Health Nutrition & Diet 15 Anti-Inflammatory Fruits Bursting With Antioxidants and Fiber A diet rich in these fruits can help your body fight chronic inflammation. By Seraphina Seow Seraphina Seow Seraphina is a health writer with a background as a registered dietitian. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 08, 2024 Medically reviewed by Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN Medically reviewed by Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN is a nationally recognized nutrition expert with over 16 years of experience in culinary nutrition and communications. Learn More Close Photo: Laroslav Danylchenko/Getty Images The phrase "anti-inflammatory" is thrown around often in wellness circles, especially in conversations about food and nutrition. But what does it actually mean for something—like a fruit, vegetable, or recipe—to be anti-inflammatory? Two registered dietitians help to unpack this healthy descriptor, recommend their favorite fruits to help reduce unwanted inflammation in your body, and explain what gives them the ability to do that. 11 Signs of Inflammation Not to Ignore, According to Doctors Why Reducing Inflammation Is Important Your body has the potential to exhibit two different kinds of inflammation. “The first type, called acute inflammation, is the short term pink or red or swelling around a wound that happens while the wound is healing,” says Janice Chow, MS, RD, registered dietitian and owner of nutrition counseling service The Mindful Chow. This kind of inflammation is helpful to your body, and it’s your system’s natural reaction to an unwanted intruder (injury, illness, infection, and so on). Chronic inflammation is the second kind of inflammation, and it is more damaging to your health if it’s not addressed. It is termed ‘chronic’ because it doesn’t resolve, but occurs for a longer period of time. “Chronic inflammation could be triggered by various factors, like external and internal traumas,” Chow explains. “It might be diseases or conditions that a person might have, or a prolonged environmental impact [that they’ve experienced].” Examples of environmental triggers include psychological stress, air pollution, and poor nutrition. “The chronic inflammation that arises as a result of these triggers can create an environment for diseases to occur,” Chow says. How Eating Fruit Helps Lower Chronic Inflammation What makes many types of fruit highly anti-inflammatory foods is that they contain nutrients and compounds that help lower this chronic inflammation, Chow says, drawing particular attention to two major groups of compounds found in food: antioxidants and fiber. Antioxidants “The role of antioxidants is to neutralize some of the unstable molecules in our body that might happen during inflammation,” Chow explains. Unstable molecules called free radicals are produced when your body is exposed constantly to environmental triggers like toxins in the air, alcohol consumption, stress, poor nutrition, and the like, explains Annie Zappulla, BS, RDN, registered dietitian and owner of A to Z Wellness Solutions LLC. “An excessive amount of these unstable molecules may cause longer term damage to our cells, and there are theories that this kind of cellular damage may lead to chronic diseases,” Chow says. A higher intake of antioxidants through foods (mostly plant foods) can help to neutralize these unstable molecules. Fiber Research also points to fiber as the other most beneficial compounds for reducing chronic inflammation, Chow says. One way that fiber may do this is by supporting a gut pH level that decreases inflammatory molecules. The 7 Best Foods for Gut Health, Plus Other Tips from a Registered Dietitian Top Anti-Inflammatory Fruits to Stock Up On 01 of 15 Dragon Fruit Caitlin Bensel Pink Dragon Fruit Smoothie Dragon fruit is not only an eye-catching fruit, it’s high in fiber and antioxidants like vitamins C, E, B2, as well as carotenoids, Chow says. Never tried it before? Here’s exactly how to cut, eat, and enjoy dragon fruit. 02 of 15 Apples Alison Miksch Celery-and-Apple Salad With Crispy Buckwheat Apples are almost always available at your local grocery store, and their simplicity may cause you to overlook them when loading up your cart in the produce section. But apples really are all that! According to Chow, they’re a great source of antioxidants, namely vitamin C, quercetin, and flavonoids—plus they’re high in fiber, too (reminder: the skin is where a lot of the fiber is). Eating More Flavonol-Rich Foods Helps Lower Your Risk of Frailty With Age, New Research Finds 03 of 15 Berries Greg DuPree Strawberry-Chia Breakfast Pudding “Studies show that berry consumption is linked to a lower risk of disease,” Zappulla says. And according to Chow, berries are very high in both fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin C (a half cup of strawberries gives you around 50 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin C), quercetin, carotenoids, and anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are the plant pigments that give strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries their beautiful red, purple, and blue colors, Zappulla explains. 