Pain is one of the most common symptoms which we experience in day-to-day lives. The reasons for occurrence of pain can be varied and vivid. One of the reasons for chronic (long term) pain can be the food that you eat. Although it might sound surprising, the reason why this happens is because some food that you eat might over sensitise the nerve endings responsible for pain generation. In addition some foods may trigger release of some chemicals in the body which further increases pain responses. Let us thus talk about some food items which must be avoided if you experience chronic pain.
Excessive sugar intake increases your blood glucose levels and this tends to over sensitize your nerve endings responsible for pain sensation. Thus it is recommended to limit sugar intake which also includes artificial sweeteners. You can replace processed sugars and artificial sweeteners with natural sugar sources like fresh fruits, honey etc.
Ideally our diet must contain say about 50-60% of carbohydrates; which we usually tend to over exceed. Now carbohydrates directly break down into glucose for absorption; thus ultimately increasing blood glucose which must be controlled. Therefore it is recommended that the daily proportion of carbohydrates in your diet must be controlled.
When you are suffering from chronic pain in conditions like fibromyalgia etc. it is advisable to cut down on your caffeine intake. Caffeine tends to further disrupt your already disrupted sleep cycle which adds on to the problems of chronic pain. Thus intake of caffeine should be limited and it must be replaced with healthy options like green tea or herbal tea.
The vegetables falling under the botanical class of nightshade must be avoided when you are suffering from conditions that cause chronic pain. The examples of such vegetables are tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, pepper etc.
Gluten products and yeast are products which are present in baked products. These products are used to aid fermentation. The gluten products and yeast sensitize the pain causing nerves and increase the feeling of pain; thus should be avoided.
Food items which are fermented contain certain type of fungus and microbes that help in fermentation. These microbes increase the pain and might worsen it. Some of the fermented foods are bagoon, bread, cheese, fermented fish, etc.
Dairy products and milk products contain certain type of proteins that contribute to causing pain. It might in fact even worsen pain related to muscles and bone joints. Some diets recommend going complete vegan and avoiding dairy and meat products completely.
Processed and packaged foods contain certain preservatives and additives to protect and extend the shelf-life. These additives are chemicals which might damage your nerve endings and cause tremendous pain. Thus preservatives and additives like MSG etc. must be avoided. It is advisable to check the labels for any preservative content before use.
Alcohol damages your nerves which carry the pain sensation. This increases pain and damages your nerve endings. Thus it is advised to stop alcohol consumption or at least if you have to consume do it in moderation.
One very important factor is to control and limit the consumption of junk food. Junk food is nothing but empty calories which is of no benefit to the body. In addition it has preservatives and chemicals which damage the nerves; this results in increased sensation of pain. Thus, eating junk food should be avoided especially for people who suffer from conditions of chronic pain.
Smoking worsens arthritis and damages bone joints and might even increase the chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis and even cause acute conditions like gout. In order to prevent extremities and extreme conditions thus it is advised to stop smoking and improve your overall lifestyle. We now know the various food items that increase or worsen pain in chronic pain conditions and therefore should be avoided. In addition to cutting down the intake of these above mentioned food items you should also make your diet and lifestyle healthy. Exercising regularly will improve your blood circulation and thus enrich the nerve endings; including fruits and vegetables in your diet provide enough nutrition needed for the body and keeps it healthy. Even after taking care of the above mentioned factors; if you pain is still getting worse its time you check with your doctor for a suitable treatment.
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