10 Best Anti-Inflammatory Supplements for When You Have an Autoimmune Disease – Updated for 2023!

1 in 5 women are diagnosed with an autoimmune disease – did you know that?

One of the most powerful ways we can bolster our bodies against developing these diseases is through what we eat. So, today, we are talking about the anti-inflammatory supplements that help fight inflammation.

I’ve talked a little bit about my own autoimmune disease journey here on the blog and one reason I share about it is because I have spent years learning as much as I can and studying natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can have a huge impact on our bodies ability to heal.

So, I want to share some of the anti-inflammatory supplements that have helped me regain strength, fight and reduce flare-ups, and live my best life.

But, first…

What Is Inflammation?

Healthy inflammation is the body’s necessary response to injury or infection – but when inflammation goes rogue, the body gets confused and starts attacking healthy tissue.

If you’re struggling with any health issues, it’s likely you have an excess of inflammation in your body. If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, you probably have a lot of it.

Here’s a great article on inflammation if you would like some more background.

Supplements That Help Fight Inflammation:

Let’s get to the good stuff! These are the tried and true supplements I take almost every day to cool the inflammation inferno and help my immune system right the ship.

First, though, I’d like to do a little housekeeping: I am not a medical professional, nor am I attempting to give you any medical advice. Always be sure to do your own research and discuss new supplements with your doctor or team of medical professionals, particularly if you have any pre-existing medical conditions. 

These are the actual supplements I take regularly – no mumbo jumbo or products shoved in here because they are paying me.

The Best Anti-Inflammatory Supplements:

1. Turmeric/Curcumin with Black Pepper:

Hands down one of the most effective natural remedies and/or supplements for fighting free radicals and inflammation in the body is turmeric with black pepper.

While you can eat or drink your turmeric, I don’t care for the taste. So, I use supplements to get the powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Plus, our body absorbs and can use much more when combined with black pepper, another food I don’t love eating. This made pill supplementation the best choice for me.

After trying many brands, there are two types of turmeric supplements that I saw the most difference with. Turmeric helps with relieving pain, helping reduce swelling in joints, cleansing and flushing out toxins, and helping fight infections. You can read more about the health benefits of turmeric in this post, too.

Gaia Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength:

Hundreds of great reviews, because Gaia knows their stuff. They are absolutely a great, affordable brand for any supplement. Plus, the way they have designed the capsules, I never had an issue with tummy upset or with tasting the turmeric.

You may need to up the dose to 2 to 4 pills a day, depending, but it’s a very good product.

2. Dr. Myer’s Liver Support Blend

If your body has inflammation, there’s a good chance your liver is not cleansing properly. This can very quickly cause gut issues, fatigue, breakouts, and more. So, a liver cleanse blend can really help your liver detoxify and work optimally.

This particular liver blend is my personal favorite and contains:

• Milk Thistle, to protect liver cells
• Selenium, supports healthy thyroid function
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid, binds to free radicals so they can flush out
• N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine; a glutathione precursor

This liver blend capsule supports optimal liver function, bile production, and detoxification of the liver. I definitely notice a difference when I take this and if I stop for a bit, I’ll start to see and feel the absence of it.

UPDATE 2023: I’ve recently changed my liver detox supplement to this one by Hum Nutrition:

Currently, I take one of these at night with my probiotic, magnesium, and turmeric. I share more about why I made the switch to this liver detox supplement in this post here. Mostly, this formula also contains other seriously powerful anti-inflammatories, such as chlorella, spirulina, and much more.

CHECK OUT DAILY CLEANSE HERE.

3. Cod Liver Oil

I know, this one sounds disgusting. But, the health benefits of CLO cannot be ignored. It’s one of the first supplements I started taking and I will probably take it forever.

The reason CLO is such a powerful anti-inflammatory is the high levels of Vitamin A and D. Here’s a short list of some of the other ways that CLO can help with chronic pain and inflammation:

• Improves joint pain and Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms
• Supports Eye Health
• Reduces heart disease risk
• Improves symptoms of anxiety and depression
• May help heal stomach ulcers

Here is a great, super-easy read on the 9 health benefits of cod liver oil. Definitely worth a look over for more information on all of the above.

