Is Keto Anti-Inflammatory? 8 Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods In 2024

Chronic inflammation has been linked to many systemic diseases including arthritis, cancer, and diabetes. We now know that a diet of anti-inflammatory foods may help curb systemic inflammation and boost whole-body health!

Losing weight and balancing your blood sugar are both key ways to reduce inflammatory strain on the body. With careful planning, a keto anti-inflammatory diet may help you achieve your wellness goals!

Inflammation: An Overview

Inflammation^[1] is one of the main ways your immune system protects and heals your body. There are two main types of inflammation: acute and chronic.

Acute Inflammation

A normal acute inflammatory response can cause an area to become red, swollen, and hot to the touch. Normal inflammation levels in response to an injury, infection, or illness are important to how our body stays healthy. Too much inflammation can put a strain on the body.

Chronic Inflammation

Sometimes, our immune responses misfire and our bodies produce antibodies we no longer need. An ongoing elevated level of inflammatory cells in the body is called chronic inflammation.

When the reaction lingers for a long time, or if the body mistakenly identifies our cells as a threat as in autoimmune diseases, we can experience inflammation that is no longer helpful and can damage otherwise healthy cells.

Systemic inflammation has also been linked to most chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (namely Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), cardiovascular disease, inflammatory arthritis, and many cancers.

How An Anti-Inflammatory Keto Diet May Help

By decreasing common nutritional triggers and increasing foods that dampen the inflammatory response, some people achieve a huge improvement in the symptoms of their inflammatory diseases.

Foods that have anti-inflammatory properties typically have lots of antioxidants and polyphenols, both of which can signal the immune system to calm down. Many staples of a ketogenic diet have anti-inflammatory perks!

Best Anti-Inflammatory Keto Diet Food List

Walnuts

Walnuts are full of healthy fats and contain alpha-linolenic acid and linolenic acid that might help fight inflammation. They are also a great source of heart-healthy omegas!

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice with a deep orange color. Turmeric has a powerful polyphenol called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory effects.

Turmeric may also aid in weight loss. It is popular in supplement form and is a great flavoring agent for many keto-friendly recipes.

While it’s safe to use turmeric in cooking to help reduce inflammation, you may want to avoid taking turmeric supplements or talk to your doctor before taking them as they can interact with some medications and conditions.

Macadamia Nuts, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, And Seeds

Packed with antioxidants and flavonoids, macadamia nuts take a special place among other nuts and seeds for their potential to control inflammation and eliminate free radicals from the body.

Fiber helps support the gut microbiome, which releases anti-inflammatory compounds that benefit the entire body. Nuts and seeds are an excellent keto-friendly source of fiber that can help compensate for a typically fiber-poor low carbohydrate diet.

Salmon And Other Fatty Fish

Salmon and other fatty fish do double duty for an anti-inflammatory keto diet. They are packed with omegas (such as omega-3 fatty acids), reduce inflammation, and improve heart health!

Ginger

A relative of turmeric, ginger is a powerhouse spice containing more than 400 beneficial compounds. It reduces inflammation,^[2] controls nausea, improves gut health, eliminates gas, and aids in cell repair.

While ginger supplements exist, dietary ginger may be more beneficial. Supplements may also give you too much ginger, which can increase bleeding.

Berries

Berries are another great way to incorporate more fiber and micronutrients into a keto diet without overdoing your carbohydrate consumption. Specifically, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries are packed with potent phytonutrients to reduce inflammation.

Olive Oil

Full of healthy fat as well as powerful antioxidants, Olive oil is a major player in many anti-inflammatory diets like the Mediterranean diet. While many of the oils included in keto have health benefits, olive oil. in particular, reduces inflammation^[3] thanks to one specific antioxidant called oleocanthal, which works similarly to ibuprofen.

Kale And Other Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are the number one most important type of food to incorporate into your anti-inflammatory meal plan. They’re packed with vitamins, phytonutrients, omegas, and antioxidants that fight inflammation.

