The Effects Of Diet On Chronic Pain

"The foods we eat (or don't) can affect how well our bodies fight painful inflammation" - Dr. Fred Tabung

According to Dr. Fred Tabung, a visiting researcher with the Department of Nutrition at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, "A lot of chronic pain is the result of chronic inflammation, and the evidence is quite strong that your diet can contribute to increased systemic inflammation... But your diet is also one of the best ways to reduce it."

It's been said that you are what you eat, and research shows that's definitely true when it comes to chronic pain. The question sitting before us now is, which foods should we be eating more of and which foods should we be actively avoiding?

Foods that cause inflammation:
-refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries
-french fries and other fried foods
-soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
-red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)
-margarine, shortening, and lard

Foods that fight inflammation:
-tomatoes
-olive oil
-green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
-nuts like almonds and walnuts
-fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
-fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes and oranges
-tea that is rich in catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation
-turmeric; curry powder
-ginger, garlic, chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme
-shiitake, enokitake, maitake, oyster mushrooms (and wild mushrooms if available)
-omega-3 fatty acids
-broccoli
-avocados
-dark chocolate
-hemp seeds

As you can see there is a long list of anti-inflammatory food options. However, this is only a small list of many. Therefore it is also recommended that you do your own due diligence as well to find out if something causes inflammation or not.

If you're someone who's been battling chronic pain, have you (being honest with yourself) gotten strict with your diet yet? Changing one's diet can be very simple, but also far from easy.

What changes, if any, have worked for you?

[1] health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

[2] health.harvard.edu/pain/can-diet-heal-chronic-pain

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