As for brand, again – it matters. I’ve tried a few highly rated ones and settled on this one. I took anywhere from 1 to 6 capsules, depending on symptoms:

This particular formulation also contains the concentrated butter oil, which helps the body absorb and utilize the minerals, increasing the benefits and repair to teeth, bones and tissue.

I won’t lie to you – it’s not delicious. That’s why I gave up on the liquids and just take capsules. Take them with food in the morning or there is an aftertaste. Read more about how I take this supplement and use other products to improve the health of my teeth.

4. Seeking Health Active B12 with L-5 Folate

After being diagnosed with an MTHFR mutation – it became even more important for me to motherload the cleanest form of folate, combined with B12, for the most active form of folate.

The health benefits for taking these two essential nutrients are many, but here is a short list:

• Supports hemoglobin production
• Supports energy production, methylation processes and red blood cell levels*
• Potent Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin) and methylfolate in absorbable lozenge format.
• Vitamin B12 is crucial to the formation of healthy red blood cells, energy production, nervous system support, and cognitive health.

Particularly if you’re wanting to get pregnant, are pregnant, or have been pregnant, restoring your folate and vitamin B12 is even more critical.

5. Dr. Myer’s L-Glutamine

L-Glutamine is super important for anyone concerned with the following:

• Leaky Gut
• Inflammation
• Food sensitivities
• Autoimmune diseases

Ever heard of the Leaky Gut?

This is even more of an issue for those with an autoimmune disease, as so many people suffering from them are on pharmaceuticals to manage symptoms and pain, which further wreaks havoc on the gut flora and lining.

L-Glutamine is super important for balancing the bodies insulin response, which helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, as well as helping to maintain a healthy gut barrier – and preventing leaky gut syndrome. 

L-Glutamine also helps with:

• Supports healthy pancreatic function
• Balance blood sugar levels
• Balance stress hormone levels, such as cortisol
• Supports thyroid and immune system health
• Supports muscle tissue repair
• Abundant amino acids help repair muscle tissue after workouts

You can read a lot more about all of this here, where you can also order my favorite L-Glutamine supplement: 

6. Probiotics

I think most people have heard about the health benefits of taking a high quality probiotic. But, if you would like to read more on the many ways a probiotic can improve your health, here is a great article on the 8 health Benefits of Probiotics.

Adult Probiotic: Hum Nutrition Gut Health

I’ve recently switched over to this probiotic and love it. I take one at night before I go to bed with my turmeric, magnesium, and liver detox supplements. I wrote more about what’s in this and why I made the switch in this post here.

CHECK OUT GUT INSTINCT HERE.

Baby & Kids Probiotics:

I do give my kids probiotics and these are some of the brands we’ve used. Depending on the season, I sometimes switch it up to elderberry gummies to help with immunity against illness and infection, too.

7. Thera Tears Eye Nutrition

One of the autoimmune diseases I have been diagnosed with is called Sjogren’s Syndrome. In addition to the typical autoimmune symptoms, I get the added bonus of inflammation in my eyes, sinuses, and salivary glands, which results in extremely dry eyes, sinuses, and throat/esophagus.

The moisture that is supposed to be created in our eyes and face flushes down throughout our whole body, so you can imagine that if your eyes are like sandpaper, that creates a lot of collateral damage.

Even though I already take the cod liver oil, I also take this supplement that was specifically designed for eye health and promoting healthy tears. One of my former opthmalogists recommended it to me and I really feel it works.

Three capsules of the Thera Tears contains:

• Natural, plant-based formula with Tea Tree Oil
• Optimized blend of Organic flaxseed oil
• Triglyceride form of fish oil
• Vitamin E

So, basically it’s a really easy way to get all the different nutrients needed for promoting healthy tears. I continue to go to the eye doctor every 6 months to test tear levels, and as of today, I haven’t had any dry patches or needed to upgrade to a pharmaceutical eye drop yet.

If you do suffer from Sjogren’s Syndrome or just have really dry eyes, I highly recommend these eye drops. Also, check out my post on the best products for dry eyes, including Sjogren’s.

8. Ancient Minerals Magnesium Lotion

Magnesium is another critical nutrient for optimal health.

