GLP-1 drugs fight inflammation, but here are 5 foods that do, too (minus the side effects). Mangia, baby!

Everyone's talking about what GLP-1 drugs do for weight and blood sugar, even me. If you've had a conversation about weight loss in the last two years, semaglutide and tirzepatide have probably come up. Now, all the chatter is about how GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) do something beyond appetite and glucose control: they turn down systemic inflammation.

Before we go any further, there's a reason you hear more about the drugs than the food.

The federal government spends roughly $2 billion a year on nutrition research, about 5% of the NIH budget, and only about a quarter of that studies how diet prevents or treats disease in people [1]. Meanwhile, drug companies spent nearly $288 billion on R&D worldwide in 2024 [2].

Perhaps it's because you can't patent food the way you can a pharmaceutical. Snark aside, this has real consequences: as long as fewer resources go to nutrition, the research will stay thinner. One last thing before we dig in: You don't eat one food for one function. You layer them, and the benefits add up. Berries at breakfast, salmon with broccoli and olive oil at dinner. In fact, studies of overall eating patterns tend to show stronger effects than studies of any single food.

How We Think GLP-1RAs Lower Inflammation

The clearest mechanistic picture comes from a 2024 review in Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism(Alharbi, 2024) [3], which lays out three main routes:

1. NF-κB pathway inhibition. NF-κB is the master switch that turns on a huge share of your body's inflammatory gene expression. GLP-1RAs blunt its activation, which downstream means less transcription of inflammatory mediators in the first place [3].

2. Reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production. With NF-κB signaling dampened, output of cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β drops [3].

3. Attenuated oxidative stress. Less reactive oxygen species production, which matters because oxidative stress and inflammation drive each other in a feedback loop [3].

These are not random or obscure signalers. NF-κB is the master regulator of inflammation. You may have already heard me harp on about it in-person. The aforementioned cytokines they trigger the release of are also commonly discussed signalers, and frequently researched. So the drugs might be novel and exciting, but these are well-known players.

If you're a good candidate for a GLP-1 agonist and it makes sense for you, the good news is you just gained another upside. However, if you were curious about the benefits but don't quite want to get on one due to the downsides, there's more good news. There are foods that work on some of the same pathways, and they come with far fewer downsides.

Foods That Work on the Same Pathways

Food can even nudge your own GLP-1. Fiber, fermented foods, and polyphenol-rich foods stimulate the gut cells that release it [4]. The catch is that your natural GLP-1 breaks down within minutes, while the drugs are engineered to last for days. That's the difference between a nudge and a sustained signal.

1. Fatty fish (EPA/DHA)

Omega-3s compete directly with arachidonic acid for the same enzymatic machinery, shifting the balance away from pro-inflammatory eicosanoids. A systematic review of RCTs in the British Journal of Nutrition found that omega-3 supplementation reduced inflammatory biomarkers in some trials and populations, though not consistently across all of them [5]. Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are the most efficient food sources, and the ratio and dose matter more than just "eating fish" in general.

2. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

The compound responsible is oleocanthal — the ingredient behind that peppery bite at the back of your throat when you taste a good EVOO. Oleocanthal inhibits COX enzymes with an ibuprofen-like mechanism [6], and a human intervention study in adults with metabolic syndrome (Patti et al., Metabolites, 2020) found that two months of high-oleocanthal EVOO significantly reduced IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-α, and IL-1β while raising the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 [7]. Buy oil that is labelled "early harvest" or "robust" for the best oleocanthal content.

3. Berries

A meta-analysis of 44 RCTs (Xu et al., Frontiers in Nutrition, 2021) found that anthocyanin-rich berries significantly lowered circulating CRP, and purified anthocyanins lowered both CRP and TNF-α [8]. Individual trials are less consistent than the pooled result, which suggests anthocyanin content and dose matter more than "berries" as a category. Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all reasonable sources.

4. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli sprouts especially)

Sulforaphane, the compound cruciferous vegetables convert to when you chew or chop them, works through a complementary route: it activates Nrf2 (your endogenous antioxidant response) while separately suppressing NF-κB. In a trial of overweight adults, long-term daily broccoli sprout consumption reduced IL-6 and CRP [9]. Sprouts deliver a much higher sulforaphane yield per gram than mature broccoli, so if you're optimizing for this specific effect, sprouts are the more efficient food.

5. Garlic

Garlic's organosulfur compounds (allicin and others) have a plausible NF-κB-inhibition mechanism [10], but the human evidence on inflammatory markers is thinner than the mechanism suggests. Garlic earns its place here on plausibility and flavor rather than proof, but make it a regular habit. Because here's the thing, the inflammatory pathways might need a little more confirmation with human trials, but it's well accepted as a phenomenal food for cardiovascular health!

Bon Appétit!

None of this is an argument against GLP-1 medications when they're clinically indicated. That is something to discuss with your prescribing physician. However, while there are mechanisms by which GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs likely lower inflammation, some of the same pathways can be reached through diet, more gently and less predictably, but with essentially none of the downside. If you're already on a GLP-1RA, no one said you can't just do both, and paying attention to protein and micronutrients matters more when your appetite is suppressed [11]. Come at inflammation from two directions. If you're not on a GLP-1RA, and inflammation is what's actually driving your interest, I'd start with food.

Bon appétit! or for all my fans of The Bear, Mangia, baby!

References

1. Fleischhacker SE, Woteki CE, Coates PM, et al. Strengthening national nutrition research: rationale and options for a new coordinated federal research effort and authority. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020;112(3):721–769. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqaa179

2. Undeterred by political, economic headwinds, pharma ups R&D investment in 2024 and beyond. BioSpace. 2025. biospace.com

3. Alharbi SH. Anti-inflammatory role of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and its clinical implications. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. 2024;15. doi:10.1177/20420188231222367

4. Tkaczenko H. Foods as modulators of GLP-1 secretion. Nutrients. 2026;18(18):2995. doi:10.3390/nu18182995

5. Rangel-Huerta OD, Aguilera CM, Mesa MD, Gil A. Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation on inflammatory biomakers: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Br J Nutr.2012;107(S2):S159–S170. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001559

6. Beauchamp GK, Keast RSJ, Morel D, et al. Ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil. Nature.2005;437(7055):45–46. doi:10.1038/437045a

7. Patti AM, Carruba G, Cicero AFG, et al. Daily use of extra virgin olive oil with high oleocanthal concentration reduced body weight, waist circumference, alanine transaminase, inflammatory cytokines and hepatic steatosis in subjects with the metabolic syndrome: a 2-month intervention study. Metabolites. 2020;10(10):392. doi:10.3390/metabo10100392

8. Xu L, Tian Z, Chen H, Zhao Y, Yang Y. Anthocyanins, anthocyanin-rich berries, and cardiovascular risks: systematic review and meta-analysis of 44 randomized controlled trials and 15 prospective cohort studies. Front Nutr. 2021;8:747884. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.747884

9. López-Chillón MT, Carazo-Díaz C, Prieto-Merino D, Zafrilla P, Moreno DA, Villaño D. Effects of long-term consumption of broccoli sprouts on inflammatory markers in overweight subjects. Clin Nutr. 2019;38(2):745–752. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2018.03.006

10. Arellano-Buendía AS, Juárez-Rojas JG, García-Arroyo FE, Sánchez-Lozada LG, Osorio-Alonso H. Mecanismos moleculares de los efectos benéficos de la alicina sobre la enfermedad cardiovascular. Arch Cardiol Mex.2021;92(3). doi:10.24875/acm.21000196

11. Sorić T, Sarić A, Ivanišin A, et al. Hidden malnutrition in the GLP-1 era: micronutrient status, protein adequacy, and lean mass as emerging nutritional considerations—a narrative review. Nutrients. 2026;18(17):2757. doi:10.3390/nu18172757