The 7 Best Fruits for Inflammation (2024)

You're not alone if you've questioned the role of fruit in a healthy diet. The popularity of low-carb and keto diets, along with consumers becoming more sugar-aware, has left many to feel that it may be best to limit—or worse, avoid—fruit intake altogether. But fruit can—and should—be part of a healthy diet since it offers anti-inflammatory benefits you really don't want to miss out on.

While fruits do contain sugar, it's a natural form of sugar—as opposed to added sugar, which is linked to obesity and chronic health issues. Fruit also boasts good-for-you fiber, antioxidants and bioactive compounds.

Sure, you can go overboard, even with natural sugar, but if you're sticking to the recommended two or three servings of fruit a day, you'll get plenty of health benefits. And if you want the biggest bang for your buck, choose some of these top anti-inflammatory fruits when possible.

1. Cherries

Pictured Recipe: Anti-Inflammatory Cherry-Spinach Smoothie

Research, like the 2018 review in Nutrients, suggests that both sweet and tart cherry varieties lower inflammatory blood proteins and offer pain relief effects comparable to ibuprofen. In fact, the Arthritis Foundation suggests eating cherries as a way to ease joint issues related to arthritis and gout.

Anthocyanins and other polyphenolic compounds in cherries appear to reduce inflammation by stopping potential free radicals from damaging cells, but they may also help you get more restful sleep—a lifestyle factor that's key in preventing and easing inflammation. Cherries appear to do this by increasing melatonin levels and stopping inflammatory cytokines that disrupt sleep.

2. Strawberries

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When it comes to vitamin C, oranges tend to get all the credit, but the reality is that one cup of sliced strawberries provides 98 mg of vitamin C, per the USDA. According to the FDA, that's over 100% of daily vitamin C—more than a medium orange!

While vitamin C provides a host of benefits, getting adequate amounts of it is particularly important for proper immune functioning since inflammation occurs when the immune system becomes stressed and overworked. The antioxidant vitamin also offers additional anti-inflammatory benefits by stopping free radicals from damaging cells to trigger new inflammation.

3. Watermelon

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A refreshing treat in hot summer months, watermelon is known for being sweet and juicy, but the melon's nutritional perks are rarely mentioned. Watermelon is one of the few food sources of lycopene, a powerful compound that's responsible for the melon's pink-red hue and protects the body from free radicals damage.

A 2020 review in the journal Antioxidants suggests that lycopene may offer protection to help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, skin and bone diseases, and liver, nerve and reproductive disorders. It may also help squelch inflammation.

4. Apples

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Apples don't have near as many of the antioxidant-like compounds that berries do, but they can reduce inflammation in another way by strengthening your gut microbiome, according to research, like the 2022 review in the Journal of Food Science.

A medium apple contains around 4 grams of fiber, per the USDA, a large portion of which is a soluble, fermentable type called pectin. Pectin is a form of food that good bacteria in the gut need to thrive and grow. Often referred to as prebiotics, these fibers can improve the composition of microbes in the gut. Doing this creates a stronger intestinal lining that helps prevent inflammatory compounds from crossing to get into the body.

5. Pineapple

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Pineapples contain bromelain, a unique enzyme that has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer effects, according to a 2021 review in Foods. Bromelain shows the greatest potential in preventing cancer growth by suppressing inflammatory factors that promote cell mutation and metastasis. And therapeutic supplements of bromelain may even provide some pain relief for certain forms of arthritis. According to a 2022 review in Nutrients, there is some evidence that bromelain may speed up muscle recovery after strenuous workouts by decreasing inflammation, but more research needs to be done.

6. Avocado

Pictured Recipe: Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

It's easy to forget that avocados are a fruit. And while their nutritional profile looks quite different, this just means avocados offer some anti-inflammatory benefits that you can't get from other fruit. The creamy fruit is full of monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, fiber and carotenoids which collectively work together to soothe inflammation in the body.

Heart disease is a condition thought to be caused by chronic inflammation, but eating avocado might help reduce the inflammation—and risk of heart disease. For example, in a 2022 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, participants who replaced half a serving of margarine, butter, eggs, cheese, yogurt or processed meat with an equivalent amount of avocado each day, reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 16% to 22%.

7. Blueberries

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Polyphenolic compounds give blueberries their vibrant purple-blue color, and these compounds also act as antioxidants to ease existing inflammation and prevent free radicals from triggering new inflammation. In fact, a 2020 review in Advances in Nutrition suggests that regularly eating blueberries appears to exert anti-inflammatory effects that have the potential to decrease blood pressure, improve blood flow and protect brain cells from neuroinflammation. And because most frozen blueberries are flash-frozen right after being picked, they're ideal to keep on hand to toss into a smoothie for a daily dose of antioxidants and anthocyanins.