Inflammation is a double-edged sword that affects virtually everyone. When dealing with the type of inflammation that is bad for you, it becomes vital to find ways to regulate and decrease the inflammation to avoid health issues. Fortunately, there are several home remedies you can easily brew to help minimize and reduce the inflammation you are experiencing. It is important to note that these remedies are not going to serve as a substitute for true medical assistance for more severe chronic inflammatory issues but can easily serve to reduce the inflammation before it becomes a severe issue.
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is an extremely common issue because it is a natural response from the body to begin healing damage inflicted by physical trauma. The kinds of irritants that induce inflammation can range from anything from germs to actual physical injury. Foreign objects such as splinters can also cause inflammation. Some of the most common instigators of inflammation are:
- Pathogens: Things like bacteria, fungi, or viruses that risk infection of the body’s systems.
- External Injuries: Scrapes, splinters, or any physical trauma that causes damage beyond the dermal layer. This strain forces the body to rebuild the damaged tissue resulting in inflammation.
- Chemicals: Being exposed to toxic or radioactive materials result in inflammation as they damage the body on a deeper, cellular level.
Since inflammation is a response from the immune system to these irritants, it marks the first sign of the body’s healing process. However, the stimuli that induce inflammation can also stem from more chronic issues and health conditions that require more intensive medical treatment:
- Cystitis: An inflammation of the bladder that causes severe pain.
- Bronchitis: An inflammation of the bronchi.
- Otitis Media: An inflammation of the middle of the ear.
- Dermatitis: An inflammation of the skin.
- Many others: Any condition with -itis as a suffix is an inflammatory condition.
These conditions are chronic and painful and result in near-constant inflammation as the body attempt to heal them. However, not all inflammation is good. Several negative sources of inflammation come from the body being consistently strained rather than the body responding to the trauma to heal it. Some examples include:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: A permanent inflammation of the joints.
- Psoriasis: A chronic inflammation of the skin.
- Bowel Diseases: Inflammation of the bowels caused by conditions like Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis.
These are only some sources of the negative forms of inflammation that are detrimental to the health of your body. These are the kinds of inflammation that anyone suffering from them should attempt to mitigate through the aid of anti-inflammatory supplements and medication, even seeking professional medical aid from your primary physician. If you would prefer home remedies to help manage your inflammation, there are several juices you can brew from the comfort of your own house with minimal issue or effort.
Recipe #1: Green Machine
The first six of our recipes will be coming from a healthy lifestyle website called On the Table. The first recipe they provide is so named because it is, per their own words, a “sippable salad,” hence the name. This recipe focuses on using vegetables to pack as many vitamins and nutrients as possible into a shake that will revitalize your immune system to help mitigate the inflammation you are suffering. The ingredients needed for the ‘Green Machine’ juice are simple:
- 5x celery stalks
- 2x green apples
- 1x cup spinach
- 1x cucumber
- 1x peeled lime
When it comes to the financial requirements, the ingredients can be costly if you intend to purchase them from a healthy store like Whole Foods. Fortunately, due to the easily grown produce needed for this cocktail, you are only looking at a retail price of $10.84 for all the ingredients. ($1.79 for a bunch of celery, $2.49 per apple, $0.59 for a lime, $1.99 for a bunch of spinach, and $1.49 for an organic cucumber.)
Recipe #2: Tropical Bliss
The ‘Tropical Bliss’ juice for anti-inflammation uses citrus as a primary ingredient to jump-start the immune system and get the inflammation to start going down. The focus is on the antioxidant bromelain and vitamin C, which are renowned for their health qualities. The recipe for this one is as follows:
- 1x cup pineapple
- 1x peeled orange
- ½ x yellow bell pepper
- 1x small piece of ginger
Financially, this cocktail does not differ too much from the last due to the smaller list of ingredients, though it is slightly more expensive. The cost of all of them from Whole Foods comes to a total of $12.96. ($2.99 for a pineapple, $1.99 for an orange, $3.99 for yellow bell pepper, and $3.99 for ginger root.)
Recipe #3: Berry Refreshing
Another anti-inflammatory juice that uses antioxidants as a primary component to reduce inflammation, this one, as the name implies, uses berries as the source. It also features an additional ingredient that has a natural anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Mint. The recipe is as follows:
- 1x cup of mint leaves
- 1x cup of blueberries
- 1x cup of strawberries
- 1x cup of raspberries
Among the more expensive recipes we will be discussing today, the emphasis on berries means you are looking at a heftier price tag for organic ingredients from Whole Foods. This recipe will set you back $15.36 for the full list of ingredients. ($3.69 for strawberries, $3.69 for raspberries, $4.99 for blueberries, and $2.99 for mint leaves.)
Recipe #4: Cherry Pie
While, unfortunately, not a real pie that has some miraculous effect on your immune system, this juice uses cherries as the main anti-inflammatory component. The fruit has long since been proven to be an effective anti-inflammatory that protects athletes from soreness in their muscles. The ingredients for this juice are:
- 2x cups pitted cherries
- 2x peeled oranges
- 2x carrots
- 1x apple
Another expensive recipe to fulfill, the ingredients for this juice will set you back a pretty penny with the cherries alone. However, the benefits you will reap from them cannot be denied, as your inflammation is relieved by the natural anti-inflammatory properties of the fruit. With a hefty price tag of $16.95 for the full list of ingredients, this juice provides bang for its buck. ($7.99 for cherries, $3.98 for both oranges, $1.99 for a bunch of carrots, and $2.99 for a red apple.)
