5 Foods That Can Make Your Pain Worse
Tackling inflammation—and the foods that fuel it—is the real secret to regaining control of your body.
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Losing hope that an injured shoulder or stiff lower back will ever feel better? Struggling to enjoy exercise because you constantly deal with nagging joint pain? Here's the good news: While some body aches and pains may never go away completely, changing your diet and incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods can result in dramatic improvements, whether you're dealing with a chronic condition like arthritis or are dealing with painful cramps. Reducing—or completely eliminating—consumption of these inflammation-inducing foods can help reduce pressure on the immune system and, ultimately, reduce inflammation.
A large percentage of your immune system lives within your digestive tract, and an unhappy gut—one that's bombarded by things like bad bacteria, fungi, foreign chemicals, and heavy metals—sends signals to the brain that things are off. These signals cause the immune system to ramp up the release of enzymes and proteins in an effort to neutralize the toxic substances, and that process can increase swelling and even make some areas red or warm to the touch. And while factors like genetics, age, or body composition can contribute to your level of pain, tackling inflammation is the real secret to healing from chronic discomforts and regaining control of your body.
Related: 6 Surprising Chronic Pain Triggers
This article was originally published by our partners at Rodale Wellness.
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1. Refined Vegetable Oils
Refined oils, including soybean, safflower, canola, and corn oil, are full of omega-6 fats, which are "pro-inflammatory" when they are not neutralized by anti-inflammatory fats. Most people already get plenty of omega-6s in their diets, but many don't get enough anti-inflammatory omega-3s and monounsaturated fats. To counter that, skip unnatural oils that easily become rancid and are full of chemical solvents, and focus instead on cooking with heat-stable fats like coconut oil or grass-fed butter. You can also drizzle unheated extra-virgin olive oil onto foods for increased nutrient absorption and extra anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving benefits.
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2. Sugar
People consume more sugar than ever these days, and only some of it is in obvious forms like ice cream and soda. Read food labels carefully because the nation's sugar addiction is fueled largely by sweeteners that lurk in many seemingly healthy foods, such as flavored yogurts, breads, pasta sauces, condiments, and cereals. The trouble is that, as an inflammatory ingredient, sugar triggers the release of inflammatory messengers called cytokines, which worsen pain, so take these 19 steps to give up sugar or start swapping in low sugar fruits to your diet.
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3. Alcohol
While the occasional glass of red wine comes with some antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients, alcohol can also be dehydrating, which can worsen swelling and pain. Alcohol also puts added pressure on the liver, making it hard to properly detox the body, and it negatively impacts sleep cycles, which makes it harder to repair painfully damaged tissue.
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4. Caffeine
A little coffee can give you the kick-start you need in the morning while also supporting cognitive function, protecting the liver, and serving up a healthy dose of antioxidants. But overdoing it can lead to caffeine addiction or overdose, in serious cases. This goes beyond needing a cup of joe to get the day started right. Too much caffeine can lead to anxiety, fatigue, headaches, and digestive issues, all of which create additional inflammation within the body and slow the healing process of any injuries or illnesses. Also, caffeine that's loaded with extra sugar and milk can increase the production of advanced glycation end products, often called AGEs, that speed up the aging process.
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5. Food Allergy Triggers
Undiagnosed food sensitivities and allergies are some of the biggest triggers for digestive discomforts, cramping, muscle aches, bloating, and joint pain. While not everyone experiences pain from consuming gluten-containing foods including bread, pasta, or wheat cereals, or dairy products, they are two of the most common food allergens. Sensitivities differ from person to person, however even some fruits like high-FODMAP apples and pears, and vegetables like nightshades, can trigger allergic reactions. So your best bet is to get tested to see which specific foods negatively impact your immune system, causing increased inflammation in your body and, subsequently, pain.
If you want to overcome joint pain, body aches, arthritis, and inflammation, I recommend you consume a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods which can give you fast relief. Adding more real food like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and organic meat to your diet long-term can help you beat pain for good.
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