5 "Bad" Carbs You Should Be Eating to Lower Inflammation (2024)

Pasta, bread, potatoes and other carbohydrate-heavy foods are often viewed as offenders to weight loss—or just better health in general. "People are fearful of carbs because diet culture wrongfully and unscientifically demonizes them and conditions us to believe that they are all unhealthy and bad," says Caroline Young, M.S., RD, LD, RYT, owner of Whole Self Nutrition. And that includes the rampant idea that eating carbs will amp up levels of inflammation.

"This is an immune response in the body that can be either short-term (acute) or longer-term (chronic)," explains Young. "Acute inflammation is a necessary result of short-term stress that helps the healing process when we have an injury or illness. However, chronic inflammation is harmful as it puts long-term stress on the body and can lead to diseases like diabetes and heart disease."

Eating a typical Western diet—which tends to be high in ultra-processed carbs such as white bread, cookies and chips, unhealthy fats, sugar and salt, as well as low in fiber and antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies—has been shown to be pro-inflammatory. The good news? Eating well (and yes, that includes some carbs) and staying in step with other healthy lifestyle choices can help lower inflammation, which tends to increase with age.

In fact, Young insists that carbs should be on the table—at least certain kinds of them—for many reasons. "Your body and brain prefer carbs as their first source of energy. They are necessary for several body processes, including energy production, blood sugar and insulin metabolism and cholesterol regulation. Several high-carb foods also provide essential nutrients like fiber, which helps with satisfaction at meals, keeps the digestive system regular and manages cholesterol," she says. A lesser-known fact about carbs is that the good ones may lower levels of inflammation.

How Do Carbs Affect Inflammation?

"Carbs are generally classified into two different categories—refined and complex. Refined carbs have been highly processed and have had their fiber and certain other nutrients removed. Because of their lack of fiber, these carbs tend to spike blood sugar when not paired with other foods, such as those containing protein, fiber and healthy fats," says Sarah Olszewski M.S., RDN, CDN, owner of Sarah Lynn Nutrition. "This rise in blood sugar can lead to an inflammatory response, and consuming more carbs than your body can use at any given time may cause them to be stored as fat." According to a 2022 review of studies published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, fat tissue can also produce molecules that drive chronic inflammation. Further, excess sugar intake may contribute to weight gain and obesity because it can trigger cravings and cause you to eat more calories than you need.

Despite the unfortunate rap carbs have gotten over the years, certain types can provide significant health benefits, especially when eaten within a healthy eating pattern that considers portions. "Complex carbs can lower inflammation levels. Foods like brown rice, quinoa, beans and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes contain fiber and phytonutrients such as polyphenols that can fight inflammation and decrease the risk for diseases like heart disease and cancer," says Olszewski. A 2020 study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, for example, suggests that eating whole grains can help reduce inflammation by feeding the good gut bacteria in your microbiome and delivering phytonutrients that reduce cell damage.

So, if you think bread and noodles aren't worth eating to improve health, guess again. (Unless, of course, you have an underlying health condition that limits you from eating carbs—in which case, consult your medical provider before making dietary changes.) Here are five "bad carbs" that have been shown to curb inflammation and prevent disease.

5 "Bad" Carbs You Should Eat to Lower Inflammation

1. Pasta

That's right: Pushing the spaghetti plate away may not be necessary. Traditional pasta does have a high glycemic index—and is more likely to rapidly raise blood sugar levels, due to the fact that it has little to no fiber or protein. But if you opt for the whole-grain kind, it could be a different story. In a 2022 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 756 healthy adults were followed to see how eating grains impacted inflammation. The researchers found that greater intake of refined grains was associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation. However, high whole grain intake—like the kind found in whole-wheat pasta—was linked to lower CRP. Whole grains are great sources of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

That doesn't mean foods made with refined grains, such as regular pasta, are off-limits, either. If you pair traditional spaghetti or rigatoni with extra-virgin olive oil, veggies and lean protein, you'll not only boost the nutrition of your meal, but also get inflammation-fighting nutrients that might offset the effects of eating that pasta on its own.

Plus, pasta shelves these days look different than they did 20 years ago. You can find legume-based options made with black beans, chickpeas and lentils that offer protein and fiber that might help reduce inflammatory woes.

2. Potatoes

Potatoes are higher in calories and carbs than many other types of veggies. But what you may not realize is they're also significant sources of health-promoting nutrients, including fiber, vitamins C, B3 and B6, and potassium, according to a 2023 review of studies published in the journal Food Chemistry. Purple potatoes and sweet potatoes are also rich in carotenoids and anthocyanins—types of inflammation-fighting antioxidants that give these kinds of spuds their unique colors.

Consuming antioxidant-rich foods like these may help stall oxidative stress—a process that happens when oxygen-containing molecules called free radicals increase to a level that antioxidants in your diet can't clear. And research from Biomedicines shows that this could cause damage to your body's cells and lead to inflammation and disease. Moreover, some human cohort studies, like one published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, have found that potatoes possess anti-inflammatory properties that lower CRP levels. Ready to add potatoes into your eating routine? Try our German-Style Potato Salad recipe.

3. Tortillas

Maintaining a healthy gut is vital to defend against inflammation. That's because unwelcome pathogens can take up residence in your gut and promote inflammation, according to a 2022 review of studies published in Nutrients. But choosing corn tortillas over the refined-flour kind on Taco Tuesdays may work to your benefit. A 2020 database published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that corn tortillas contain resistant starch—a dietary fiber that resists digestion and passes through the small intestines to the colon, where it's fermented by gut bacteria and produces short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate. Butyrate lowers inflammation, reduces colon cancer risk and enhances gut function, according to a 2020 review published in the journal Current Opinion in Biotechnology. Resistant starches also act as prebiotics, which support the survival of good bacteria and boost immune health.

4. Rice

Resistant starches are also naturally occurring in rice, but in minimal amounts, according to the 2020 database. Even still, rice could benefit health and fight inflammation, especially if it's the colorful type. A small trial, with results published in 2019 in the journal Food and Function, tested how purple, brown and red rice varieties and their antioxidant-rich pigments influenced markers of inflammation. The researchers found that purple and red rice varieties significantly lowered inflammatory markers. However, brown rice did not raise or lower inflammation. The anthocyanins that are plentiful in purple and red rice are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, according to a 2021 review in the journal Antioxidants. So swap your plain white rice for the cool-looking (and delicious!) colorful kind. Try our coconut rice bowl recipe.

5. Bread

Bread arguably has the reputation of Bad Carb No. 1. But whole-grain varieties contain a range of good-for-you nutrients like fiber, amino acids, phytochemicals and B vitamins. Whole wheat's impressive nutrition perks are thanks to the fact that it retains all three parts of the wheat grain—endosperm, bran and germ. Compared to their refined counterparts, studies have shown whole grains are richer in nutrients that positively impact risks of certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cholesterol levels, according to a 2022 review of studies published in Nutrients. And research from Oncotarget has linked all of these diseases and more to chronic levels of inflammation, mainly caused by oxidative stress. Most Americans fall short of eating enough whole grains, which is why the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests shifting from refined grains to whole-grain substitutes for better health outcomes.

The Bottom Line

The moral of the story here is that all foods can be part of a balanced and nutritious eating pattern—so there's no need to label foods as either "bad" or "good," even when it comes to carbs. Pasta, potatoes, tortillas, rice and bread can all be helpful additions to an anti-inflammatory diet that also includes healthy fats, lean protein, fruits and vegetables and other foods that promote balance and variety.