How to eat to lower inflammation - the top 5 foods to boost energy, stop pain, and to live longer | Prof Luke O’Neill

Most of us think of inflammation when an ankle swells or a cut turns red. It’s our body’s immune system, and without it, we couldn't fight infections or repair injuries. 

But when it stays switched on, this chronic inflammation can drain your energy, can affect your health over the years, and even lead to heart disease. Eventually, 1 in 3 of us will develop an inflammatory disease.

In today's episode, Professor Luke O'Neill - one of the world's top 1% immunologists - explains why that matters and what you can do about it. He explores how everyday foods can push inflammation up, or help calm it. He also explains why balance matters more than banning foods like sugar, red meat, gluten, and dairy. As for your gut, you’ll learn how anti-inflammatory foods like plants, fibre, and a healthy microbiome can help keep inflammation down. 

By the end of the episode, you'll know how to eat, rest, and enjoy life in ways that can keep inflammation in check. 

Could the way you eat help your body's healer do its job without going into overdrive? 

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Timecodes

00:00 Intro

04:14 Why 1 in 3 people will get an inflammatory disease

06:49 When inflammation turns from healing to harmful

10:23 Why does your immune system now damage your heart and brain?

13:46 Why does chronic inflammation make you so tired?

15:35 The link between depression and inflammation explained

18:10 Does inflammation speed up ageing?

19:56 Testing for chronic inflammation - what CRP tells you

23:01 Does belly fat cause inflammation? What Ozempic reveals

25:46 Does your gut microbiome affect inflammation?

28:04 Are ultra-processed foods inflammatory? Sugar and fat explained

30:18 Does sugar make inflammation worse? 

33:15 Insulin resistance and inflammation

35:07 Fructose: fruit vs processed food

39:35 Is red meat inflammatory? How much is too much

41:52 Does gluten cause inflammation? 

44:29 Does dairy cause inflammation? 

46:13 Seed oils and inflammation 

46:40 The anti-inflammatory diet

49:38 Anti-inflammatory plants: how willow bark led to aspirin

51:32 Do polyphenols fight inflammation? 

53:44 Do anti-inflammatory supplements work? Are they worth it?

54:34 How to reduce inflammation today: why morning sunshine matters

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra  

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Better Breakfast Guide

Mentioned in today's episode

Daily 30: Does it work?

The Mediterranean diet and CRP levels, Nutrients (2018)

Metabolic Reprogramming in Stromal and Immune Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, European Journal of Immunology, (2025)
Episode transcripts are available here.