The 8 Best Inflammation Fighting Drinks To Sip On, According To A Functional Medicine Expert

It’s no surprise that inflammation can damage our health. But with so many triggers in our daily lives, we can do a lot to protect ourselves from unnecessary inflammation.

As a functional medicine practitioner, the number one way I do this is through diet. While a complete diet overhaul is sometimes necessary, there are a lot of anti-inflammatory superfoods that we can incorporate into our daily life without the need for a major life change.

One of the easiest ways to do this is through upping your intake of nutrient-dense drinks since they are easy to add into your day while still being super effective at helping your body win the battle against inflammation.

1. Golden milk

Turmeric is a superstar anti-inflammatory spice due to its high curcumin content that has been linked to improvement in inflammatory conditions such as lupus, (1) pneumonia, (2) rheumatoid arthritis, (3) dementia, (4) and autoimmune diseases. During the cold winter months, a Golden Milk latte made with coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper (which increases curcumin’s bioavailability), and raw honey is a sweet way to sip your inflammation away.

2. Earl grey tea

If you know me, you know I start every day off with a cup of Earl Grey tea. This black tea made with bergamot oil is high in the antioxidant theaflavin that works to drive-down inflammation (5) by down-regulating (6) pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is especially beneficial to drink this if you are intermittent fasting because it helps to take fasting’s already amazing anti-inflammatory benefits to the next-level.

3. Green tea

Speaking of tea, let’s welcome the green tea to the stage. What I consider the Beyoncé of all tea, it has some of the highest levels of the beneficial catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Studies have shown (7) that EGCG can boost your anti-inflammatory Nrf2 pathway and down-regulate your pro-inflammatory Nf-kB pathway.

Matcha has some of the highest amounts of EGCG of all green tea - up to three times more than regular green tea - so it’s my go-to choice when I need to really boost my inflammation-fighting game.

4. Pomegranate juice

Another antioxidant rich superfood, pomegranates are rich in the compound ellagitannin, that works to inhibit (8) oxidation and cellular damage from life stressors like toxins, stress, and poor diet that lead to chronic inflammation. In fact, ellagitannin is so powerful they have been linked to enhanced cognitive function through their ability to lower (9) brain-specific inflammation. So next time you are at the grocery store, stock up on pomegranate juice to sip on your add to your favorite smoothie recipe.

5. Coffee

Whether or not coffee is an anti-inflammatory beverage comes down to your genetics. Your CYP1A215 (10) gene determines how well your body metabolizes caffeine. If you are a slow metabolizer, coffee can actually trigger more inflammation and come with more side effects (hello, jitters!) but if you are a fast metabolizer, coffee can come with a lot of cool health benefits including benefiting from coffee’s many anti-inflammatory antioxidants. (11)

6. Chlorella water

Sea vegetables and algae like chlorella have been consumed across cultures for centuries but are often overlooked in our modern society. Instead of passing over this ancient gift from the sea, we can harness its powers to fend off inflammation. In fact, studies have shown that chlorella’s antioxidant content can improve asthma and other respiratory conditions by lowering (12) inflammation.

You can add liquid chlorella drops to your water and drink it at any point during the day however, I suggest drinking it right before a workout or sauna session since sweating can increase chlorella’s detoxification abilities to further lower inflammation levels.

7. Celery juice

The wellness world is buzzing about the health benefits of swapping your morning beverage for celery juice. While more studies need to be done to verify these benefits, there’s no doubt that its high phytonutrient content can help reduce (13) oxidative stress and inflammation.

8. Galangal broth

Bone broth is one of the most nutrient-dense liquids on the planet. But if you are plant-based you don’t have to feel left out! Galangal broth is made from the galangal root, a root that is part of the same rhizome family as ginger and also has a similar taste.

Although it doesn’t have some of the same inflammation soothing ingredients as bone broth, it makes up for it in its phytonutrient (14) content that studies have shown to down-regulate (15) the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-6 and inhibit the pro-inflammatory pathway, NF-kb. 

The Takeaway

If you are looking to heal chronic inflammation or maintain healthy inflammation levels, adding more of these anti-inflammatory drinks into your day is an easy (and delicious) way to enhance your health journey. Just remember, consistency is key, so choose a few of your favorites and enjoy sipping away chronic inflammation!

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