Living with neuropathy means dealing with consistent tingling, pain, and numbness, which can make everyday life difficult. However, simple dietary adjustments might offer relief. While certain foods can help calm and soothe sensitive nerves, others can worsen inflammation and intensify neuropathic symptoms.
This post explores specific foods to avoid, healthier alternatives, and small dietary changes that can significantly help when it comes to managing your discomfort. With this information, you can take charge and use nutrition to help reduce neuropathy symptoms.
But before delving into foods to avoid with neuropathy we need to understand how the condition affects the foods you eat.
Neuropathy is a nerve condition that can lead to numbness, pain, tingling and weakness in various parts of the body. Flare-ups can be triggered from factors like stress and anxiety to vitamin B12 deficiencies. We should also mention at this point that people with diabetes are at a high risk of developing diabetic neuropathy – it’s suggested that as many as 50% of people with diabetes are affected by this complication. If you’re diabetic, you might be interested in a previous blog we wrote: 4 strategies to help prevent diabetic neuropathy.
While there’s no cure for neuropathy, people can prevent it from worsening by limiting their exposure to toxins such as mercury and modifying their diet.
A well-balanced diet is essential for alleviating neuropathy symptoms. Some foods can exacerbate peripheral nerve damage, worsening the discomfort that comes with it. Consuming foods high in added sugars or those heavily processed can trigger inflammation and spike blood sugar levels, leading to increased neuropathic pain.
Foods and beverages to avoid fall into the following categories:
When you’re living with neuropathy, it’s vital to research your dietary options. For example, highly processed foods like cold cuts, potato chips and many of the fast takeaway meals, while delicious, are also heavy in sodium. Furthermore, they often contain added sugars that irritate neuropathy.
Popular choices loved by many such as hamburgers and pizzas contain high levels of preservatives and saturated fats. Each of these has the potential to exacerbate neuropathy symptoms. Instead, try and choose foods that have fewer additives, and a lower content of sugar and salt.
While dairy is high on the list in many people’s diets, if you’re suffering from neuropathy, it will only antagonise your situation. Products like butter and cheese are high in saturated fats that can trigger inflammation and increase your discomfort. To control neuropathy symptoms, it’s best to lower your consumption of these products or step away from them altogether.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, sugary treats like candies, cookies and ice cream are extremely tempting. Besides adding to your waistline and increasing inflammation, they can cause nerve discomfort and pain to intensify. Did you know that refined grains when digested can turn into sugar? According to Healthline, refined carbohydrates may contribute to obesity related conditions like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Make sure you look closely at food labels and try to lean towards whole-grain alternatives. Being more aware of sugar in your diet will help you better manage your neuropathy.
Grains like barley, wheat and rye contain gluten which can worsen the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. If you’re already gluten-sensitive or suffering from celiac disease, you’re in a particularly vulnerable position. Avoiding gluten totally will help ease gluten-related neuropathy discomfort.
Drinking alcohol in moderation poses little risk for most people. However, continually drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause nerve deterioration, especially in the autonomic nerves that oversee bodily functions.
Essentially, they all cause inflammation which, in turn, worsens neuropathy symptoms. Inflammatory foods like those mentioned above place stress on damaged nerves raising the levels of irritation and pain.
The key to controlling neuropathy pain is to focus on inflammatory busting fresh, whole foods. Maintaining a healthy balanced diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help manage your discomfort. Even small gradual changes that minimize inflammatory foods will over time significantly improve your symptoms.
Besides modifying your diet, certain lifestyle changes can help to manage your neuropathy.
Managing your blood sugar levels isn’t really negotiable. It’s essential to keep a close eye on blood sugar levels, especially if you have type 1 diabetes. Keeping your blood sugar levels stable through exercise and diet helps prevent a surge in glucose levels that can damage nerves.
Chemicals, toxins and poisons can cause peripheral neuropathy. This may occur through the workplace or by chemical or drug abuse. Because this is quite a complex subject, it’s best left for another post, meanwhile you can read more about it here.
Maintaining a steady intake of essential nutrients is key to managing neuropathy. A deficiency in certain vitamins, particularly B12, can severely impact the nervous system, worsening neuropathy symptoms. To counteract this, focus on a nutrient-rich diet.
Lean proteins like poultry, fish, and legumes are vital as they provide the amino acids necessary for nerve repair. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are packed with vitamins and antioxidants that support nerve health. Additionally, healthy fats from sources such as nuts, seeds, and avocados play a significant role in reducing inflammation, potentially easing neuropathy symptoms.
There are daily challenges when you’re living with neuropathy but making wise dietary choices can help you control your symptoms. Basing your food choices around fresh anti-inflammatory foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains can minimize inflammation and nerve irritation. Changes aren’t going to happen overnight but be consistent with your diet and your symptoms will gradually improve.
If you’re not sure whether you have neuropathy or peripheral artery disease (PAD) we advise testing at MINT Stl. We offer minimally invasive treatments for peripheral artery disease. Call us or schedule a consultation online
