carrots (about 7 inches each)
Serves 1. Get the full recipe here.
3. Olive Juice
Olive juice, also referred to as olive brine, is a unique blend of juiced green olives, water, vinegar, and salt. Green olives contain polyphenols, which are antioxidants with numerous health benefits.
One particular polyphenol found in olives is oleocanthal. Oleocanthal has anti-inflammatory properties similar to ibuprofen. This makes olive juice a natural alternative to conventional anti-inflammatory medications.
By incorporating olive juice into your diet, you can benefit from its anti-inflammatory properties and enjoy its delicious flavor.
Olive Juice Recipe
- 2 cups green olives
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons salt
Serves 1. Get the full recipe here.
4. Green Juices
If you're looking for anti-inflammatory juices, you're likely to come across many recipes that include spinach. Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy green that's high in Vitamins A and C, as well as polyphenol antioxidants that help reduce inflammation in the body.
Other leafy greens like kale and collard greens are also great sources of anti-inflammatory nutrients, thanks to their high levels of Vitamin K. In addition to Vitamins A, C, and K, Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation.
Fortunately, parsley is an herb that's rich in three of these vitamins (Vitamins C, A, and E), making it a great addition to anti-inflammatory juice recipes.
Our Favorite Green Juice Recipe
- 4-5 medium apples
- 3-4 large kale leaves
- 1 handful of spinach
- 1 large chunk of pineapple
- 1 thin slice of ginger
Serves 2-3. Get the full recipe here.
Kale Juice Recipe
- 5 kale leaves
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 medium pear
Serves 2. Get the full recipe here.
Morning Herb Juice Recipe
- 2 medium oranges, peeled
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1 bunch parsley
Serves 2. Get the full recipe here.
5. Fruit Juices
Fruits are great sources of anti-inflammatory properties, especially those rich in vitamins like oranges, lemons, and limes that contain vitamin C.
Apples, like olives, are packed with polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory effects.
Berries, such as strawberries and blueberries, also contain the same antioxidant as purple carrots of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins give berries, cherries, and purple carrots their blue/red/purple colors.
Enzymes can also have anti-inflammatory effects, and pineapple is an excellent source of bromelain. This enzyme has been shown to relieve pain and reduce swelling and bruising.
Orange Juice Recipe
- 3 medium oranges, peeled
Serves 1. Get the full recipe here.
Apple Juice Recipe
- 2 medium apples
Serves 1. Get the full recipe here.
Berry Berry Juice Recipe
- 1 cup strawberries
- ½ cup cranberries
- ½ raspberries
- ½ a pear
Serves 1. Get the full recipe here.
6. Immunity Shots
Turmeric and ginger are both potent anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound, while ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps fight bacteria.
Due to their strong flavors, both turmeric and ginger are added in small amounts to juices. Turmeric and ginger can also be made into shots where they play a stronger role.
Our recipe for turmeric shots combines turmeric and ginger with sweet and sour flavors to turn down the spice.
Turmeric Shots Recipe
- 4-inch piece of turmeric
- 2-inch piece of ginger
- ½ medium lemon
- 1 medium orange
- Pinch of black pepper per shot
Makes four 2 oz. shots. Get the full recipe here.
Here’s a recipe from @juicingtutorials that combines some of the ingredients we listed in this blog post for the ultimate anti-inflammatory juice:
- ½ pineapple
- 5 carrots
- 1 orange
- 2-inch piece of ginger
- 2-inch piece of turmeric
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REFERENCES:
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/bromelain
https://www.hcplive.com/view/could-carrots-be-a-tool-in-fighting-arthritis-inflammation
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/are-olives-good-you
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-and-ginger#pain-and-sickness-relief
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