Recipe #5: Carrot Cake
Yet another juice recipe that misleads with its dessert-based name, this recipe does not produce a cake of any sort. This one uses the natural anti-inflammatory properties of several spices in conjunction with the health benefits of titular carrots to maximize the health benefits. The ingredient list for this juice is a little longer than the others listed:
- 3x carrots
- 2x pears
- 1x apple
- 1x peeled lemon
- Several small pieces of ginger
- Several small pieces of turmeric root
Easily the most expensive recipe on the list so far, this recipe will cost you a total of $29.43 for the full list of ingredients. While this price tag might make you balk at the prospect of paying for a juice that you have not tried before, the benefits might make you reconsider. ($1.99 for a bunch of carrots, $4.58 for both pears, $2.99 for the apple, $0.89 for a lemon, $3.99 for the ginger root, and $14.99 for the turmeric root.)
Recipe #6: Beet Apple Juice
The last of the recipes found on the On-the-Table website, this juice recipe is simpler and focuses on a phytonutrient called betalains. Betalains are an antioxidant with natural anti-inflammatory properties from the beets that serve as a staple of this recipe. The full ingredient list is as follows:
- 2x medium beets
- 2x apples
- 1x cucumber
- 1x small piece of ginger
This recipe will cost you $14.45 for all the ingredients, making it one of the more moderately priced recipes to follow on this list. ($2.99 for a bunch of beets, $5.98 for both apples, $1.49 for the cucumber, and $3.99 for the ginger.)
Recipe #7: Pineapple Juice
Unlike the other recipes listed here, this one comes from the website of Dr. Axe, which is known for nutritional advice to help you live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Like other recipes we have listed here, this one relies heavily on pineapple and ginger for their natural ability to reduce inflammation and help your body undergo the healing process without much issue. The main chemical ingredients to maximize the benefits of this cocktail are bromelain, a natural anti-inflammatory, and quercetin, a dual antihistamine and anti-inflammatory renowned for the health benefits it provides. The ingredients for this juice are:
- 4x celery stalks
- ½ x cucumber
- 1x cup pineapple
- ½ x green apple
- 1x cup spinach
- 1x lemon
- 1x knob of ginger
This recipe requires more ingredients than the average recipe we have listed in this article, with a price tag to match. When all is said and done, the ingredients for this recipe will run you a total of $16.33. ($2.49 for a bunch of celery, $1.49 for cucumber, $2.99 for a pineapple, $2.49 for a green apple, $1.99 for a bunch of spinach, $0.89 for a lemon, and $3.99 for the ginger.)
Recipe #8: Vitamin C Anti-Inflammatory Juice
This recipe is provided by the Garden in the Kitchen website and uses several previously listed ingredients with a focus on maximizing your vitamin C intake. This recipe also uses other nutrients like beta-carotene and vitamin A, which help bolster the immune system and, therefore, accelerate the body’s healing process, reducing inflammation as a result. The ingredients for this recipe are:
- 3x oranges
- 4x carrots
- 2x lemon
- 1x small piece of ginger
- 2x small roots of turmeric
- 2x cups water
This recipe’s use of vitamin C as the primary anti-inflammatory means it requires much more of the vitamin C-rich fruits that we have listed in this article. As a result, the price tag for all the ingredients understandably increases in turn. At the end of the day, the total cost of the ingredients from Whole Foods is $28.72, a hefty price tag that rivals only one other recipe listed so far. ($5.97 for the oranges, $1.99 for a bunch of carrots, $1.78 for the lemons, $3.99 for the ginger, and $14.99 for the turmeric.)
The Point
When it comes to inflammation, it is always better to take the necessary steps to keep it regulated and ensure that any inflammation associated with severe, chronic conditions are effectively managed. The different kinds of inflammation can make it difficult to determine the root cause, meaning you will likely need to consult a physician if you are noting inflammation too frequently for it to be associated with standard healing from stimuli. Many physicians will prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to manage your symptoms.
If you want a more natural solution you can make from the comfort of your own home, the juices we have listed here are one of your best bets. The use of ingredients that provide natural supplements and vitamins that can only be found in produce help manage natural anti-inflammatory effects on your body. If you are not sure which juice, if any, is best for you, you should take note of what ingredients are going into it. The point of these juices is not only to provide an easy and natural way to mitigate the inflammation you are suffering from but also to do so to suit your own dietary needs while maximizing the effects. For the first time in your life, juicing can be a good thing.
That said, you should not rely solely on these juices to manage the inflammation of chronic diseases. If you are suffering from a disease that causes frequent inflammation, rather than simple viral infections or wounds with excessive inflammation, you should always consult your physician for advice and medication to treat it.
Have you ever tried an anti-inflammatory juice before for any needs you may have had? If you had, what were your thoughts on it? Did it do its job well enough in your opinion? Did it taste good to you? Was it by chance any of the ones we listed in this article? If you’ve never tried an anti-inflammatory juice before, would you ever consider doing so now? We’d love to hear all your thoughts on the topic! By leaving a comment down below with your experiences, you could be helping out someone else who is desperately trying to figure out what to do for themselves!