Since many different things can cause and aggravate nerve pain, enemies could be hiding in plain sight—even in your favorite food.
A good friend invited me to dinner the other night.
Now, I hadn’t seen this friend in quite a while. So I was surprised when I noticed that he now limped when he walked!
I thought, Huh, that’s new.
My friend caught me staring, so he hurriedly explained that he had been diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy. He said it’s been causing weakness in his legs and feet, making it difficult for him to walk.
So, imagine my surprise when we got to the dinner table!
He had served two kinds of pasta, white bread on the side, and a generous serving of cold cuts.
No wonder my friend had been suffering the full wrath of his neuropathy—he had been eating nerve pain triggers hiding in plain sight!
How a Balanced Diet Fights Nerve Pain
My friend actually didn’t serve any dessert that night. He said he had to keep his blood sugar levels down to limit the impact of his neuropathy.
But he didn’t know there were other kinds of food he had to avoid if he wanted to prevent the pain, numbness, and tingling associated with diabetic neuropathy. So, I told him about it.
I found out that apparently, his doctor failed to emphasize the gigantic role a balanced diet plays when it comes to fighting nerve pain.
If you also suffer from nerve pain as a complication of diabetes, take note that making the right changes to your diet can reverse—not just slow down—the onset of neuropathy.
By getting the right nutrients, you can give your nerves a good environment to thrive in and repair themselves even when they have already sustained some damage.
And a huge part of designing that ideal diet to combat neuropathy is avoiding certain foods that are unfriendly to your nerves.
The Top 6 Foods That Cause Nerve Pain Flare-Ups
After that eventful dinner with my friend, I slipped him a note containing a list of all the top foods that he should avoid to give his nerves some reprieve.
Here’s what that list contained.
Food #1 - Sweets, Including Artificial Sweeteners
First on the list is, of course, sweets. And you probably already know you should avoid consuming ice cream, cake, soft drinks, and the like to avoid triggering nerve pain.
But here’s a question…
If you’re avoiding sugar, how do you satisfy your sweet tooth? Can you turn to artificial sweeteners when you crave something sweet?
I have some less-than-exciting news for you.
You’re not any kinder to your nerves by substituting sugar with artificial sweeteners.
You see, most of those artificial sweeteners are neurotoxins. That means consuming them heightens your nerve sensitivity, leading the way to more intense nerve pain.
Food #2 - Gluten-Rich Food
The reason I was surprised when my friend served two kinds of pasta with a side of white bread is that these foods are high in gluten.
Now, gluten is not inherently bad. It’s just that many people don’t process it well. In fact, many of us may be allergic or sensitive to it without us knowing.
And if you do have an intolerance for gluten, this means that consuming pasta, white bread, and other starchy foods could inflame your gut. In turn, the intestinal lining can get damaged, allowing toxins access into your bloodstream. As a result, it can cause intense, typically painful inflammation all over your body.
Food #3 - Alcohol
Like most artificial sweeteners, alcohol is a neurotoxin. That means it can heavily damage your nerves.
In fact, there’s a thing we call alcoholic neuropathy. And it takes place when a person who drinks too much begins to experience symptoms of neuropathy, like pain, numbness, and tingling, even when they’re healthy enough.
Now, imagine the effect of alcohol if you already have damaged nerves, to begin with.
Keep in mind that your nerves are capable of self-healing. You just have to give them a good enough environment and avoid damaging them more.
One way to do that is to cut alcohol out of your system.
Food #4 - Certain Types of Fish
Here’s the thing with fish...
Generally, they’re actually good for you.
They’re healthier than most meats that are typically cooked with a heaping of salt. And, of course, fish oil is a great way to reduce inflammation.
What’s not good for people with neuropathy is elevated exposure to heavy metals, which causes your nerves to flare up. So, beware of certain fish that are prone to accumulating heavy metals like mercury.
These include, but are not limited to, the following:
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King mackerel
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Marlin
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Tuna
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Swordfish
Again, most fish are good for you. You just have to be a bit more cautious when choosing your seafood to avoid exposure to heavy metals like mercury.
Food #5 - Trans Fats and Saturated Fats
The fact that these fats are nicknamed “unhealthy facts” should clue you right in.
Trans fats and saturated fats abound in most dairy products and fatty meats. And when you consume these fats in excess, your body reacts by producing more cholesterol.
Over time, this cholesterol production will compromise the integrity of your blood vessels. They will also inflame your arterial walls, triggering nerve pain and making movement difficult.
Food #6 - Salty Snacks
Like I told my friend, having a high-sodium diet is problematic because too much sodium can restrict blood flow. That contributes to numbness, a symptom of neuropathy.
Luckily, he was gracious enough to send me off with the cold cuts he had originally prepared for the two of us.
Supplement Your Balanced Diet to Defeat Nerve Pain
After I had gotten home from my friend’s place that night, I got a text from him.
He thanked me for the list of foods to avoid. And he admitted he would have a hard time remembering it all on his own. But he also said he’s not sure if he could totally avoid the foods on my list.
And that’s understandable.
After all, people who live with neuropathy should still be able to live normal lives without second-guessing everything they do or everything they eat.
That’s where our all-natural supplement, Nervitalize,comes in
With the help of Nervitalize,you can keep nerve pain at bay and continue living life to the fullest. To learn more about this all-natural supplement, check out Nervitalize on our site today.
Resources:
https://fapnewstoday.com/2020/01/22/foods-salty-starch-sweet-high-blood-sugar-peripheral-pain/
https://www.thankyourbody.com › Recent Articles
https://lluh.org/services/neuropathic-therapy-center/blog/6-food-dos-donts-minimize-nerve-pain
https://modernneuropathy.com/beware-of-these-foods-that-flare/
Additional Resources:
https://www.sehat.com/is-it-safe-to-consume-artificial-sweeteners-with-neuropathy