Leafy greens are great raw, but cooking them slightly can help make many of their beneficial compounds more bioavailable, meaning your body can put them to full use.

Foods To Avoid On An Anti-Inflammatory Keto Diet

Although many pro-inflammatory foods are eliminated in a keto diet, not every keto-friendly food is anti-inflammatory. Your keto anti-inflammatory meal plan may take a little tweaking to be sure you get the nutrients you need while lowering inflammation.

Processed Foods

Especially processed carbohydrates, fried foods, and heavily processed meats.

Sugar And Excess Salt

Sugar is a no-go for keto, but excess salt can also affect your immune system and cause tissue inflammation.

Alcohol

Keto diets allow some alcohol consumption, but alcohol is a major inflammatory trigger. Even if you choose drinks with no carbohydrates and fewer calories, alcohol can trigger a major inflammatory response.

Nightshades (Tomato, Eggplant, Peppers, Potato)

Foods from the nightshade family are only triggers for people with a sensitivity to this group of plants. Tomatoes, for example, can be beneficial in reducing inflammation. However, if you still have inflammation on an anti-inflammatory diet, nightshades may be to blame.

Large Servings Of Red Meat

This is another area where not every approach to keto is anti-inflammatory. While red meat can be a great source of fat on a ketogenic diet, large servings of red meat should be limited if inflammation reduction is your goal.

How Many Carbohydrates Should You Consume?

Most keto resources instruct reducing carbohydrates to under 50g per day. In general, your percentage of calories from carbohydrates each day should be about 5-10%.

How Long Does It Take For Inflammation To Be Reduced On Keto?

It can take several weeks for inflammation to subside after making dietary changes. When you’re trying to eliminate inflammatory foods, it’s important to keep in mind that foods that trigger inflammation in some people are fine for others.

If you suspect you have a specific sensitivity such as to nightshades, try cutting out one food at a time or the entire group of them at once.

Give it a few weeks, then slowly reintroduce nightshades one at a time. If you notice your symptoms return after eating a particular food, you may have identified an inflammatory trigger!

7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Keto Diet You Can Follow

Day 1

• Breakfast: Full-fat yogurt with berries and chia seeds
• Lunch: Salad with anchovies and chopped walnuts
• Dinner: Salmon filet with sauteed greens and hemp hearts

Day 2

• Breakfast: Baked eggs in avocado halves
• Lunch: Zucchini noodles with garlic alfredo
• Dinner: Filet mignon with turmeric roasted cauliflower

Day 3

• Breakfast: Chia pudding with berries
• Lunch: Keto chicken salad lettuce wraps
• Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry with ginger and quinoa

Day 4

• Breakfast: Avocado spinach omelet and a clementine 
• Lunch: Salad topped with olive oil dressing and fatty fish like anchovies
• Dinner: Grilled mackerel with broccoli roasted in olive oil topped with chopped walnuts

Day 5

• Breakfast: Keto macadamia nut pancakes
• Lunch: Kale salad with avocado and chopped nuts
• Dinner: Shrimp scampi with zoodles

Day 6

• Breakfast: Hard-boiled eggs with sauteed greens
• Lunch: Bean and veggie salad with olive oil dressing
• Dinner: Keto pizza with cauliflower crust and your favorite keto toppings

Day 7

• Breakfast: Keto smoothie with avocado, chia, and berries
• Lunch: Edamame salad with Brazil nuts and salmon
• Dinner: Spinach and artichoke-stuffed portobello mushrooms

Conclusion

Although a ketogenic diet isn’t always anti-inflammatory, reducing your carbohydrates can be an essential step in curbing inflammation. Keto can help you lose weight and balance your blood sugar, both of which support an anti-inflammatory wellness goal.

Keto also doesn’t have to be a permanent lifestyle! Most people find it difficult to maintain long-term while getting all the nutrients they need. You may find it beneficial to transition onto a Mediterranean anti-inflammatory diet once your weight and blood sugar goals are met using keto!

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