11 Polyphenol-Rich Foods and Drinks—Plus Why You Should Eat More 04 of 15 Stone Fruits Heami Lee Vietnamese-Inspired Peach Salad Peaches and plums are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A, anthocyanins and phenolic acid, Chow says. They also provide you with a good amount of fiber. 05 of 15 Red and Black Grapes Greg Dupree Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Grapes and Feta “Red and black grapes are well known for an antioxidant called resveratrol, which is found in their skin,” Chow says. “The skin also contains a lot of the fiber, so I would highly suggest consuming grapes with their skin on.” These darker colored grapes are also high in other antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin B2, anthocyanin, quercetin, and flavonoids. 06 of 15 Citrus Fruits Caitlin Bensel Every-Citrus Salad All citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes, are high in antioxidants like flavonoids and vitamin C (a half cup of grapefruit provides around 40% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin C), and also contain a good amount of fiber. “One word of caution with grapefruit is that some medications could potentially react with it, so I would consult with your doctor before eating it,” Chow says. 07 of 15 Pomegranate Seeds Caitlin Bensel Pomegranate-Almond Toast When you munch on juicy, crunchy, ruby-red pomegranate seeds, Chow says you reap the benefits of both fiber and antioxidants like vitamin C, anthocyanin, tannins, and phenolic acid. These pops of nutrients are extremely good for you and a tasty addition to both sweet and savory dishes. 08 of 15 Passion Fruit Getty Images Passion fruit is very high in vitamin C (a half cup provides you with around 40 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin C!), vitamin A and other antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. The seeds are especially high in fiber. Eating half a cup of passion fruit gives you almost 50 percent of the recommended 25 grams of fiber a day for women (38 grams for men). 09 of 15 Pineapple Victor Protasio Glazed Chicken and Pineapple According to Zappulla, pineapple contains a compound called bromelain, which has inflammation reducing properties. Pineapple is also a good source of fiber and antioxidants like vitamin C (a half cup provides you with around 40 percent Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin C), and vitamin A. 10 of 15 Watermelon Jennifer Causey Ginger-Lime Melon Salad Finally, we have the ultimate poolside snack, watermelon. “Watermelon is known for its bright red color, which comes from another powerful antioxidant called lycopene,” Zappulla says. “It's also a really good source of vitamin C, which is another antioxidant.” 11 of 15 Cherries Greg DuPree Chicken Thighs With Cherry Salsa Cherries (and in particular, tart cherries) are an anti-inflammatory powerhouse, as they're packed with antioxidants. Tart cherries are rich in flavonoids like anthocyanins, along with vitamin C, vitamin A, and phenolic acid. 12 of 15 Tomatoes Greg Dupree Tomatoes With Ricotta and Herbs Tomatoes may not be the first thing you think of when you say fruit, but they are—and they're loaded with anti-inflammatory nutrients. They feature all three kinds of carotenoids, along with lycopene, which may help reduce inflammation, according to recent studies. (You'll want to cook them to get the full benefits of lycopene.) 12 Fresh Tomato Recipes to Use Up Your Best Heirloom Varieties 13 of 15 Dates Chocolate Date Oat Bars Dates have been touted as a healthier alternative to sugars as a sweetener in desserts, but they also offer seven grams of fiber in a 100-gram serving (about four to five dates). They are also offer a slew of antioxidants, including inflammation-reducing flavonoids, heart-protective carotenoids, and phenolic acids. 14 of 15 Mango Victor Protasio Tropical Fruit Salad Mango is a good source of dietary fiber, along with providing a full day's worth of vitamin C, and vitamins A and E—all antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation. 18 Mango Recipes That’ll Make You Feel Like You're On a Tropical Getaway 15 of 15 Cranberries Greg Dupree Double Cranberry Apple Sauce These tart Thanksgiving favorites have many of the same benefits of their sweeter berry cousins. They're full of anthocyanins and flavonols that can help lower inflammation in your body. 22 Foods High in Vitamin C for an Extra Immune-Boost Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Karaköy Z, Cadirci E, Dincer B. A new target in inflammatory diseases: Lycopene. Eurasian J Med., 2022;54(Suppl. 1):S23-S28 Rahmani AH, Aly SM, Ali H, et al. Therapeutic effects of date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) in the prevention of diseases via modulation of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumour activity. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2014;7(3):483-491. Mango, USDA Food Data Central.