What Can I Drink To Reduce Inflammation? Here’s The Answer In 2024

Inflammation is a natural response of our body’s immune system to protect and heal itself from injury, infection, and other harmful substances. It plays a crucial role in our body’s defense mechanism. However, chronic inflammation can lead to various health issues. Stress, lack of exercise, and unhealthy eating habits can also contribute to chronic inflammation.

One effective way to combat inflammation is by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. This diet emphasizes consuming foods that provide anti-inflammatory benefits. In addition to incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your daily meals, you can also benefit from consuming anti-inflammatory drinks. 

You may have asked, “What can I drink to reduce inflammation?” In this article, we will explore various anti-inflammatory drinks that can improve your health. These beverages are delicious and packed with powerful nutrients that can aid in your fight against inflammation. Let’s dive in.

Can You Fight Inflammation With Your Diet?

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect itself from harmful stimuli. So it is not all bad. However, chronic inflammation is often a signal of something more serious. Chronic inflammation^[1] can lead to various health issues, including arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.

The good news is that you can fight inflammation by making conscious dietary choices. Certain foods have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties. Also, some specific diets, such as Mediterranean^[2] and vegetarian diets,^[3] are tailored to help people manage and prevent chronic inflammatory conditions.

If a whole diet is too much work at once, you can begin by learning specific foods to help with inflammation. Here are some specific food groups that are full of anti-inflammatory compounds:

1. Fruits and vegetables.
2. Whole grains.
3. Healthy fats.
4. Lean proteins.

What Is An Anti-Inflammatory Drink?

It’s quite simple. An anti-inflammatory drink is a beverage that contains anti-inflammatory compounds. These drinks often include a variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

What classifies a drink as an anti-inflammatory drink?  A common criterion for anti-inflammatory drinks is the presence of antioxidants.^[4] Antioxidants help reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals, reactive molecules produced during metabolism. They often cause inflammation when not kept in check. 

Another criterion for anti-inflammatory activity is the potential to decrease inflammatory markers in the body. Inflammatory markers^[5] are substances in the body that indicate the presence of inflammation. Some common markers include C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

If you find you cannot get enough anti-inflammatory foods in your diet, you can always add a supplement for inflammation. Or, if you don’t have time for a meal with anti-inflammatory amino acids, try a meal replacement.

Best Drinks To Reduce Inflammation

Getting liquids that fall in line is necessary if you are already on an anti-inflammatory diet. So, what can I drink to reduce inflammation? Here are six hand-picked healthy drinks to reduce inflammation:

1. Celery juice. 
2. Pineapple juice.
3. Green tea.
4. Lemon water. 
5. Ginger tea.
6. Tart cherry juice.

Celery Juice

Celery juice is one of the best juices for inflammation. Research shows it has potent antioxidant properties^[6] due to various compounds such as caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, apigenin, luteolin, tannin, saponin, and kaempferol. 

These antioxidants are crucial in neutralizing free radicals, which can cause inflammation and damage to cells. They also help protect against oxidative stress related to various health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Pineapple Juice

Pineapple is a delicious fruit. Research shows that this anti-inflammatory juice can help relieve inflammation. Pineapple juice is a rich source of bromelain.^[7] Bromelain has been studied for its potential therapeutic and clinical effects and anti-inflammatory properties. 

The enzymes in bromelain are known to exhibit anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous, anti-thrombotic, and fibrinolytic properties, among others. Incorporating pineapple juice into your diet may be a delicious and nutritious way to support overall health and help reduce inflammation.

Green Tea  

Green tea is a popular beverage known for its numerous health benefits, primarily due to its high content of polyphenols, such as catechins and flavonoids. These compounds have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. 

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate^[8] is the most abundant and biologically active catechin found in green tea. EGCG has been shown to have various health benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving heart health, and aiding in weight management.

Lemon Water

If you want to eliminate inflammation quickly, lemon water is your best bet. Lemons are a rich source of vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, an essential nutrient with antioxidant properties. Vitamin C has been studied for its potential health benefits, including its role in reducing inflammation and improving metabolic markers.

One research study investigated the effect of vitamin C supplementation on inflammation^[9] and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults. The study found that vitamin C supplementation significantly reduced levels of C-reactive protein or CRP, a marker of inflammation, as well as fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. 

These results suggest vitamin C in lemon water and other citrus fruits may help reduce inflammation and improve metabolic health. As a bonus, lemons also work well in detox water.

Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is a popular herbal beverage made from the rhizome of the ginger plant. It has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for its potential health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginger can reduce inflammation^[10] due to its bioactive compounds, such as gingerols and shogaols. These compounds can inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production and suppress certain inflammatory pathways’ activation. 

Ginger tea usually contains parsley, and it also helps with anti-inflammation. Carnosol,^[11] a compound found in parsley, can inhibit inflammasome activation by directly targeting a main protein involved in chronic low-grade inflammation or age-related inflammation.

Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherry juice is another popular healthy beverage made from tart cherries. Tart cherries are known for their rich content of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.^[12] 

The juice causes a significant reduction in certain inflammatory biomarkers. Additionally, tart cherry juice also causes reduced oxidative stress. Incorporating this juice into your diet could be a delicious and nutritious way to support overall health and well-being.

Drinks That Increase Inflammation In The Body

There would be no need for anti-inflammatory drinks if some drinks were not increasing inflammation. Here are some drinks that actively increase inflammatory responses in the body: 

• Sodas: Sodas are packed with sugar. They can lead to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and increased levels of inflammatory markers.^[13]
• Alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption can erode the intestinal lining, alter the gut microbiota, and cause gastrointestinal issues^[14] that lead to inflammation.
• Energy drinks: Energy drinks contain artificial sugars, caffeine, and other chemicals that can trigger inflammation and stress^[15] in the body.

Other Lifestyle Habits To Decrease Inflammation

In addition to consuming anti-inflammatory drinks, several other lifestyle habits can help decrease inflammation in the body:

1. Eat a balanced diet: Eat whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods like berries, leafy greens, nuts, fatty fish, and olive oil.
2. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can help reduce inflammation. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week,^[16] along with muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week.
3. Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night,^[17] as lack of sleep can contribute to inflammation.
4. Manage stress: Practice stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises to help manage stress and reduce inflammation.
5. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to inflammation. Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake can help reduce inflammation levels.
6. Stay hydrated: Drinking enough water throughout the day can help flush toxins from the body and support overall health, which may help reduce inflammation.

The Bottom Line

Anti-inflammatory drinks in your daily routine can be an effective way to reduce inflammation. These drinks are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients that combat inflammation. However, remember that these drinks are just one component of a healthy lifestyle. To further decrease inflammation, adopt a balanced lifestyle of healthy meals and regular exercise.

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