In this article we answer the following questions:
- What foods and drinks cause inflammation in the body?
- Who should follow an anti-inflammatory diet?
- What is the Mediterranean diet?
- How do natural supplements help fight inflammation?
- What is the connection between gut health and inflammation?
We really are what we eat.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s natural defence response. When your body detects injury, infection, or threat, it triggers an inflammatory response to protect and heal the affected area. Short-term inflammation is a sign that your immune system is doing its job. When inflammation becomes chronic, a low-grade, ongoing state that steadily builds over months and years, it feeds disease rather than preventing it.
Two sides of every plate
Every time you eat or drink, you either reduce inflammation in your body or drive it; understanding which is which is the first step toward eating with intention.
Inflammatory foods and drinks include refined sugars, processed meats, fried foods, alcohol, white bread and pasta, and sugary cold drinks. These trigger the immune system, disrupt cell function, and over time, can lead to chronic disease. Reducing your consumption of inflammatory foods and drinks is crucial.
Anti-inflammatory foods and drinks are whole, natural, and largely plant-based. A prime example of this way of eating comes from the Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean diet is rich in colourful, seasonal vegetables and fruits, oily fish, and extra virgin olive oil. Nuts and seeds, legumes, and wholegrains feature as everyday staples. Herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, and oregano add flavour and deliver powerful anti-inflammatory benefits to your meals.
The Mediterranean diet favours home-cooked meals, shared around a dining table with the people you love. Enjoy red meat occasionally rather than daily. Every meal is an opportunity to nourish rather than simply fill up.
The Mediterranean diet is not really a diet in the restrictive sense of the word. It is a lifestyle, and a delicious one at that. Many of the Mediterranean diet principles complement fresh, flavourful ingredients already found across South African cultures and traditions. Look for ways to incorporate healthier options into the way you already cook and eat.
Don’t overlook your water
You can do everything right with your diet and still struggle with inflammation if you neglect your water quality. Our tap water is unreliable and can contain pollutants and chemicals. Buying a good-quality water filter is an important investment in your health. It’s essential to your cellular health that you drink enough fresh, filtered water every day.
Who Needs an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
Everyone can benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet, but it is especially important for people living with:
- Autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Hashimoto’s, lupus)
- Cancer
- Painful inflammatory conditions like gout and osteoarthritis
- Asthma and respiratory conditions
- Bowel diseases, including Crohn’s and diverticulosis
- Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis
- Cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease
- Type 2 diabetes
Polluted air, radiation, and everyday environmental toxins all contribute to the body’s inflammatory load. When the detoxification system is constantly under pressure, your body simply cannot keep up. That is when illness finds its way in.
Supporting your body naturally
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When free radicals run unchecked in the body, they drive the inflammatory responses that lead to disease. Oxiprovin is a South African antioxidant supplement made from grape seed extract, rich in natural compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidins. Oxiprovin works across multiple pathways, reducing free radical production, lowering oxidative stress, repairing existing cellular damage, protecting DNA, and stimulating the body’s own protective responses.
Each capsule delivers 140mg of concentrated grape seed extract, providing a sustained and balanced defence that addresses inflammation at its cellular root. |
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THRESHHold Real MSM is an organically bonded sulphur supplement. Sulphur is a foundational building block for every joint, tendon, ligament, and cartilage structure you have. THRESHHold reduces pro-inflammatory markers in the body and supports the repair of damaged tissue. The MSM used in THRESHHold is OptiMSM, a four-times heat-distilled form of MSM, recognised for its exceptional bioavailability and purity.
For people with active inflammation, take six tablets daily. Your body needs time to saturate the tissues with sulphur. Results usually begin to show after four weeks. For general maintenance, take two to three tablets daily to help support your body. |
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A.Vogel Boldocynara and A.Vogel Nephrosolid are herbal tonics that Alfred Vogel used together in his patients, because he understood that the liver and kidneys are inseparable partners in the body’s ability to filter and eliminate toxins. When either organ is under strain, the toxic load that drives inflammation cannot be cleared.
For general maintenance, take 15 drops of each three times daily. People on chronic medication benefit from this ongoing support, as the liver and kidneys bear the additional burden of processing medication daily. |
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A.Vogel Multiforce contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and citrate and bicarbonate salts, which restore the body’s acid-base balance. When the body becomes too acidic, inflammatory processes accelerate, and your body’s ability to heal is compromised. Multiforce helps correct this by producing a proven, measurable alkalising effect throughout the body.
Take Multiforce daily as an ongoing commitment to keeping your body balanced. |
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A.Vogel Molkosan is a lacto-fermented whey prebiotic that supports your digestive health. Molkosan contains L(+) lactic acid, which feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Molkosan stimulates the production of butyrate, a compound that reduces gut inflammation and protects the cells lining your digestive tract. Support your gut, and you support your body’s ability to fight inflammation. Take a teaspoon in a glass of cold water before meals, daily and year-round. |
A Final Word
Eating well is only part of the picture. Rest well, move your body, laugh often, and protect your peace. Chronic stress is one of the most underrated drivers of inflammation. Joy is one of the most underrated healers. Small, consistent choices in what you eat, how you sleep, and how you live combine to fight painful inflammation.
Nature has given us everything we need. It is up to you to choose it, one day at a time.
References and additional reading:
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2021) ‘Diet Review: Anti-Inflammatory Diet’, The Nutrition Source. Available at: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/anti-inflammatory-diet/
- Johns Hopkins Medicine (2024) ‘Anti Inflammatory Diet’. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/anti-inflammatory-diet
- Harvard Health Publishing (2014) ‘Foods that fight inflammation’. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/foods-that-fight-inflammation
- BBC (2026) ‘What is the anti-inflammatory diet and does it actually work?’. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/c1mj5dgedjro
- Verywell Health (2025) ‘What Should You Eat for an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?’. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/anti-inflammatory-diet-88752
- Harvard Health Publishing (2020) ‘The best anti-inflammatory diets’. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-best-anti-inflammatory-diets
- Cleveland Clinic (2023) ‘Inflammation: Types, Causes and Treatment’. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2025) ‘Inflammation’. Available at: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/inflammation/index.cfm
- Cleveland Clinic (2023) ‘Oxidative Stress: What it Means and How to Reduce It’. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/oxidative-stress