The human inflammatory response protects the body, as the immune system will trigger inflammation when an injury occurs or a foreign bacteria is detected. This is intended to give you time to heal. However, if the issue lasts too long, it can quickly turn into chronic inflammation and end up having the opposite effect.
Chronic inflammatory diseases are often far worse than the original problem, with rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, and metabolic syndrome being just a few examples. If you do not take steps to reduce inflammation though, these issues can quickly get out of hand and impact your health.
Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs are a popular option, as they can provide instant pain relief while they fight inflammation. Unfortunately they often harm human health in other ways, especially if used long term. That is why natural supplements and anti inflammatory compounds are a far better choice for most people.
The issue is, as anti inflammatory dietary supplements often contain unproven ingredients like cat's claw or aged garlic extract, it can be hard to know which ones actually work. That is why we have made this guide to the best compounds with anti inflammatory properties, to help you identify dietary supplements that will.
Generally if you’re looking for an all in one solution, we tend to recommend FlexAgain, which is listed below and contains most of the well known anti inflammatory ingredients in their correct dosages. (We did also rate it best joint supplement of 2023).
The Best Natural Anti Inflammatory Agents
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of healthy fat that comes in three forms, which are ALAs (alpha-linoleic acid), EPAs (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHAs (docosahexaenoic acid).
While ALAs can be found in things like beans, nuts, pulses, seeds, plant oils, and certain types of seaweed, EPAs and DHAs are almost exclusively seen in fatty fish, fish oil, and some other seafoods. This makes ALAs the best omega 3 fatty acids for people who don't want to use fish oil supplements.
All three types are known to have incredible anti inflammatory effects that can protect the bones, muscles, joints, and connective tissues from damage, repair any damage that has already occurred, and keep them flexible, lubricated, mobile, and functioning, while offering similar benefits for the nerves (1) .
Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a natural compound that is found in human cartilage.
When used in supplement form, it is extracted from shellfish or sometimes produced in a lab, and is known for its incredible anti inflammatory properties, which are said to make it one of the best ways to treat arthritis symptoms.
Taking glucosamine will not only relieve pain in the joints, but it can also prevent or slow the degradation of collagen. With collagen being the main component of cartilage, the tissues that stop your bones from rubbing against each other, this will help to improve or restore the health and functions of your joints (2).
Chondroitin
Much like glucosamine, chondroitin is a substance naturally produced by the human body that is one of the main components of cartilage, and complementary and integrative health research suggests that the two work especially well when paired together.
The arthritis foundation suggests that it can treat virtually all symptoms of the disease, as it can ease stiff or painful joints, improve your natural production of collagen, and repair any previously damaged joints (3).
MSM
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is an extract found in some fruits, plants, and vegetables that is rich in sulphur and proven to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
It can provide many health benefits, like improving the health of the joints and reducing inflammation and the symptoms of arthritis, while scientific evidence also shows it boosts the effects of a supplement that contains one or both of chondroitin and glucosamine as an active ingredient as well (4).
Turmeric Extract
Turmeric extract is a spice produced from the roots of the curcuma longa plant that has long been used in ayurvedic medicine, as well as many other types of traditional medicine around the world.
This is because it contains a chemical called curcumin, which has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
It can neutralise free radicals and prevent them from causing any oxidative stress or damage to virtually every part of our body and reduce inflammation that has already occured. This allows it to ease joint and muscle pain, repair any previous damage, and promote the growth of healthy cells (5).
Ginger Extract
Ginger extract can produce powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that will prevent oxidative damage and stress to the joints.
It can also offer numerous other health benefits, like reducing the risk of heart disease and blood clots, preventing gut inflammation and stomach pain, enhancing your metabolism and rate of nutrient absorption, and making the ingredients in blood thinner medications easier to absorb and more effective (6).
Blue Galangal Extract
Blue galangal extract is produced from the roots of a plant native to south Asia that is full of antioxidants.
It can help to reduce inflammation and joint pain, make both the nervous system and immune system more effective, and help prevent any future damage, inflammation, or the development of chronic diseases.
Health professionals also believe that it can improve the absorption and efficacy of ginger and certain medications like blood thinners as well (7).
Bromelain
Bromelain is an enzyme most commonly found in pineapples that has the ability to reduce inflammation and joint pain and degradation, improve gut and digestive health and functions, and aid the metabolism of amino acids.
There are also health claims that it can help to prevent respiratory issues and heart disease and boost the health and functions of the immune system (8).
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a substance that is primarily extracted from grapes and grapevines, but which is also found in almonds and some berries.
It has been used in traditional Asian medicines for decades, due to the powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that it can offer. It can combat chronic inflammation, prevent oxidative damage, treat the symptoms of arthritis, and offer many other health benefits for the rest of the human body (9).
