Foods That Fight Pain

According to a study from the National Institutes of Health, roughly 21 percent of Americans experience chronic pain. Chronic pain is defined as having pain daily or most days during a 3-month period.

While there is no magic “cure all” foods that eliminate pain, if chronic inflammation is the cause of chronic pain, choosing anti-inflammatory foods may provide some relief.

Anti-inflammatory foods can include a wide spectrum of choices, but one thing they have in common is that they aren’t highly processed. Foods such as refined carbohydrates (think pasta, rice, white bread), processed meats, fried foods, and sweet drinks with added sugar can all impact your body’s inflammation response.

Many foods contain powerful nutrients that can help the body fight inflammation:

Soy

With bioactive compounds such as isoflavones and peptides, minimally processed soy such as whole soybeans, soy milk, tofu, and edamame can add protein to meals while potentially reducing inflammation. Soybeans also contain many nutrients such as zinc, calcium and iron, as well as fiber.

Colorful Fruits And Vegetables

“Eating the rainbow” is a common phrase used by nutritionists, but it’s a benefit for anti-inflammatory diets. Food such as bell peppers, carrots, blackberries, spinach, blueberries and tomatoes don’t just add color to your plate. Their color, which comes from phytonutrients, contains antioxidants, which can help regulate inflammation in the body.

Additionally, cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates, which break down into compounds that are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and radishes, among others.

Whole Grains

Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, quinoa contain fiber, antioxidants and flavonoids that help reduce inflammation. Buckwheat, black rice and sorghum, a gluten-free grain, can also help reduce the body’s inflammation response.

Fish

Fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease production of inflammatory molecules throughout the body. Just two to four servings of fish a week can be beneficial to reduce inflammation. A few of the best and easiest choices to work into your diet are salmon, tuna, and sardines.

Mediterranean Diet

What a lot of these foods have in common is their appearance in the popular Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on whole foods, nuts, seafood, lean meats and other healthy foods. With less processed foods, less saturated fats and more fiber, the benefits of eating the Mediterranean diet go beyond reducing inflammation in the body. It can increase energy, reduce cancer risk, and help prevent heart disease.

As you begin to assess your diet for to help with pain from inflammation, be sure to talk with your medical provider before making any significant changes to your diet or adding nutritional supplements. Your provider can help ensure your medication, other treatments and diet all work together to provide the best benefits to ease chronic pain.