About 50.5 million adults in the United States have experienced or are experiencing chronic pain. Although there are many effective pain-relieving medications nowadays, the safer option is to alleviate pain most safely and naturally. You might find your pain levels increase after eating particular foods. That’s possible because what we eat can affect the amount of inflammation in our bodies. The right amount of inflammation helps the body fight against toxins, infections, injuries, and other complications. This natural immune response might sound really advantageous, but inflammation can also bring in a lot of pain and discomfort.
Inflammation can worsen pain in the joints, back, or other parts of the body for some people. You’ll end up feeling like you were beat up. That is why it is vital to keep your body’s inflammation to a minimal amount. Specific foods may prompt the body to bring out chemicals that can cause inflammation. Not only that, but there may also be a possibility of producing chemicals that can cause diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
The best way to avoid too much inflammation is to identify foods that cause this and replace them with foods that can reduce inflammation. It might sound like a trick to get you eating healthier, but switching up your diet helps a lot in pain management! Here are six foods for you to try if you want to fight pain naturally.
Turmeric
You may know this spice as one of the primary ingredients that you will need to make curry. Other than that, adding turmeric to your diet is a great way to reduce inflammation in the body and accelerate your digestion. In fact, it is a major ingredient for effective pain management medication such as TENSIONre by Zōk Relief. Turmeric is known to be useful for reducing inflammation because of curcumin. Curcumin is turmeric’s active ingredient with anti-inflammatory effects, and it is also a powerful antioxidant. You could even use it as an alternative for anti-inflammatory medication since it doesn’t have the inconvenient side effects that an anti-inflammatory drug usually has.
Fish
Fish, especially salmon, contains a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Not only does this help you get relief from back pain or neck pain, but this can also successfully bring down your body’s level of inflammation. These acids will stand in the way of immune cells that cause inflammation. Moreover, salmon and other fatty fish can help you prevent the development of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Crohn’s disease. You can also avoid chronic neck and back pains with more fish in your diet.
Ginger
This wonder root is more known and used for digestion and fights against motion sickness or nausea. However, ginger is also a helpful painkiller that can lessen inflammation and soothe chronic pain in the knee. Ginger does this by blocking an enzyme that is a large contributor to the process of inflammation. It is best to put in about two to three teaspoons of ginger in your recipes per day to help with body pains. Additionally, you can use ginger in a wide range of recipes. You can get creative with including ginger in your meals, from teas and cookies to supplements.
Hot Peppers
Another food that can help is hot peppers. An ingredient called capsaicin allows for nerve endings stimulation while draining a chemical in charge of relaying pain signals. Therefore, adding hot peppers to your meals can help relieve body pains. Experts say that the hotter the pepper, the more effective it will be since it has more capsaicin.
Cherries and Berries
The great thing about this fruit is that it has large amounts of antioxidants known as anthocyanins. These antioxidants don’t only serve as great pain relievers that work best for arthritis pain. Still, it can also help in regulating a person’s metabolism as well as boosting their immunity. Similarly, you can also find anthocyanins in strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Coffee
Furthermore, caffeine is also great alternative medicine for body pains, especially the ones caused by too much exercise. Caffeine works by narrowing the dilated blood vessels that will trigger a headache. On top of that, coffee reduces compounds that promote pain and supplements pain relievers and their effect on the body, giving you twice the relief.
Even though pain relievers and medications can be effective ways to soothe body pains, natural and safe alternatives such as the foods we mentioned above can bring more benefits and advantages to your overall health. It is best to keep in mind that knowing how to monitor and plan the foods you can and cannot eat when experiencing body pains is necessary. Make sure that you’re eating enough and not too much at the same time—you will definitely not benefit from drinking gallons of coffee every day. Smartly incorporating this list in your daily meal plans can be a great way to reduce inflammation and give your body the nutrients it needs.
