Burning or ice cold pain, tingling, pins
and needles, electrical shock sensations, throbbing pain, and numbness. These are
typical symptoms of neuropathic pain, or pain caused by a disease or injury
to a nerve or the neurological system. There are more than 100 conditions that
can cause nerve pain. The most common are peripheral neuropathy, shingles, sciatic
nerve compression, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, multiple sclerosis,
spinal cord injury and post-stroke pain. The nutrition to the nerves is very important.
The nerves need essential nutrients to regenerate and to heal. And many times, lack of nutrients or
toxic nutrients are the cause of the nerve pain. Today, I’ll tell you about 7 food groups
that you should incorporate in your diet if you have neuropathic pain.
I’ll also tell
you about 5 food groups that you should avoid. If you stay until the end, I’ll show you
a link to a handout that you can download with all this information and print at home.
So, let’s talk about foods for nerve pain today. Here are the 7 foods that you need to add
to your regular diet to combat nerve pain: First food group
Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids. These are essential fatty acids
that are the basis of our brain and myelin that covers the nerves. They are also important for
regeneration after a nerve injury. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory nutrient, and inflammation
is involved in nerve injury and diseases. Foods rich in omega 3 include fish from
cold water like salmon, cod, tuna, sardines, mackerel and herring. Some seeds are also
rich in omega 3, like chia and flaxseeds. So, if you add omega 3 rich food to your
diet, at least 2 portions of fish every week, you have a good supply of omega 3.
But
if you don’t eat fish or these seeds, then you may need to think of supplementing
with fish oil or omega 3 capsules. Watch my other video about
omega 3 to learn more about it. The second food group
Fruits, especially grapes and berries, contain antioxidants and substances that protect
the nerves from further damage. These antioxidants reduce chronic inflammatory processes which
cause a slow process of nerve degeneration. So, if you have a portion of berries or grapes
every day you will be protected.
Examples of berries are blueberries, blackberries,
cranberries, cherries and strawberries. Green, red and dark grapes are all good too.
Other fruits that are also beneficial are oranges, as they contain a lot of vitamin C that helps
healing and boost the immunological system. The third food group are grains
Give preference to whole grains such as brown rice, oats, and quinoa. Grains
are seeds from grasses called cereals. Grain products can be processed into flour.
However, as much as possible, try to avoid processed and refined grains, and eat them
whole to maintain their nutritional composition. For example, rice is a grain.
White rice is
processed and refined. So, choose brown rice. If you don’t like brown rice, then your
next best choice is parboiled rice. Grains contain many nutrients important to nerve
health, including many necessary vitamin B. Here is a comparison of the 3 types of rices: A normal portion of rice is
about 5.5 ounces or 155 grams. In terms of calories, they are all
equivalent, around 200 calories. But Brown rice has 23% of Vitamin B1 (or
thiamine) and 25% of vitamin B3 (or niacin), 11% of vitamin B6, 3.5% of vitamin
B9 or folate and 14% of Magnesium Parboiled rice has 10% of Vitamin B1,
23% of vitamin B3, 14% of vitamin B6, 1% of folate and 3% of Magnesium.
White rice has 3% of B1 and 4% of vitamin B3, 9% of vitamin B6, 1% of folate and 7% of Magnesium.
I prepared a handout for you, that you can download it for FREE on my website.
Just
go to www. Doctorandreafurlan.com/nutrition Grains are a type of carbohydrate, and carbs
are converted into energy to your brain. Did you know that the brain consumes 20% of
all energy that we eat? That is why when you are studying, paying attention to something
really important, or doing a very intense cognitive task you feel a lot hungrier.
So, feed your brain with grains! The Fourth food group are nuts
Nuts are very rich in many vitamins and minerals. They are very rich in Vitamin B, which
are important to nerve and brain health. They also have fibers, omega-3 fatty
acids, unsaturated fats, and are an excellent source of energy to the brain.
Examples are walnuts, cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts,
chestnuts, pecans and pistachios. Nut oils are also a good source
of healthy nutrients from nuts, however, they don’t contain fibers. The Fifth food group.
Beans. Beans are considered legumes. They are rich in
magnesium which helps in nerve regeneration, and blocks pain signals in central sensitization.
Watch my other video about Magnesium and pain. Any kind of bean is good.
Black
beans, pinto beans, lima beans, fava beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
Beans are rich in carbohydrates, which are excellent for converting
them into energy for the brain. Well, before I continue, let me remind you
that this video is not intended to provide medical advice, it is for educational purposes
only. If you have a medical condition that requires treatment, please talk to your doctor
to get a treatment plan for you. And if there is any emergency, please go to the nearest
emergency department or call an ambulance. The Sixth food group is meat.
Meat protein. Meat products contain a lot of vitamin
B12, iron and proteins. These are very important for the function of the neurological
system, oxygenation and to prevent anemia. Give preference to lean meat,
like chicken and turkey.
The final and seventh food group
Can you guess what the last food group is? Of course!
Don’t forget your vegetables. Vegetables contain many
antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Try to incorporate them on your
diet, many times during the day. Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, kale
are rich in alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a potent substance that fights nerve
damage and improves nerve function. Potatoes and yam are also rich in ALA
and other anti-inflammatory nutrients. Now I am going to tell you 5 things to avoid!
Do you like this video so far? So, give a thumbs up here, and don’t forget
to subscribe to this channel. If you have neuropathic pain, I recommend
you watch my video about alcohol and pain. Alcohol can be the cause of peripheral
neuropathy, and it makes other nerve pains worse. Second.
Limit the amount of sodium. Salt is very
dangerous, and if you are not used to reading the labels of all the foods you eat every day, I
highly recommend you start reading and using a calculator to add all the salt you eat in a day.
You should limit to 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Third. Avoid food high in sugar.
They can decompensate diabetes, and diabetes is the most frequent cause of
peripheral neuropathy.
So, avoid white sugar, brown sugar, ice cream, snacks, desserts, and
processed foods. Avoid pops and artificial juices. Avoid candies, donuts, cakes and pies.
And I have to tell you this. Avoid chocolate. I wish I had something nicer to
tell you. Yes, I love chocolate too. The fourth thing you need to avoid is
unhealthy fats. Avoid any deep-fried stuff and red meat with that big fat around
it. Eggs are permitted but avoid fried eggs. Fifth and last, avoid too much caffeine.
Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic nerve system, causes tremors, and irritability,
and can aggravate nerve pain. Check your pain medications; some
of them already contain caffeine.
Send this video to your friends who have
neuropathic pain. There is a share button here. Here are other videos from my
channel that you can watch. Goodbye!.