Dietary Fats and Inflammation: What type of fat reduces inflammation?

October 19, 2025 •

4 min read

Research shows that chronic inflammation is a leading driver of many diseases, including heart disease and cancer. The right dietary choices can significantly impact your body's inflammatory response. So, what type of fat reduces inflammation and helps combat these risks? It turns out that a focus on specific unsaturated fats can make a major difference.

Quick Summary

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats from sources like fatty fish and flaxseed, along with monounsaturated fats from olive oil and avocados, are key for reducing inflammation. Adopting a balanced intake of healthy fats is essential.

Key Points

Omega-3s are Key: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA) from fatty fish are highly effective at reducing inflammation by producing anti-inflammatory compounds.
Balance Your Omega-6s: The high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the Western diet can be pro-inflammatory, so it's important to increase your omega-3 intake to restore balance.
Monounsaturated Fats Offer Benefits: Monounsaturated fats, particularly from olive oil and avocados, possess anti-inflammatory properties and contribute to better overall health.
Choose Healthy Cooking Oils: Swapping inflammatory fats like corn and soy oil for healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil is an easy way to improve your diet.
Limit Saturated and Trans Fats: Minimize your intake of saturated fats from animal products and avoid trans fats found in processed foods to help reduce inflammation.
Whole Foods are Optimal: Getting anti-inflammatory fats from whole food sources like nuts, seeds, and fish is generally preferable to relying solely on supplements.

The Connection Between Fats and Inflammation

Inflammation is a natural and necessary process that helps your body heal from injuries and fight off infections. However, when inflammation becomes chronic—persisting over a long period—it can contribute to a wide range of health problems, including heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Your diet plays a crucial role in regulating this inflammatory response. While some fats can promote inflammation, others possess powerful anti-inflammatory properties. By understanding the difference and making informed dietary choices, you can better manage your body's inflammatory pathways.

The Top Anti-Inflammatory Fats

Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)

Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of essential polyunsaturated fats that your body cannot produce on its own, so they must be obtained through your diet. They are a cornerstone of any anti-inflammatory eating plan due to their ability to produce potent anti-inflammatory compounds. The three main types of omega-3s are:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): These are the most biologically active omega-3s and are primarily found in fatty fish. When consumed, EPA and DHA are metabolized into specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) such as resolvins and protectins, which help to actively resolve inflammation.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): This plant-based omega-3 is found in foods like flaxseeds and walnuts. The body can convert a small amount of ALA into EPA and DHA, but this conversion is inefficient, making direct marine sources more effective for reducing inflammation.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)

Monounsaturated fats are another type of healthy, unsaturated fat known for their anti-inflammatory effects and their ability to support heart health. Unlike omega-3s, which actively produce anti-inflammatory molecules, MUFAs work by inhibiting certain inflammatory pathways and replacing saturated fats in the diet. The most prominent monounsaturated fat, oleic acid, is particularly beneficial.

Common sources of MUFAs include:

Extra virgin olive oil
Avocados and avocado oil
Nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
Seeds, like pumpkin and sesame seeds

Inflammatory Fats to Limit

Just as some fats fight inflammation, others can promote it. To maximize your anti-inflammatory efforts, it is important to reduce your intake of these fats:

Saturated Fats: Found primarily in animal products such as red meat, butter, and cheese, saturated fats have been shown to induce a pro-inflammatory response, particularly in certain individuals. A study in young women, for instance, showed a clear link between dietary saturated fat and increased inflammatory markers.
Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: While essential, an overabundance of omega-6 fats relative to omega-3s can trigger inflammation. The typical Western diet, which is high in processed foods and certain vegetable oils (corn, soy), often has a very high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, far from the optimal balance our ancestors consumed.
Artificial Trans Fats: These fats, created through a process called partial hydrogenation, are found in some processed foods and are known to cause harmful inflammation. Foods listing 'partially hydrogenated oils' should be avoided.

How to Incorporate Anti-Inflammatory Fats into Your Diet

Building an anti-inflammatory diet is less about eliminating fats entirely and more about intelligent substitution. By replacing inflammatory fats with healthy alternatives, you can make a significant impact on your health. The Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish, serves as an excellent model.

Here are some simple steps:

Swap Cooking Oils: Replace corn or soy oil with extra virgin olive oil for sauteing or use avocado oil for higher-heat cooking.
Eat More Fish: Aim for two servings of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines per week.
Snack on Nuts and Seeds: Choose walnuts, almonds, and flaxseeds as a healthy snack or sprinkle them on salads and yogurt.
Enjoy Avocados: Add slices of avocado to sandwiches, salads, or make a fresh guacamole.
Mind Your Ratio: Be conscious of the sources of your polyunsaturated fats to ensure a better balance of omega-3s to omega-6s.

Comparison of Anti-Inflammatory vs. Pro-Inflammatory Fats


Feature	Anti-Inflammatory Fats	Pro-Inflammatory Fats
Types	Omega-3 PUFAs (EPA, DHA, ALA), MUFAs (Oleic Acid)	Saturated Fats, Excess Omega-6 PUFAs, Trans Fats
Sources	Fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, olive oil, avocados, nuts	Red meat, butter, dairy, vegetable oils (corn, soy), processed foods
Mechanism	Produce inflammation-resolving molecules, inhibit inflammatory pathways	Trigger production of pro-inflammatory compounds
Dietary Impact	Part of a heart-healthy diet, associated with lower chronic disease risk	Associated with increased chronic disease risk and markers of inflammation

The Role of Supplements

For those who don't consume enough dietary sources, supplements can be a way to increase anti-inflammatory fat intake. Fish oil supplements, for example, can be an effective source of EPA and DHA. Algal oil is a suitable vegan alternative. However, it's crucial to consult a healthcare professional before taking high doses of fish oil, especially if you are on blood thinners, as omega-3s can have a blood-thinning effect. For some, prioritizing whole food sources is often the best approach to maximize benefits.

Conclusion: Balancing Your Fat Intake

In summary, the key to using dietary fat to reduce inflammation is not to avoid it altogether, but to choose wisely. What type of fat reduces inflammation? The answer lies mainly in omega-3 and monounsaturated fats. By focusing on whole-food sources like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil, and minimizing inflammatory saturated and trans fats, you can build a more balanced diet that supports your overall health and actively fights chronic inflammation. A simple, consistent shift towards these healthier fat sources is a powerful step towards long-term wellness. For more on optimizing your diet, see the advice from the Arthritis Foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most potent anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found in fatty fish like salmon and mackerel. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from plants also offers benefits after a less efficient conversion in the body.

No, not all polyunsaturated fats are anti-inflammatory. While omega-3s are beneficial, excessive intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, commonly found in vegetable oils like corn and soy, can promote inflammation and disrupt the ideal fat balance in your diet.

Top food sources include fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), avocados, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, and flaxseeds.

While supplements like fish oil can increase your intake of beneficial omega-3s, prioritizing whole food sources is often recommended. Whole foods offer additional nutrients like antioxidants and fiber, which supplements often lack.

The research on coconut oil and inflammation is mixed and often debated. While it contains some beneficial medium-chain triglycerides, it is also high in saturated fat, which some studies link to increased inflammation. A focus on unsaturated fats like omega-3s and MUFAs has more established anti-inflammatory benefits.

The timeframe can vary, but some studies show measurable effects on inflammatory markers within weeks to a few months of consistent dietary changes. Sustained changes yield the most significant and lasting benefits.

For low-to-medium heat cooking, use extra virgin olive oil. For higher heat, avocado oil is a good choice. Prefer baking, steaming, or light stir-frying over deep frying to avoid creating inflammatory compounds.