Antioxidants are powerful substances that can help ease your nerve pain. Find out which antioxidants work best in addressing your condition.
Over-the-counter painkillers are one of the most important and most used drugs by humankind today. After all, they’re used to treat anything from a mild headache to a severe toothache.
But what happens when painkillers are no longer enough?
The sad truth is that they can only do so much.
And my friend Greg had to learn it the hard way.
Recently, I found out that he has been suffering from nerve pain for months on end. And in hopes of treating his symptoms, he only bought over-the-counter painkillers from a nearby drugstore.
At first, the regular painkillers were making him feel better…
...Until they didn’t.
So, Greg ended up trying to amp his dosage just to get the desired effect. This went on for weeks until he realized that no matter how much he drank the painkillers, it was no longer doing anything to improve his condition.
That’s when he reached out to me.
And after listening to his story, I realized that he was not experiencing such ordinary pain. But rather, it was pain that was caused by nerve damage.
But while painkillers may no longer work for Greg, that doesn’t mean there is no way to ease his nerve pain. That’s because ingesting specific antioxidants can help him with his neuropathy and other symptoms of this condition.
And it can do the same for you.
What Are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that counteract cell damage by combating free radicals. These free radicals are various highly unstable molecules that can cause oxidative stress and, ultimately, tissue damage.
A key role of antioxidants is to defend against these free radicals to avoid any serious damage to your body.
There are various kinds of antioxidants in our bodies. And some of them are powerful enough to ease or sometimes even eradicate nerve pain and other symptoms of neuropathy.
The Six Most Powerful Antioxidants That Can Ease Nerve Pain
Antioxidant #1 - Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a compound that gives energy to your cells, most especially nerve cells. It is also an antioxidant that protects your body from toxins found within and outside the body.
Unfortunately, the natural production of CoQ10 in the body tends to slow down with age.
However, you could still get this vital antioxidant in various types of food like organ meat, pork, chicken, and beef. You can also acquire CoQ10 by eating some fruits and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries, among others.
Antioxidant #2 - Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Alpha-Lipoic acid, referred to as ALA, is another antioxidant that is great in slowing down or even stopping nerve damage.
It has also been proven to ease other symptoms of neuropathy like stabbing pains, itching, and tingling sensations just after a few weeks of use. In fact, some clinical trials have shown that it is the most successful antioxidant in helping deal with neuropathy.
Other benefits of this antioxidant include increasing blood flow, reduced inflammation, and lowering one’s blood sugar levels.
Broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, and organ meat, like liver, are all good sources of ALA.
Antioxidant #3 - Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Acetyl-L-Carnitine or ALC is a popular amino acid and antioxidant used for weight loss because it helps burn fat when coupled with exercise. And it has been proven to benefit those suffering from neuropathy, too.
Several clinical studies have found that ALC can be used for the treatment of patients with peripheral neuropathy due to its ability to regenerate injured nerve fibers and promote DNA synthesis in the mitochondria. The antioxidant also has an analgesic effect that treats and prevents chronic pain from neuropathy.
As an amino acid, Acetyl-L-carnitine is mostly found in red meat, dairy, and poultry products.
Antioxidant #4 - N-Acetyl Cysteine
Just like Acetyl-L-Carnitine, N-Acetyl Cysteine or NAC is another form of amino acid and antioxidant used to ease nerve pain and inflammation.
When taken orally, this antioxidant was found to help decrease pain over eight weeks. It also reduces sleep interference among patients.
Cysteine is found in most protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, turkey, and yogurt. However, N-acetyl cysteine isn’t found naturally in the food we eat. But it can be taken in supplement form.
Antioxidant #5 - Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a group of natural compounds that are usually found in fruits and vegetables. They can also be sourced from plant products such as tea, roots, and stem, as well as wine and even chocolates.
There are six major types of flavonoids, which are flavonols, flavones, flavanols, flavanones, isoflavones, and anthocyanins. Each one can be found in various plant-based foods.
Flavonoids are famous for their beneficial effects on human health. That’s because they have antioxidant properties and are well known to reduce inflammation, reduce instances of heart disease, and help fight cancer.
Because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, flavonoids are also a good candidate for the management of neuropathy symptoms.
Antioxidant #6 - Glutathione
Glutathione is an antioxidant made up of at least three amino acids, which include glutamine, glycine, and cysteine. This is a compound naturally produced by the body. And it is famously used for skin-whitening treatments for adults because it helps reduce melanin production.
But aside from its skin-whitening properties, glutathione is also a potent antioxidant to help fight the effects of various kinds of neuropathy, like chemotherapy-related neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and nerve pain of unknown origins.
Glutathione can be found in rare meat, unpasteurized dairy products, and avocados. But do note that cooking such foods can also diminish its glutathione levels.
The Best Way to Ease Nerve Pain
A good diet is essential in keeping ourselves healthy. And the good news is that most of the powerful antioxidants that can help ease nerve pain can be found and acquired by eating the right kinds of food.
However, we can’t always eat our way through neuropathy. The number of antioxidants in our meals may not be enough to chase the pain away.
When that happens, the best way to deal with nerve pain is to take supplements like Nervitalize. It contains the right mix of antioxidants, vitamins, and herbs to provide quick and effective results to combat neuropathy.
Resources:
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4363503/
https://www.healthline.com/health/neuropathy-supplements#fish-oil
https://foxintegratedhealthcare.com/neuropathy/8-great-vitamins-for-neuropathy/
Additional Resources:
https://www.blomerthchiropractic.com/can-coq10-help-my-neuropathy/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coenzyme-q10#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6498091/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31819599/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nac-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00478/full
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2020/8547960/