An older couple laugh together in a bright kitchen over a tray of fresh microgreens, with pears and oranges on the counter.

“The DASH Diet Helps Rheumatoid Arthritis”Evidence: Emerging

Does the DASH Diet Help Rheumatoid Arthritis? A 12-Week Trial Says It May

In a 2026 randomized trial, people with rheumatoid arthritis who ate the DASH way had lower disease scores and less pain than people on their usual diet. One key inflammation marker showed no added drop, and many people dropped out.

Latest research, graded

A man in a grey T-shirt sits up in a white bed and stretches both arms overhead, eyes closed and smiling.

“Lack of Sleep Causes Inflammation”Evidence: ModerateExplainerSleep

Does Lack of Sleep Cause Inflammation? What One Bad Night Does, and What Months Do

One night of lost sleep barely moves your inflammation markers. A run of short nights, or months of broken sleep, is a different story. Here's what the research shows, and what helped in trials.

A smiling nurse in white scrubs talks with an older bald man in glasses and a pale blue shirt in a bright clinic hallway.

“GLP-1 Drugs Are Anti-inflammatory Beyond Weight Loss”Evidence: ModerateResearch RadarMedicines

GLP-1 Drugs Lower an Inflammation Marker Fast. What That Means for Your Body Is Less Clear

In trials, semaglutide and tirzepatide lowered CRP, sometimes before much weight came off. The heart results are solid, a knee trial eased pain along with weight loss, and a large Alzheimer's trial found no benefit.

A smiling woman in a denim shirt and green apron turns food in a frying pan on a gas stovetop in a bright home kitchen.

“Seed Oils Are Inflammatory”Evidence: Not supportedMyth CheckFood

Are Seed Oils Inflammatory? 30 Trials Found No Rise in Key Markers

Canola, soybean and sunflower oil get blamed for chronic inflammation because of their omega-6 fat. When researchers had people eat more of that fat, blood signs of inflammation did not go up.

Four adults of different ages chat around a kitchen island as one tosses a big wooden bowl of salad beside trays of vegetable-topped toasts.

“Eating More Fiber Lowers Inflammation”Evidence: EmergingExplainerFood

Fibermaxxing Has a Point. Its Inflammation Claim Is Shakier.

Eating more fiber is linked to a longer, healthier life. But when trials measured inflammation, the changes were small and mixed. Here's what holds up, and how to add fiber without the bloat.

A bearded man in round glasses reads his phone at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in his other hand.

“A Home CRP Test Reveals Your Inflammation Level”Evidence: ModerateTools & TechTesting

What a Home CRP Test Can Tell You, and Why One Number Isn't Enough

High-sensitivity CRP is a real signal of heart risk, and a finger-prick sample can track a lab blood draw well. But your level swings from week to week, so one reading is a starting point, not a score to track like steps.

Two men stand shoulder-deep in dark, icy open water beside a shelf of ice, talking in winter sunlight.

“Cold Plunges Flush Out Inflammation”Evidence: Not supportedMyth CheckMovement

Do Cold Plunges Reduce Inflammation? Two New Reviews Say They Ease Sore Muscles Instead

A cold soak after a hard workout can take the edge off sore muscles. But blood markers of inflammation barely budge, and in the first hour after a plunge they go up.

Research RadarDoes exercise really lower inflammation? The biggest review yet says yes, with a catchEvidence: Moderate

Myth checks

Myth CheckSeed oils are inflammatoryEvidence: Not supported Myth CheckCold plunges flush out inflammationEvidence: Not supported

See every claim we've graded in the Evidence Scorecard