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Page 22 | Abby's Magazine | www.AbbysMag.com Anti-Inflammatory Foods Anti-Inflammatory Foods We All Need To Be Eating By Barbara Pavone an oxidant capacity. The researchers also analyzed how well the blood could dampen an induced inflammatory response in white blood cells." What they found was that four spices, when consumed in small amounts (just one teaspoon a day) were "significantly effec ve at quelling the inflammatory response". These top honors went to: cloves, ginger, rosemary and turmeric. Green tea While working on a research paper tled Natural An -Inflammatory Agents for Pain Relief in 2010, researchers from the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Pi sburgh Medical Center concluded that green tea, which has "long been recognized to have cardiovascular and cancer preventa ve characteris cs due to its an oxidant proper es," can also be used to treat inflamma on with great results. According to their study, "green tea research now demonstrates both an -inflammatory and chondroprotec ve effects," which means that not only does the brew have the power to lower inflamma on, but also to "delay progressive joint space narrowing characteris c of arthri s." What's more, they point out that drinking three to four cups a day may "lead to significant cardiovascular, neuroprotec ve and cancer preven on proper es." Beans and legumes Andrew Weil, M.D., author of the An - Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid, puts great emphasis on beans and legumes when recommending an -inflammatory foods as they are "rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and are delicious if prepared properly; plus are among the most inexpensive foods you can buy." So what exactly are legumes? They are "the seeds of the plants in the Fabaceae family" and include kitchen staples like len ls, soybeans and peas. Dr. Weil When your body is hurt, it rushes white blood cells to the scene to help fight against "invading microbes or to heal damaged ssue." As this happens, the area begins to swell and a state of inflamma on occurs, some mes causing pain if there is pressure on surrounding nerves. That being said, inflamma on may also occur when there is no injury at all, which is the case for the 50 million Americans currently suffering from arthri s. Although there is no simple cure for this type of chronic pain, studies have found that comba ng inflamma on is actually possible through diet with a li le help from these powerful an -inflammatory foods. Olive oil In addi on to being a great source of monounsaturated fats (a healthy fat that can help improve heart health) and an oxidants, olive oil also delivers quite the punch in the an -inflammatory department. As the Arthri s Founda on explains, that's because olive oil is high in oleocanthal, "a compound that can lower inflamma on and pain." The founda on recommends adding two or three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (it's the least processed and therefore "retains more nutrients than standard varie es") to your daily diet, either as a salad dressing or as a simple cooking ingredient. Spices Taking to his blog to write about the best an -inflammatory foods and spices, Dr. Mercola cites a 2012 study, which examined the various effects spices have on inflamma on. Over the course of one week, 13 groups of 12 people were each assigned a par cular spice and 10 of the 12 par cipants added it to their diet while the other two did not. Blood samples were taken before and a er meals on each day and, as Dr. Mercola explains, these were then "analyzed for Anti-Inflammatory Foods