Top 10 Most Inflammatory Foods in the American Diet

Nikole Stewart |

Updated: Dec 31, 2024

Most Inflammatory Foods in the American Diet, Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

The word “inflammation” has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Inflammation connects with serious health issues¹ including depression, allergies, muscle and joint pain, eczema, IBS, arthritis, and heart disease. Thanks to integrative medicine, it’s proven that what we eat has the power to change the levels of inflammation in our body and in turn, heighten these symptoms.

The best way to remove inflammation from the body is by eating anti-inflammatory foods. Whole, organic food can help your body detox, balance blood sugar, and regulate your overall system from all the nutrients². Cutting out some of the most inflammatory foods in the American diet like gluten, fried food, and dairy, will make you feel more energized and even look more vibrant.

To follow this diet, you should focus on one-ingredient foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and organic animal products such as chicken, turkey, and eggs. But first, let’s find out the 10 most inflammatory foods in the American diet. Knowing what triggers inflammation can help you build a meal plan using healthy, whole ingredients.

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Inflammatory Foods in the American Diet

The Standard American Diet largely consists of processed food-like substances such as refined sugar, flour, additives, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and junk food. These man-made foods are toxic to our bodies and inflame our cells and our gut, which can lead to chronic inflammation. But how do you know which are the most inflammatory foods in the American diet beyond this list?

Check the ingredients. For instance, while packaged and processed foods are on the list, they’re not all unhealthy. If the packaged food being sold is a whole food (such as quinoa) without additives on the ingredient list, it’s most likely a healthy choice. It’s important to read the labels on products to make sure the product is only made from whole ingredients that you can pronounce.

Below are the top most inflammatory foods in the American diet that you should avoid, as well as suggestions on what you can swap them with instead.

1. Gluten

Most Inflammatory Foods in the American Diet, gluten Unsplash — Credit: Unsplash

Found in: soy sauce, wheat, bread, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, cereals, oats, rye, pasta, breadcrumbs, spelt, kamut, semolina, certain medications, certain personal care products such as makeup, toothpaste, sunscreen, and lotions³.

Many restaurants use gluten in sneaky places such as soy sauce, meatballs, miso, stock, soba noodles, tamari, and seasonings. You can always ask for substitutions if this is the case.

Swap with: Try gluten-free bread or use leafy greens such as kale and collard green leaves to wrap your sandwiches. Look for brands made from whole gluten-free grains that contain a hearty mix of whole grains, nutrients, and vitamins.

Instead of wheat pasta, try pasta made from quinoa or beans. Serve just as you would regular pasta with homemade tomato sauce and fresh basil. Add a handful of raw walnuts for an extra anti-inflammatory omega-3 boost.

2. Dairy

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Found in: cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, cookies, cakes, and desserts. Conventional (non-organic) dairy is filled with antibiotics, growth hormones, and many other scary ingredients that aren’t on the labels.

Dairy is known to cause mucus and inflammation in many people and can also lead to acne and GI (stomach) issues such as IBS, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation⁴.

Swap with: Look for nondairy products like soy or oat milk. Instead of butter, margarine, or shortening, use coconut oil in your baking recipes, spread it onto your toast, and use it for cooking on the stovetop.

3. Alcohol

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Found in: beer, cocktails, and hard liquor. Beer is made with gluten and many alcohol products have traces of gluten, therefore it’s best to avoid it.

In large amounts, alcohol can overwhelm the gastrointestinal tract and liver, causing an inflammatory response, which can cause damage⁵. Many other alcohol products also contain refined sugar and chemical dyes.

Swap with: Sparkling water and fresh lemon slices, herbal teas, and fresh juices are great alternatives to one of the most inflammatory foods in the American diet.

4. Caffeine

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Found in: soda, coffee, and energy drinks. Caffeine is one of the most inflammatory foods in the American diet that so many of us consume. Caffeine can affect our adrenals and cortisol levels, which makes us think we’re in fight or flight mode (inflammatory) instead of being in a relaxed, calm state⁶.

Therefore, our bodies can’t always properly perform the necessary tasks they need to such as digestion, sleep, energy production, and hormone and appetite regulation. Caffeine is also addictive and increases hunger, so we can end up consuming more coffee or sugary soda.

Swap with: Try seltzer with fresh lemon and cucumber slices. And instead of reaching for your caffeinated coffee in the morning, try herbal tea with fresh lemon slices.

5. Hydrogenated Fat (aka Trans Fats) and Highly Refined Cooking Oils

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Found in: Peanut, cottonseed, soy, and corn oils as well as margarine, shortening, white bread, non-dairy coffee creamers, peanut butter, fast food, and ice cream⁷.

Trans fats are easy to find. Look for “partially hydrogenated” on the ingredient label for foods such as snack foods, doughs, pies, cookies, and crackers. Don’t fall for the “No Trans Fat” label on packages because these snacks can still contain trans fats. If you dine at restaurants, chances are the restaurant is using inflammation-causing canola oil to prepare your food (which is also likely full of GMOs).

Swap with: Try healthy oils such as extra-virgin olive oil, flax oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.

6. Fried Foods

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Found in: anything fried such as French fries, chicken, and pastries. These are some of the most inflammatory foods in the American diet and unhealthy for everyone. Frying in unhealthy oils (see above) does nothing but cause inflammation, acid reflux, and other inflammatory issues in our bodies⁸.

Swap with: Try roasting foods in coconut oil or olive oil. For example, cut sweet potatoes, zucchini, and carrots into chips or stick shapes. Toss them with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, and roast in the oven for a healthy un-fried snack.

7. Refined Sugar

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Found in: Refined sugar is found in white sugar, brown sugar, ketchup, BBQ sauce, nutrition bars, cereals, flavored yogurt, fruit juice, candy, vitamin drinks, and cookies⁹. Just take a look inside your fridge and you’ll see sugar in the ingredients list on almost every condiment.

Swap with: Use pure maple syrup or raw honey as a natural replacement.

8. Artificial Sweeteners

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Found in: aspartame, NutraSweet, Splenda, sucralose, and any other sugar alcohols ending with ‘ol’ (such as sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol). Our bodies cannot recognize these artificial sweeteners, causing inflammation and other health issues in our bodies. Plus, many of these products cause GI (stomach) trouble such as bloating and diarrhea¹⁰.

Swap with: Use fresh lemon or orange zest for flavor or try maple syrup.

9. Processed, Packaged Foods

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Found in: White flour, MSG, cup of noodles, frozen meals (such as pizza, ice cream, flavored cream cheese, etc.). These are loaded with refined sugar, refined salt, and many other additives to increase the shelf life¹¹.

Swap with: Try snacking on raw nuts and seeds or make your own roasted nuts and seeds in the oven with coconut oil, sea salt, and ground cinnamon. You can also replace your white flour with nutrient-dense almond or coconut flour.

Instead of unhealthy packaged salads that are tossed with chemical-laden dressings and conventional salad greens, try pre-washed organic salad blends. You can create an easy meal for any salad blend by adding a piece of organic chicken, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, anti-inflammatory ground flax seeds, sea salt, and pepper.

10. Refined Salt

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Found in: Table salt and processed, packaged foods. Refined salt such as table salt contains additives and chemicals to make it free-flowing, making it one of the most inflammatory foods in the American diet. Refined salt shows up in packaged foods as salt. Therefore unless you see sea salt or Himalayan salt on the label, you’re eating refined salt.

Refined salt also lacks trace minerals (unlike sea salt). These minerals such as magnesium and potassium are vital to our health to balance our body’s fluid balance.

Swap with: Use sea salt or Himalayan mineral salt.