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!