Magnesium is responsible for over 600 reactions in our body. Here is just a short list of ways magnesium helps:

• Every cell in the body needs it to function
• Helps with energy creation
• Helps with DNA and RNA
• Helps with muscles – movements, contractions, etc.
• Helps nervous system regulation – which is why magnesium can be used to help fight anxiety, depression, etc.
• Helps with Type 2 Diabetes
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Helps reduce inflammation
• Helps prevent migraines
• Helps with insulin resistance
• Helps with PMS symptoms

I talk more about the many health benefits of magnesium in this post, too. While you can certainly strive to eat your magnesium, I have found that the lotions are the most effective way to get the benefits of magnesium very quickly.

Plus, if you’re pregnant or just suffering from leg cramps – rubbing this lotion on your calves and lower legs will help tremendously with relaxing those muscles. I talk more about how I use magnesium for helping with leg cramps and sleep in this post. 

This is the absolute best lotion I’ve tried. Some of them have made me shaky or have stomachaches, so I would really recommend starting with this one.

APPLICATION: Two pumps on your upper arms and two pumps on your calves and lower legs at night, before bed. You’ll sleep better, be more relaxed, and be giving your body much needed magnesium.

Another great way to get magnesium is in pill form. I take two of this magnesium supplement at night before I go to bed.

I also share about how I use magnesium in my post on 5 natural remedies for stomach pain and bloating. Check it out.

9. Hemp Seeds

You would probably be surprised to learn about the incredible health benefits of hemp seed oil and hemp seeds! This is not THC or CBD.

Hemp seeds are a plant and hemp oil is made from extracting oil from those seeds. Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil contain little to no THC or CBD and is instead extracted for its healthy fatty acid profile.

The positive health benefits of hemp seeds and oil include:

• Reduces anxiety
• Reduces symptoms of epilepsy
• Reduces inflammation and chronic pain
• Reduces free radical damage
• Balances the immune system
• Protects gut health
• Reduces nausea
• Balances moods

There are 2 key ways that I incorporate hemp seeds and oil into my life.

First, I usually add about half a spoonful of seeds to my superfood smoothies. I would not recommend much more than that as they have a very strong, earthy flavor and can make your whole smoothie smell like feet.

But, half a spoonful and not even my kids notice.

Second, I use a lotion with hemp seed oil in after I dry brush and shower. It soaks right in, moisturizers better than any other type of lotion I’ve tried – which is why I included it in my How To Fix Dry Skin & Hair in the Winter – guide, and helps with joint and muscle pain.

10. Benefits of Collagen

We’re flying now – can you feel it? We made it to Number 10. The final chapter. The last man standing.

Collagen starts to decline in our teens and early twenties. It’s the reason we can start to feel like our joints are just not operating as smoothly as they once did and our post-workout recovery takes longer. Collagen is also what gives our skin the plump, youthful appearance that goes away over time.

But, you can slow this collagen decline with supplementation and diet. I wrote a whole post on how I started using collagen for joint pain and then it ended up turning back the clock on my face. True story. Read it here.

I love this one:

How To Choose Anti-Inflammatory Supplements:

When it come to supplements, the ingredients do matter.

Sometimes it can be a simple combination of ingredients that is especially effective or an extraction method that makes one version of an ingredient get results when a chemically created alternative won’t.

If you have an autoimmune disease or chronic health issues,  your body is already struggling to effectively flush toxins from the body, and it is even more important for you to select supplements from reputable companies who use the right ingredients, combinations and extraction methods.

So, be particular about your supplement choice.

If you’re on a tight budget, you’re better off with a couple high quality supplements to start, rather than a whole bin of the other kind.

This is an article on the most trustworthy supplement brands that has been SO HELPFUL to me on my journey.

How About Dosing?

When it comes to supplements, dosing is not as strict or clear as with other types of medications. Often, this is a process of trial and error.

The best advice I received from a naturopath was to always start one supplement at a time, starting with the lowest dose and building up until I felt it worked. 

This is also the only way to really tell if it’s not working at all or having adverse effects. If you start 2 or 3 at a time, you won’t know which supplement is giving you stomachaches, etc. Then, once I figure out what works, I sit down every weekend and refill my little vitamin holder with the right amount for each day, so I don’t have to think about it for a week:

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BOOM Baby – we DID IT. Are you still with me? You’re amazing.

These are the 10 supplements I take almost every day. #TRUTH

Have you taken any of these before? Do you have a favorite not on this list? Share it with us in the comments below! Oh, and if you know anyone who could benefit from this list – will you share it? It takes a village.

Have a fabulous day,

E