What you eat can influence inflammation in your body. Foods high in added sugar, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and heavily processed ingredients may contribute to chronic inflammation when consumed regularly.

But you don't need to give up everything you enjoy. Understanding which foods deserve a smaller place in your diet is a good starting point.

Key Takeaways:

• Sugary drinks, processed meats, fried foods, and ultra-processed snacks may contribute to inflammation.
• Your long-term eating habits matter more than an occasional treat.
• Dairy, gluten, and seed oils aren't inflammatory for everyone.
• Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats may help manage inflammation.

How Does Food Affect Inflammation?

Inflammation is part of your body's natural defense system. It helps fight infections and repair damaged tissue. The concern is chronic inflammation, which can persist for months or years and is linked to conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Your diet can influence inflammation through several pathways, including blood sugar regulation, gut health, and body fat.

Researchers also measure inflammation using blood markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Higher levels can indicate inflammation, although they don't reveal its exact cause.

7 Foods That May Cause Inflammation

Some foods have stronger links to inflammation than others. Here are seven categories worth paying attention to.

1. Sugary Foods and Drinks

Soda, candy, sweetened coffee, and packaged desserts can add substantial amounts of sugar to your diet.

In a study involving 6,856 U.S. adults, heavy consumers of sugary drinks had CRP levels approximately 0.26 mg/L higher than non-consumers after researchers adjusted for several factors, including body weight. The association was stronger among participants with obesity (1).

This doesn't mean sugar in whole fruit has the same effect. Fruit also provides fiber, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds.

2. Refined Carbohydrates

White bread, pastries, and sugary breakfast cereals contain little fiber compared with their whole-grain alternatives.

These foods can raise blood sugar quickly, particularly when eaten alone. Over time, diets dominated by refined carbohydrates may contribute to poor metabolic health and inflammation.

You don't need to avoid white rice or bread completely. Portion sizes, fiber intake, and what you eat alongside them matter, too.

3. Processed and Red Meats

Bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats are worth limiting, especially when they replace healthier protein sources.

Processed meats can contain high amounts of sodium and saturated fat. Certain cooking methods, particularly high-temperature cooking, also produce compounds that may contribute to oxidative stress.

The evidence is less clear for moderate amounts of unprocessed lean red meat, so it's worth distinguishing the two.

4. Deep-Fried Foods

French fries, fried chicken, and other deep-fried foods can contribute excess calories and unhealthy fat to your diet.

A randomized trial involving 117 overweight adults found that eating fried meat four times weekly for four weeks increased several inflammatory markers compared with avoiding fried meat (2).

The results don't prove every fried food has the same effect. Still, baking, grilling, or air-frying can be practical alternatives.

5. Ultra-Processed Foods

Chips, packaged cookies, candy bars, and certain ready-made meals can contain combinations of refined starches, added sugars, salt, and fats.

A 2025 review examined 24 human studies. Among adults, 11 of 17 analyses found higher CRP or hs-CRP levels with greater ultra-processed food consumption (3).

However, not every packaged food is unhealthy. Plain yogurt, canned beans, and frozen vegetables can still fit into a nutritious diet.

6. Foods Containing Trans Fats

Artificial trans fats can negatively affect cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. They're also linked to inflammatory processes.

The main concern is industrial trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils, not every food containing fat.

The FDA has taken steps to remove partially hydrogenated oils from the U.S. food supply. Still, checking ingredient labels can help, particularly with imported products.

7. Excessive Alcohol

Drinking heavily can affect your liver, damage the gut barrier, and interfere with normal immune function.

Over time, these changes may contribute to systemic inflammation.

Alcohol isn't a necessary part of a healthy diet, and drinking more won't provide extra protection against inflammation.

Do Dairy, Gluten, and Seed Oils Cause Inflammation?

Not every food blamed for inflammation deserves that reputation.

• Dairy: A systematic review of 27 randomized trials found that dairy products and dairy proteins had largely neutral or beneficial effects on inflammatory markers (4). People with milk allergies still need to avoid dairy.
• Gluten: People with celiac disease experience an immune reaction when they consume gluten. For people without celiac disease or related sensitivities, avoiding gluten hasn't been shown to reduce inflammation consistently.
• Seed oils: Despite concerns about omega-6 fats, a review of 30 randomized trials involving 1,377 participants found no significant increase in inflammatory markers from higher linoleic acid intake (5).

The food itself, your medical history, and your eating habits all deserve consideration.

What Should You Eat Instead to Reduce Inflammation?

You don't need a complicated diet plan. A few straightforward swaps can improve the nutritional quality of your meals.

A Mediterranean-style eating pattern offers another useful approach. It emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts, and olive oil.

A 2026 meta-analysis of 33 randomized trials involving 3,476 participants found that Mediterranean diets reduced certain inflammatory markers, including hs-CRP and IL-6, compared with control diets. Not every marker improved, but the findings support the benefits of healthier eating patterns (6).

Final Words

You don't have to eat perfectly to make progress. Cutting back on sugary drinks, processed meats, and deep-fried foods while adding more fiber-rich, nutritious options is a sensible place to begin.

And if you're exploring healthy aging beyond diet, Omre NMN + Resveratrol combines two ingredients studied for their roles in cellular health and aging-related pathways. It's designed to complement healthy habits, not replace them or treat inflammation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the biggest food trigger for inflammation?

There isn't one food that causes the most inflammation in everyone. Diets high in ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates have been linked to higher inflammatory markers.

Does sugar cause inflammation?

High added-sugar intake, particularly from sugary drinks, may contribute to inflammation. The evidence is stronger for long-term dietary patterns than for an occasional sweet treat.

Does dairy cause inflammation?

Research suggests dairy has neutral or sometimes beneficial effects on inflammatory markers for many people. However, those with milk allergies can experience immune reactions.

Is gluten inflammatory for everyone?

No. Gluten triggers an immune response in people with celiac disease, but most people don't need to avoid it solely to prevent inflammation.

Are seed oils inflammatory?

Current human research doesn't support the claim that all seed oils cause inflammation. The amount consumed and the nutritional quality of the whole diet matter more than avoiding seed oils entirely.

References

1. Lin, W. T., et al. (2020). The association between sugar-sweetened beverages intake, body mass index, and inflammation in US adults. International Journal of Public Health.
2. Gao, J., et al. (2021). The association of fried meat consumption with the gut microbiota and its impact on systemic inflammation. Diabetes Care.
3. Ciaffi, J., et al. (2025). Ultra-processed food consumption and systemic inflammatory biomarkers: A scoping review. Nutrients.
4. Nieman, K. M., et al. (2021). The effects of dairy product and dairy protein intake on inflammation: A systematic review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
5. Su, H., et al. (2017). Dietary linoleic acid intake and blood inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Food & Function.
6. Keshani, M., et al. (2026). Mediterranean diet reduces inflammation in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Reviews.