Boswellic Acid
Boswellic acid is extracted from the boswellia serrata trees found in India and the Punjab area of Pakistan.
It has long been used in traditional medicines around the world, as it can reduce pain and inflammation throughout the body and, while a little more research may be useful, it has shown particular promise when it comes to the treatment of all forms of arthritis (10).
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is rich in an antioxidant catechin known as EGCG, which allows it to combat inflammation, relieve joint and muscle soreness, and prevent future oxidative stress or damage from occurring. The health benefits of green tea don't stop there though.
It can also improve your brain health and functions, keep the heart and blood vessels healthy and functioning correctly, reduce the risk of high blood sugar or type 2 diabetes, boost weight loss and your energy levels, and help the immune system fight off various diseases (11).
Vitamin E
Vitamin e has been shown to have anti inflammatory properties that make it especially useful for providing pain relief for people suffering with osteoarthritis.
Not only that, but there are also studies that show vitamin e can stimulate the growth of new cartilage in sufferers, repair some of the damage that it has caused, and prevent oxidative stress and the progression of the condition as well (12).
The Best Anti Inflammatory Supplement - FlexAgain
While there are a number of great anti inflammatory supplements on the market today, FlexAgain is head and shoulders above the competition. Produced by FA Nutra, it is packed with optimal doses of proven ingredients, which allows it to reduce inflammation as much as possible, without causing any side effects.
The FlexAgain formula uses all of the compounds we looked at above except green tea, as it boasts omega 3 fatty acids, ginger extract, blue galangal extract, bromelain, curcumin extract, resveratrol, glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, and boswellic acid, plus the fat soluble vitamins vitamin d and vitamin k.
Omega 3 fatty acids will protect your cartilage and stimulate its growth, help keep the joints lubricated, and ease the pain and symptoms associated with arthritis.
The ginger and blue galangal extracts can both ease joint pain even further, and will work in perfect harmony with one another to make their effects more potent.
Turmeric, resveratrol, and boswellic acid all possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that will reduce pain and swelling in the joints, repair any damage, and prevent them from becoming damaged and further.
Chondroitin, glucosamine, and MSM is also a very popular combination when it comes to relieving joint pain, and it is of particular benefit for those who are suffering from any form of arthritis.
The bromelain will then provide its own relief from pain and inflammation, while providing various other benefits to your gut, heart, and lungs, and improving both the absorption and efficacy of all of the other ingredients in the supplement.
Vitamin d will not help to relieve inflammation directly, but becoming vitamin d deficient can also cause your testosterone levels to dip and your joints to become more prone to damage and inflammation. It can then also add a variety of additional benefits to the supplement.
It can boost digestive and immune system health and functions, prevent fat storage, increase energy levels and protein synthesis, enhance the health of the bones, muscles, skin, and teeth, promote cell division and normal blood calcium levels, and help improve the overall health of your body (13).
Vitamin k can protect the blood vessels, bones, and cartilage from damage and reduce the risk and symptoms of arthritis on its own. However, it is perhaps even more useful for its ability to make vitamin d easier to absorb (14).
This incredibly diverse range of ingredients and benefits means FlexAgain is a perfect supplement for people who are looking to combat or prevent virtually any type of inflammation throughout the body.
It also contains no fish oil, which is an ingredient that some people try to avoid, and being manufactured in FDA registered and cGMP certified facilities should give buyers complete confidence in both the quality and efficacy of the product.
Throw in the fact that it also comes with a full 90 day money back guarantee on all purchases if you feel it is not working, and there really is no reason for people seeking anti inflammatory supplements not to give FlexAgain a try for themselves.
Pros
Able to be used by those who avoid fish oil supplements and will not cause any side effects
All of its ingredients are proven to reduce or prevent inflammation and repair the damage it has caused
Offers other health benefits, like boosting heart, joint, and immune system health and functions
Proven to combat all forms of arthritis
Prevents you from becoming vitamin d deficient
Cons
Quite pricey and only available directly from the official FlexAgain website for most countries
Final Thoughts On The Top Anti Inflammatory Supplements To Treat Chronic Inflammation And Health Conditions Like Rheumatoid Arthritis & Inflammatory Bowel Disease
When you are injured or sick, the body's response is to increase the production of c-reactive protein to stimulate acute inflammation. However, while this immune response is designed to protect the body as it heals itself, it can often lead to inflammatory conditions that end up being far worse than the initial issue.
In order to stop chronic health conditions like arthritis or heart disease from developing, it is vital you take supplements to fight inflammation. While more research is needed to prove common ingredients like cat's claw work, each of the compounds listed above is guaranteed to provide a potent anti inflammatory effect.
As far as supplements to reduce inflammation go, FlexAgain is by far the best option. Its combination of ingredients can notably reduce even chronic inflammation, without using fish oil, while the product manufacturers addressed safety concerns by using dosages that would work without causing side effects.
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