Some Natural Anti-Inflammatory Herbs

The concept of anti-inflammatory herbs is a very interesting one in the world of naturopathy and natural health. The reason why I gravitate towards them is because in the realm of inflammation and anti-inflammatory diets, they’re a nice middle ground.

Some people call for a total anti-inflammatory diet, eating only foods that promote the quelling of inflammation in the body. Others are on the Standard American Diet, eating a host of foods that are known to cause inflammation in the body and often aggravate many disorders and conditions. Anti-inflammatory herbs are a nice in-between.

Foods, in general, are said to be either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. As you might have guessed, foods that are pro-inflammatory will increase the amount of inflammation occurring in different parts of your body, will increase the pain associated with inflammation, and may also increase your risk of having chronic disease. Foods that are pro-inflammatory are mostly junk foods, sugars, fast foods, highly processed foods, and meats high in fat.

But that seems a bit excessive. That’s why I love the idea of anti-inflammatory herbs. They’re a nice middle ground in the world of inflammation, allowing you to stay healthy in that arena, without putting too much of a focus on inflammation in general. Regularly eating some form of natural anti-inflammatory foods is key, because it helps reduce the risk of things like arthritis and chronic autoimmune diseases. And due to the fact that herbal concoctions are generally fairly strong, anti-inflammatory herbs are a great addition to meals, as well as in supplements.

Herbs generally have a wide variety of health benefits, and because inflammation is a somewhat complex process in the body, herbs can affect inflammation in different ways. Inflammation, when carried beyond reasonable limits, can become a type of autoimmune condition. It begins when negative stimuli causes white blood cells to activate in order to protect the area being negatively affected.

Inflammation is necessary to the healing process, but chronic inflammation can cause lots of long term problems and is often excessive, like an allergic reaction.

Here are some of the best, most powerful anti-inflammatory herbs:

1. Turmeric. Turmeric is a spice very common to most Indian foods. Though it has many other medicinal benefits, turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory herbs. But it takes a bit of time to start working, so if you don’t like the taste of turmeric, you might want to think about taking it in capsule form.

2. Ginger. Ginger is also a spice that is used very often in Asian cooking. This spice also has a potent flavor and takes a bit of time in order to take effect within the body. Ginger is very versatile, being used in a range of both foods and drinks, so filling your diet with it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. You can drink ginger tea, ginger ale, use ginger in baked goods and spice meats with it.

3. Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids. Though these aren’t technically herbs, omega 3 essential fatty acids are something that everyone needs more of in their diets. These fatty acids aren’t just anti-inflammatory, they also have a wide variety of very powerful health benefits in the body.

4. Licorice. Licorice is another herb that is very effective in the world of anti-inflammation. This, too, is a great herb to take because of its diversity. Licorice is nice because it can be added to just about anything, like candy, tea, baked goods, vegetables, meats, and more, making it easy to get a high daily dose.

5. Mangosteen Juice. Mangosteen is a fruit native to Asia that has very powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Mangosteen juice is becoming more and more popular with persons who are suffering from the pain of arthritis, and mangosteen even has a very nice flavor. Many people substitute it for orange juice in their morning breakfast.

A few others worthy of note are:

Pineapple juice
Chamomile
Black Seed Oil
White Willow
Red and Black Pepper
St John’s Wort
Cilantro
Cinnamon
Garlic
Cloves

I hope you got some good information about some great natural anti inflammatory herbs. More at http://hubpages.com/hub/Anti-Inflammatory-Herbs.

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