The Top 7 Foods That Destroy Inflammation (clinically proven in 2025)

This protocol is drawn directly from the British Journal of Nutrition trial where participants simply added the nibs to their normal diet and saw reductions in a critical inflammatory cytokine (IL‑1β) as well as unexpected glucose improvements. The speaker speculates the fiber and antioxidant density drive the metabolic effect. Because the nibs are essentially pure, unsweetened cocoa, they deliver a concentrated dose of flavanols without sugar or processing. The dose was well‑tolerated and didn’t require altering the baseline diet, making it extremely practical.

The protocol emerges from a mouse study where 15% green banana flour on a high‑fat diet cut fat gain by 21% and caused a massive shift in the two bacterial phyla most strongly correlated with body composition. The speaker extends this to his own long‑term use, noticing improvements in joint comfort, mental clarity, sleep quality, and bowel regularity. He views green banana flour as a way to get the benefits of resistant starch without consuming large amounts of fibrous vegetables that some people tolerate poorly.

The speaker uses the Seed probiotic (a delayed‑release symbiotic capsule inside a capsule) on a deliberate on‑off cycle. He takes it for about a month, then stops for a couple of weeks, watching for signs of gut distress – bloating, water retention, irregular bathroom schedule – and starts again when those appear. He links this directly to his broader inflammation management: ‘If I feel more inflamed, I start adding the Seed back in.’ He is clear that this is his personal method, not the company’s recommendation, but he finds it effective without creating dependency.

Because the rodent bone broth study pointed to histadine and glutamine as the active agents, the speaker suggests that individuals who dislike bone broth could bypass the collagen/gelatin and take glutamine directly. He acknowledges online warnings that glutamine might feed pathogenic cells, but argues that those warnings apply only at extreme, non‑physiological doses, while most modern people are glutamine‑deficient due to stress and training. He frames it as a pragmatic shortcut.

The mice were given bone broth as part of their regular diet before the colitis induction. Not only did they not develop the disease, but the inflammatory cytokines interleukin‑6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha dropped, while the anti‑inflammatory interleukin‑4 and interferon‑gamma rose substantially. The researchers attributed much of the effect to the amino acids histadine and glutamine, which are abundant in bone broth and are known to reduce inflammation. The speaker notes that glutamine is often demonised for potentially ‘fueling bad things’ in the body, but argues that those fears apply only at absurdly high intakes; most people are deficient due to stress and exercise. This study shifts bone broth from a folk remedy to a prophylactic intervention with clear cytokine-level evidence.

The British Journal of Nutrition study reported reductions in interleukin‑1 beta, a key upstream inflammatory cytokine, along with changes in nuclear factor kappa B and the NLRP3 inflammasome – master regulators of inflammation. The speaker speculates that the glucose‑lowering effect may be due to the high fiber and antioxidant content of the nibs, which could improve insulin sensitivity indirectly. He emphasises that the participants did not change their regular diet; the cacao nibs were simply added in. This makes the glucose finding particularly actionable because it suggests an easy, low‑sugar adjunct that packs a double punch – anti‑inflammatory and glucose‑modulating.

Mice were divided into four groups: high‑fat, high‑fat + 15% green banana flour, regular diet, and regular diet + 15% flour. Focusing on the high‑fat arm, the group receiving the flour gained 21% less fat. Adipose‑tissue‑derived inflammatory cytokines fell in a dose‑dependent fashion, meaning less fat mass meant less systemic inflammation. Leptin, a hormone that normally rises with obesity, dropped, and the hunger‑feedback loops were normalised. The most striking finding was the microbiome shift: a massive reduction in Firmicutes, the phylum associated with obesity, and a large increase in Bacteroidetes, the phylum linked to leanness. The speaker underlines that this is the strongest correlation we have between the gut biome and body composition, making green banana flour a uniquely potent anti‑inflammatory tool that works through the gut.

The study used both in vitro macrophage cultures and an in vivo rodent model with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced endotoxemia – a state mimicking severe infection and septic shock. In the macrophages, black garlic extract dropped nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2, two key inflammatory mediators. It did this by suppressing cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2) expression, meaning cells produced less of the enzyme itself, not just blocking its activity. The speaker compares this to ibuprofen, which inhibits COX‑2, whereas black garlic reduces the very amount of COX‑2 available. In the animal model, the extract prevented death from LPS‑induced shock, a dramatic demonstration of systemic anti‑inflammatory protection. The speaker notes that black garlic is increasingly available, mentioning Costco as a source, making it a practical addition to an anti‑inflammatory diet.

When animals on a poor diet gained weight, their gut became more permeable, a classic ‘leaky gut’ state. Adding hemp seeds reversed this permeability increase. Two mechanisms were proposed: a beneficial shift in the gut microbiome, and the direct action of omega‑3‑derived endocannabinoid‑like lipids that bind to cannabinoid receptors and dampen inflammation. The speaker is careful to stress that this is about ordinary hemp seeds available at Costco, not cannabis products, and that the anti‑inflammatory net effect is substantial. He personally had stepped back from hemp seeds but is now reconsidering them based on this research.

The research demonstrated that anthocyanins not only neutralise reactive oxygen species themselves but also increase the production of superoxide dismutase, which converts superoxide radicals into hydrogen peroxide, and catalase, which then breaks hydrogen peroxide down into water and oxygen. This ‘one‑two punch’ means the body can handle oxidative stress more efficiently for longer. The speaker contrasts this with the simplistic notion that vegetables are anti‑inflammatory just because they are low‑calorie; blueberries offer what he calls ‘real bang for the buck’ through a dual mechanism.