Holistic Health Supplements What Vitamins Can Help With Inflammation? How these powerful vitamins can help you By Lana Barhum facebook linkedin Lana Barhum has been a freelance medical writer for over 10 years. She shares advice on living well with chronic disease. Learn about our editorial process Lana Barhum Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Lana Butner, ND, LAc on June 14, 2020 facebook linkedin Lana Butner, ND, LAc, is a board-certified naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in private practice in New York City. Learn about our Medical Review Board Lana Butner, ND, LAc on June 14, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Vitamin A B Vitamins Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Research has pointed to certain vitamins with anti-inflammatory compounds. These vitamins can be acquired in supplement form and by eating foods naturally containing these vitamins. Here is a list of six vitamins that possess anti-inflammatory properties, and the foods that are rich sources of them. Verywell / JR Bee Vitamin A Studies have found vitamin A can keep the immune system from overacting and causing inflammation. Vitamin A is available in two forms: Beta-carotene is a provitamin that converts vitamin A in the body and vitamin A is an antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals. Diets rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A can help to reduce inflammation. Food Sources Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, dandelion, kale, collard greens, spinach, and a wide variety of leafy vegetables. B Vitamins People with low vitamin B6 will often have high levels of C-reactive protein, another compound responsible for inflammation, especially in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. To reduce inflammation and increase vitamin B6, try consuming foods high in B vitamins, including kale, bell peppers, and mushroom, cantaloupe, tuna, and poultry. One study found even low doses of folic acid (also known as folate, another B vitamin) supplementation taken daily and for short periods can reduce inflammation. Food Sources Food sources of folate include black-eyed peas, dark leafy greens, asparagus, and liver. Vitamin C Vitamin C is known for helping keep the immune system healthy and functioning well. Moreover, research shows vitamin C can get rid of free radicals responsible for inflammation. itamin C, like B vitamins, may also help lower C-reactive protein. Supplements are helpful, but it is always best to try to get vitamin C from your diet. Food Sources To get more vitamin C from your diet, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are also loaded with antioxidants that can improve health and potentially lower risk for heart disease and cancers. Vitamin D According to one report from Food & Nutrition Research, up to 41.6% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. Studies have long-established a connection between low vitamin D and a variety of inflammatory diseases. Further, researchers know that improving vitamin D can help reduce inflammation in the body. Another report in The Journal of Immunology suggests specific molecular and signaling events are responsible for vitamin D’s ability to inhibit inflammation. Moreover, people with low levels of vitamin D can definitely benefit from vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D is naturally available from the sun, but not everyone can get all their vitamin D from the sun. Anyone who suspects their vitamin D levels are low should talk to their doctor about testing and supplementation. Food Sources The best food sources of vitamin D are fish, egg yolks, organ meats, and foods supplemented with vitamin D, including milk. Vitamin E Vitamin E is another antioxidant vitamin, which means it can reduce inflammation. Results from a 2015 meta-analysis reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirm vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties and supplementation can be helpful to people living with inflammatory conditions. Food Sources Vitamin E is naturally found in nuts and seeds, including almonds and sunflower seeds. Many fruits and vegetables are also rich in vitamin E, including avocado and spinach. Vitamin K One report in the journal Metabolism found vitamin K can reduce inflammatory markers and help with blood clotting and protecting bone health. While vitamin K is necessary for bone health, most people do not get enough of it from their diets. Adult men should aim to take in 120 micrograms (mcg) daily of vitamin K, while women should aim for 90 mcg. The daily recommended numbers are lower for children and infants. Food Sources There are two types of vitamin K: Vitamin K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is found in leafy vegetables, including kale, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage, while K2 is found in chicken, liver, and eggs. A Word From Verywell Inflammation-fighting vitamins can be acquired from a variety of food sources, including vegetables, fruits, lean meats and fish, and vitamin-fortified foods. Even in supplement form, these vitamins can reduce inflammation without harsh side effects and are a viable option to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prescription anti-inflammatory medicines. Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any vitamin supplement. It's also important to note that vitamin supplements are not a substitute for medication. 15 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Be Eating Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Rubin LP, Ross AC, Stephensen CB, Bohn T, Tanumihardjo SA. Metabolic effects of inflammation on vitamin A and carotenoids in humans and animal models. Adv Nutr. 2017;8(2):197-212. doi:10.3945/an.116.014167 Sproston NR, Ashworth JJ. Role of C-reactive protein at sites of inflammation and infection. Front Immunol. 2018;9:754. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00754 Bird RP. The emerging role of vitamin B6 in inflammation and carcinogenesis. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2018;83:151-194. doi:10.1016/bs.afnr.2017.11.004 Chambial S, Dwivedi S, Shukla KK, John PJ, Sharma P. Vitamin C in disease prevention and cure: an overview. Indian J Clin Biochem. 2013;28(4):314-28. doi: 10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3 Forrest KY, Stuhldreher WL. Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults. Nutr Res. 2011;31(1):48-54. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001 Zhang Y, Leung DY, Richers BN, et al. Vitamin D inhibits monocyte/macrophage proinflammatory cytokine production by targeting MAPK phosphatase-1. J Immunol. 2012;188(5):2127-35. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1102412 Saboori S, Shab-bidar S, Speakman JR, Yousefi rad E, Djafarian K. Effect of vitamin E supplementation on serum C-reactive protein level: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015;69(8):867-73. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.296 National Institutes of Health. Vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals. Updated July 2019. Additional Reading Aslam MF, Majeed S, Aslam S, Irfan JA. Vitamins: key role players in boosting up immune response-a mini review. Vitam Miner. 2017; 6:153. doi:10.4172/2376-1318.1000153 Harvard School of Public Health. Three of the B vitamins: folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. National Institutes of Health. Folate fact sheet for health professionals. Updated July 2019. Palermo A, Tuccinardi D, D'Onofrio L, et al. Vitamin K and osteoporosis: myth or reality? Metabolism. 2017 May; 70:57-71. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2017.01.032 Valentini L, Pinto A, Bourdel-Marchasson I, et al. Impact of personalized diet and probiotic supplementation on inflammation, nutritional parameters and intestinal microbiota - The "RISTOMED project": Randomized controlled trial in healthy older people. Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;34(4):593-602. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2014.09.023