We’ve all experienced some kind of pain that comes and goes; however, having to live with chronic pain is a different story. Chronic pain is characterized as any pain that spans over a period of longer than twelve weeks. It can affect almost any part of our body, such as back, shoulders, and neck. There are various reasons as to why chronic pain occurs, such as the result of an injury, sprained muscle, or as a result of poor posture over a certain period of time. The inflammation in muscles can lead to their weakness and result in chronic pain, and this is one of the possible reasons of chronic pain that is very often ignored.
Our food choices can have a great impact on our health, but there are certain types of food that can aggravate your chronic pain condition.
If you are suffering from chronic pain, or inflammation, the following types of food should be crossed off from your diet list.
1. Gluten
Besides being know for causing stomach pain to those who are intolerant to it, gluten’s influence in not only limited to stomach and intestines, it can also be the cause of the overall pain. If you are sensitive to gluten, it can trigger an autoimmune response in your body causing inflammation as a defense mechanism. As Dr. Rochelle Rosian, MD, a rheumatologist at Cleveland Clinic points out “We know that certain foods are pro-inflammatory and that includes gluten-containing grains and the thousands of foods made from them.”
2. Milk
It is surprising, but milk can actually be one of the potential causes of chronic pain. Besides the gastrointestinal discomfort that occurs when our body cannot digest lactose, the inability to process casein, a protein contained in milk, can trigger an inflammatory reaction. Doctor Daniel Twogood observed that casein can cause symptoms such as chronic neck or back pain and suggested that removing it from your diet would lead to improvement.
3. Eggs
Eggs are also not a good choice if you wish to avoid inflammation. As studies show, arachidonic acid, which is contained in egg yolks, when present in considerable amounts can lead to inflammation, and as a result of regular consumption, to chronic pain.
4. Fried foods
The fried food we normally eat is prepared in oils that contain a high level of omega-6 fats, such as vegetable oils. As we need a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats, when that balance is disrupted, the result is higher production of arachidonic acid, which further promotes inflammation. As research suggests, if your diet contains more omega-6 than omega-3 fats, inflammation occurs as a result.
5. Beer
If you are a beer lover, you should think twice about how much beer you are consuming. Beer is rich in purine, which is further broken down into uric acid, one of the main causes of a very painful type of arthritis, gout. According to a research, the increased risk of gout can be caused by consumption of just two or four beers per week.
There are certain types of food that would be beneficial to consume if you want to avoid the risk of suffering from chronic pain:
- Walnuts – As they are rich in omega-3 fats, they can help restore the balance that is disrupted with a high presence of omega-6 fats.
- Cherries – Cherries are rich in antioxidants that help ease the pain, such as arthritis and muscle pain.
- Ginger – This is another type of food that has an anti-inflammatory effect, decreasing pain in your muscles and can help you ease your headaches as well.
- Turmeric – This curry spice is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and can help with conditions such as osteoarthritis.
