Inflammation is everywhere right now. On Instagram, in wellness spaces, in your DMs. Everything from weight gain to brain fog to sore joints is being blamed on cortisol and chronic inflammation, and a growing number of people are convinced they cannot exercise, eat in a calorie deficit, or live normally because it will make their inflammation worse.

So is any of this true? And is an anti-inflammatory diet actually a real thing?

This week Leanne and Susie take on one of the biggest buzzwords in nutrition right now and give it a proper evidence-based look. They unpack what inflammation actually is and why the way it is being described online is often completely inaccurate, what the research on polyphenols and anthocyanins actually shows, and which foods are genuinely worth prioritising if reducing inflammation is your goal.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Queen Garnet, Australia's antioxidant plum. Leanne and Susie share the research behind Queen Garnet throughout this episode, and you can find the full range at queengarnet.com.

In this episode:
The two types of inflammation and why they are completely different: why acute inflammation from exercise, injury, or illness is a normal and healthy response, and what chronic low-grade inflammation actually looks like and why it develops
Why a single weekend of eating badly, a glass of wine, or a slice of pizza is not putting your body into a chronic inflammatory state, and the specific lifestyle patterns that do contribute to inflammation over time
The misinformation that is actively harming people: why telling someone with PCOS that they cannot exercise or diet because it spikes cortisol and causes inflammation is not only incorrect but counterproductive
Why the Mediterranean dietary pattern consistently outperforms every other approach when it comes to reducing inflammatory markers, and the specific foods driving that result
A review of a randomized, double-blind controlled trial on Queen Garnet plum juice: what happened to blood vessel function and vascular inflammatory markers when participants consumed a high antioxidant juice alongside a high fat meal, even in a single meal occasion
A 12-week randomized controlled trial on anthocyanin-rich foods and adipose tissue function: what researchers found about how polyphenol-rich whole foods may influence metabolic processes in fat tissue and why this matters for metabolic health
What anthocyanins and polyphenols actually are, which foods contain the highest concentrations, and why the bright red, purple, and orange colours in fruits and vegetables are a direct indicator of antioxidant content
The Queen Garnet Antioxidant Plum Nectar reviewed: why it has approximately six times the antioxidant content of blueberries, how to use it, who it is most beneficial for, and where to find it year-round when the fresh fruit is out of season. Available at queengarnet.com, with a 20% saving on subscription
Practical daily habits that genuinely shift inflammatory pathways: extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts, herbs and spices, green tea, brightly coloured vegetables, and the case for seven to ten serves of fresh produce every day.

 

Inflammation is everywhere right now. On Instagram, in wellness spaces, in your DMs. Everything from weight gain to brain fog to sore joints is being blamed on cortisol and chronic inflammation, and a growing number of people are convinced they cannot exercise, eat in a calorie deficit, or live normally because it will make their inflammation worse.
So is any of this true? And is an anti-inflammatory diet actually a real thing?
This week Leanne and Susie take on one of the biggest buzzwords in nutrition right now and give it a proper evidence-based look. They unpack what inflammation actually is and why the way it is being described online is often completely inaccurate, what the research on polyphenols and anthocyanins actually shows, and which foods are genuinely worth prioritising if reducing inflammation is your goal.
This episode is proudly brought to you by Queen Garnet, Australia's antioxidant plum. Leanne and Susie share the research behind Queen Garnet throughout this episode, and you can find the full range at queengarnet.com.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">The two types of inflammation and why they are completely different: why acute inflammation from exercise, injury, or illness is a normal and healthy response, and what chronic low-grade inflammation actually looks like and why it develops</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why a single weekend of eating badly, a glass of wine, or a slice of pizza is not putting your body into a chronic inflammatory state, and the specific lifestyle patterns that do contribute to inflammation over time</li>
<li dir="ltr">The misinformation that is actively harming people: why telling someone with PCOS that they cannot exercise or diet because it spikes cortisol and causes inflammation is not only incorrect but counterproductive</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why the Mediterranean dietary pattern consistently outperforms every other approach when it comes to reducing inflammatory markers, and the specific foods driving that result</li>
<li dir="ltr">A review of a randomized, double-blind controlled trial on Queen Garnet plum juice: what happened to blood vessel function and vascular inflammatory markers when participants consumed a high antioxidant juice alongside a high fat meal, even in a single meal occasion</li>
<li dir="ltr">A 12-week randomized controlled trial on anthocyanin-rich foods and adipose tissue function: what researchers found about how polyphenol-rich whole foods may influence metabolic processes in fat tissue and why this matters for metabolic health</li>
<li dir="ltr">What anthocyanins and polyphenols actually are, which foods contain the highest concentrations, and why the bright red, purple, and orange colours in fruits and vegetables are a direct indicator of antioxidant content</li>
<li dir="ltr">The Queen Garnet Antioxidant Plum Nectar reviewed: why it has approximately six times the antioxidant content of blueberries, how to use it, who it is most beneficial for, and where to find it year-round when the fresh fruit is out of season. Available at queengarnet.com, with a 20% saving on subscription</li>
<li dir="ltr">Practical daily habits that genuinely shift inflammatory pathways: extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts, herbs and spices, green tea, brightly coloured vegetables, and the case for seven to ten serves of fresh produce every day.</li>
</ul>
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Unlock your best health in just 30 minutes a week. Join the thousands of listeners who’ve transformed their lives with The Nutrition Couch, Australia’s top-ranked nutrition podcast. Each Wednesday at 6am AEST, dietitians Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell deliver powerful, bite-sized advice that’s easy to implement and designed to make healthy living simple and enjoyable.

Ready for a healthier you? Subscribe now and start your journey with actionable tips that fit seamlessly into your busy life. Don’t wait—your path to better health begins here with The Nutrition Couch.

Unlock your best health in just 30 minutes a week. Join the thousands of listeners who’ve transformed their lives with The Nutrition Couch, Australia’s top-ranked nutrition podcast. Each Wednesday at 6am AEST, dietitians Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell deliver powerful, bite-sized advice that’s easy to implement and designed to make healthy living simple and enjoyable.
Ready for a healthier you? Subscribe now and start your journey with actionable tips that fit seamlessly into your busy life. Don’t wait—your path to better health begins here with The Nutrition Couch.

The Nutrition Couch

Welcome to The Nutrition Couch, a weekly podcast from two of Australia’s leading dietitians & nutritionists, Susie Burrell & Leanne Ward. This is the first nutrition podcast that looks at weekly food & health trends. Every Sunday at 7am AEST, we will be uploading an episode that covers nutrition news, trending food products, case studies and we will also be answering our listener questions. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode and follow us on social media @the_nutrition_couch_podcast to ask us questions & see our food product reviews.

Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell cut through the inflammation trend dominating social media, explain what chronic low-grade inflammation actually is versus how it is being misrepresented online, and share the research on anthocyanins and polyphenols that shows which foods genuinely make a difference to inflammatory markers. Plus: two clinical trials on Queen Garnet plum juice reviewed, a practical guide to anti-inflammatory eating, and the honest truth about whether an anti-inflammatory diet is actually a real thing.

Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Actually Real? What the Science Says and the Foods That Genuinely Make a Difference

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