TL;DR: Follow an anti-inflammation diet to reduce pain. Food can fuel inflammation or fight it. Cut refined sugar/flour and ultra-processed oils; load up on colorful fruits/veggies rich in polyphenols and carotenoids; try a 30-day elimination to spot personal triggers. Don’t think of this as treatment—it’s common-sense support that can lower inflammatory load. Click here for the Roadmap to Health.

Why diet changes pain

  • Glycation: High sugar/refined carbs form AGEs that damage collagen and stiffen tissues.

  • Ultra-processed oils & additives: Often accompany a Western diet pattern linked with higher inflammatory markers.

  • Phytonutrients: Polyphenols and carotenoids act as antioxidants and cell protectors; higher intake tracks with lower inflammation (see refs 1–11).

1) Avoid obvious inflammation drivers

Refined sugar, white flour products, chemical additives, and highly processed shelf oils (extracted with heat/solvents). Your skin, connective tissue, and joints will thank you.

2) Eat the colors (polyphenols & carotenoids)

Bright produce—greens, reds, oranges, blues, purples—delivers polyphenols (flavonoids, anthocyanins) and carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene). These compounds reduce inflammatory signaling and oxidative stress (refs 1–11).
Bottom line: Aim for ~75% (by volume) of the plate as fresh fruits and vegetables.

3) Extra discipline for 30 days (to find your triggers)

As outlined in the Roadmap to Health, limit complex carbohydrates and common culprits (e.g., gluten, dairy/lactose) for 30 days. Then reintroduce one at a time to see what flares pain or digestion. This helps identify foods that feed an undesirable microbiome or spike inflammation—for you.

Bottom Line: All symptoms have an inflammatory component. Improve the diet → you lower inflammatory load. This isn’t “treatment” (a medical concept); it’s health optimization that helps your body cope better with pain and other issues.

References

  1. Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):913-22 Strawberry anthocyanin and its association with postprandial inflammation and insulin
  2. J Nutr. 2015 Jul;145(7):1459-63. Supplementation of the Pure Flavonoids Epicatechin and Quercetin Affects Some Biomarkers of Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammation in (Pre)Hypertensive Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial
  3. Food Chem. 2020 Apr 25;310:125797 Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men
  4. Nutr Rev. 2019 Jun 22:nuz018 Impact of anthocyanin-rich whole fruit consumption on exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  5. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Mar 12;19(3):816. Anthocyanin-Rich Extract from Red Chinese Cabbage Alleviates Vascular Inflammation in Endothelial Cells and Apo E -/- Mice
  6. PLoS One. 2018 Apr 11;13(4):e0195502 The flavonoid compound apigenin prevents colonic inflammation and motor dysfunctions associated with high fat diet-induced obesity
  7. Nutr Diabetes. 2017 May 15;7(5):e276 Flavonoid intake is inversely associated with obesity and C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, in US adults
  8. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Aug 26;149(1):169-75 The root barks of Morus alba and the flavonoid constituents inhibit airway inflammation
  9. Nutr Res. 2018 Apr;52:98-104 A diet high in carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits favorably impacts inflammation status by increasing plasma concentrations of IFN-α2 and decreasing MIP-1β and TNF-α in healthy individuals during a controlled feeding trial
  10. Br J Nutr. 2014 Oct 28;112(8):1341-52 Patterns of dietary intake and serum carotenoid and tocopherol status are associated with biomarkers of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk
  11. J Perinatol. 2012 Jun;32(6):418-24 Cerebrospinal fluid levels of inflammation, oxidative stress and NAD+ are linked to differences in plasma carotenoid concentrations