Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Recipe

This anti inflammatory smoothie recipe combines super foods like cherries and flaxseed with tasty and nutritious strawberries and pineapple for an inflammation fighting and delicious smoothie! And with little to no prep, this pineapple cherry smoothie makes a great anti inflammatory breakfast or snack.

Why Should We Be Concerned With Inflammation?

Inflammation is not always a bad thing. Our bodies use inflammation to help fight against infection and disease. It helps our injuries heal faster, and alerts us to new threats in the body.

But while it’s job is to help fight infection and disease, chronic levels of inflammation can actually CAUSE disease.

Go figure.

But don’t fret. There have been quite a few studies that suggest that the foods that we put into our bodies may have a direct affect on our levels of inflammation!

What Are Some Anti Inflammatory Foods?

Apart from the foods in this recipe, there are a wide variety of anti inflammatory foods that you can try to include in your diet. Here are just a few:

*Please not that I am not a doctor or dietitian, so please consult with your doctor with any dietary concerns, and before changing your diet.

• Wild Caught Salmon – Fish, especially salmon, is a great source of omega-3-fatty-acids. Omega-3s are a type of nutrient that can help reduce inflammation in the body. Wild caught salmon contains two different types, DHA and EPA! Your body metabolizes these fatty acids into compounds called resolvins and protectins, which have anti-inflammatory effects.

• Berries – Berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries all contain very powerful antioxidant levels. These antioxidants, specifically anthocyanins, have been shown to have powerful anti inflammatory properties. Read more HERE.

• Cruciferous Vegetables – Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, bok choy, arugula and brussel sprouts are a few vegetables that fall into this category. In a 2014 study, 1,005 middle-aged women were evaluated for associations of vegetable intake with a panel of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. Multivariable-adjusted circulating concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 were lower among women with higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables, suggesting that the benefits of cruciferous vegetable consumption may be partly associated with the anti-inflammatory effects of these vegetables. Read the study HERE.

• Avocados – Along with being high heart healthy in monounsaturated fats, avocados may also help fight inflammation! In one study including 51 adults with excess weight, those who ate avocado for 12 weeks had a reduction of inflammatory markers interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and CRP. See the study HERE.

Does Dairy Cause Inflammation?

A new systemic review suggests that dairy and proteins found in milk do not cause inflammation, and in some cases, even combat inflammation.

They found that the available literature suggests that dairy products and dairy proteins have neutral to beneficial effects on biomarkers of inflammation. Additional clinical studies designed using inflammatory biomarkers as the primary outcome are needed to fully elucidate the effects of dairy intake on inflammation. Read more HERE.

In this specific tart cherry smoothie recipe, I used regular dairy milk, but fee free to use what ever kind of dairy you want! And of course, if you are lactose intolerant, use a dairy alternative!

How Do These Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Ingredients Help With Inflammation?

Tart Cherries:	If you google ‘foods that can help prevent gout attacks’, tart cherries are pretty much number one. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that attacks the joints. Cherries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, hypouricemic effects, and the ability to downregulate NFkB-mediated osteoclastogenesis. Read more HERE.
Flaxseed Meal	Two tablespoons of flaxseed meal contains more than 140% daily value of the inflammation-reducing omega-3 fatty acids. They are also high in fiber and lignans. Lignans have antioxidant properties, and have been considered to potentially lower the risk of some cancers. Read more HERE.
Pineapple	Pineapple is LOADED with vitamin C! Pineapple also contains Bromelain, a protein digesting enzyme. Studies demonstrate that bromelain exhibits various fibrinolytic, antiedematous, antithrombotic, and anti-inflammatory activities. In laymen’s terms, pineapple helps to fight blood clots, edema and inflammation! It has even been shown to help relieve inflammation associated with arthritis and possesses some anticancerous activities! Read more HERE.
Strawberries	A study was done on the effects of consuming strawberries with diagnosed osteoarthritis. After consuming strawberries every day for an extended period of time, interleukin, a biomarker of inflammation and cartilage degradation, was significantly decreased, demonstrating improvements in arthritis associated inflammation! Read the study HERE.

How To Make This Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Recipe

Okay, enough of the scientific jargon!

Just toss it all in a blender and blend away!

Make sure to cut off the strawberry tops first, and if you are using fresh cherries, they need to be pitted (I know, such a tedious task). To save myself time, and the risk of ingredients going bad, I used frozen pineapple and frozen cherries!

Frequently Asked Questions

• DO I HAVE TO USE FRESH FRUIT? – Not at all! Frozen saves a lot of time and reduces waste. If you decide to only use fresh fruit, I would recommend throwing in some ice cubes.

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLAXSEEDS AND FLAXSEED MEAL? – Flaxseed MEAL is ground up flax seeds. It has been suggested that flaxseed meal is better absorbed by the body, as whole flaxseeds can pass directly through our digestive tract. For this recipe, if you only have flaxseeds, just process them in a food processor until you get meal! Or don’t! It’s going to be blended in a blender anyway.

• CAN I MAKE THIS A DAIRY FREE SMOOTHIE? – OF COURSE! Just swap out the milk for your favorite dairy free milk. Or substitute it for water!

• WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TART CHERRY JUICE? – Organic tart cherry juice can be hard to come by. If you can’t find it, don’t worry about it. Just omit it from the recipe, no harm done. You will just miss out on some of the benefits.

• IS THIS ANTI INFLAMMATORY SMOOTHIE LOW SUGAR? – No, unfortunately it is not low sugar. While there is no refined sugar in this recipe, the fruits themselves do contain sugar. 1 cup of pineapple alone has about 16 grams of sugar. So if you are on a low sugar diet, you might want to sit this one out.

If you are in need of a new blender, this Ninja Professional 72 Oz Countertop Blender is the one I use. For the price, it is honestly the best blender I have ever tried!

Did you make this recipe? Rate it below and tag me in your creation on Instagram! @RecipeHippie

Did you like this anti inflammatory smoothie recipe?! If so, you should go check out my healthy cherry mug cake recipe! It has a lot of similar ingredients!