Super Fruits are Key to Anti-Inflammatory Eating

Stress, environmental toxins, highly processed foods and low physical activity all lead to inflammation which is at the root of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Americans are used to living with disease, but we don’t have to. Anti-Inflammatory and healthy eating can be easy. Anti-Inflammatory and healthy eating can be tasty, Anti-Inflammatory and healthy eating can be inexpensive!

The past few years we’ve heard a lot about acai berry and pomegranates. What do acai berry and pomegranate have in common? 

• Both are fruits. 
• Both make tart juices. 
• Both are dark red-purple in color. 
• Both may lower risk of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.
• Both have anti- inflammatory benefits. 
• Both boost your immune system.
• Both are tasty!

Some studies have shown that dark colored fruits anti-inflammatory benefits have protective effects in many other organ systems of the body besides your heart, and eating dark red, purple, and blue fruits may help prevent memory loss over time. 

Don’t stop at acai berry and pomegranates.

It is not just these two super fruits that have health benefits. Other dark fruits have the same anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, heart-protecting benefits, health promoting effects. Other super fruits include black cherries, black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, Loganberry, red-purple-black grapes, passionfruit, boisenberry, black currants, some varieties of plums and almost any other dark purple, red, or blue fruit you can think of. 

Anti-inflammatory super fruits as part of your every day

Eating more of these anti-inflammatory dark berries and other fruits is easy. With a little thought, they can be added to any meal or snack. Whether fresh and in season or frozen, canned (in juice) or juices, adding these super fruits will pay off right away for the entire family.

• Making dressings mixing dark fruit juices such as cherry juice, pomegranate or blueberry juice with herbs and spices; make sure the juice doesn’t contain artificial colors or added sugar. 
• Add frozen blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and a touch of acai juice to smoothies.
• Add fresh seasonal berries to your salads.
• Top plan Greek yogurt with sliced plums for a great snack.
• Use any of the anti-inflammatory fruits alone or mixed as a taste explosion dessert.
• Snack on red or black grapes, or black cherries as a refreshing spring summer treat.
• Fresh berries are a natural sweetener to top cereal or yogurt. 
• Skip the syrup and use mixed berries fresh or thawed frozen to top pancakes or waffles.

Anti inflammatory fruits can be a snack or dessert by themselves, easy to eat on the go, can be added to any meal and will liven up your taste buds. 

What are ways that you eat these dark red, blue, and purple anti-inflammatory fruits?

Thank you to Natalie Duncan, MS, and dietetic intern at Southern Regional Medical Center for contributing to this article.