In brief, inflammation is a key aspect of the body’s immune defence. Inflammation can be either acute in response to an injury or illness, resulting in, for example, short-term redness, pain and swelling around a cut, or chronic. Chronic inflammation can last for months or even years and is associated with various diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, ulcerative colitis and more. Chronic inflammatory disease is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a major threat to human health.

Claims abound that certain foods and /or diets can be either anti- or pro-inflammatory. A quick search on TikTok (which one survey found that 87% of Gen Z and Millennials turn to for nutrition advice) reveals berries, bone broth, sweet potatoes and salmon as some of the most cited anti-inflammatory foods.’ Turmeric pastes and smoothies are also often crowned as the best cures for inflammation in the body. Foods deemed as ‘pro-inflammatory’ include nightshades, gluten and dairy and are demonised for causing skin conditions like psoriasis, bloating, symptoms of endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome and more.

This article will discuss some of the more common myths about how diet affects inflammation in the body and so-called anti-inflammatory diets.