No matter what causes your chronic pain, reducing inflammation is often essential. Inflammation is greatly influenced by what you put into your body. Foods, in particular, can increase or reduce inflammation, and understanding which foods to avoid can help you manage your pain.
A nutritious diet not only helps you stay energized throughout the day but also decreases inflammation. With increased energy, your activity will increase, which can be helpful in the struggle to manage your pain.
If you have chronic pain, read about the following 6 foods you should avoid.
Fats can be classified as "good" or "bad." Moderate consumption of good fats such as olive oil, avocados, and coconut oil is recommended. Bad fats found in red meat, processed meals (like bacon), cold cuts, fried foods, margarine, butter, and coffee creamer can raise overall body inflammation. This increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, as well as exacerbates your chronic pain.
Anything with a high sugar content should be avoided if possible. Almost all fresh foods contain sugar, including fruits and vegetables, but try to avoid those with a higher than average glycemic index. Root veggies (like potatoes), seed vegetables (like maize and peas), and high-sugar fruits like bananas and watermelon are among them. It's fine to eat these products sometimes, but don't overdo it.
Avoid foods that contain refined sugar or added sugar. Carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread and pasta, will convert to sugar in your body and should be consumed in moderation. High sugar can intake can trigger inflammation and lead to weight gain (excess fat in the body can also lead to increased inflammation).
Cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and kefir are common dairy foods made from the milk of animals such as cows and goats. Many vital nutrients may be found in milk and dairy products. Full-fat milk and dairy products, however, are high in saturated fats, which is why they're considered to trigger inflammation. While saturated fats don’t induce inflammation, they can exacerbate existing inflammation by boosting the absorption of inflammatory chemicals in your body.
Alcohol is a toxin that has the potential to harm cells, tissues, and organs. Alcohol use can cause inflammation throughout the body, including the intestines, liver, face, joints, and brain. Regular intake of alcohol, even in small amounts, can aggravate inflammation and pain significantly. Besides, alcohol often interferes with medications used to treat these conditions.
If you have chronic painful conditions, it's crucial to avoid or minimize the intake of processed foods. To stabilize and make processed foods more pleasant and lasting, manufacturers add artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and a variety of chemicals. These additives may easily disrupt your body’s function, leading to an increase in inflammation and discomfort.
Processed meats and eggs both contain pro-inflammatory substances. Arachidonic acid is found in eggs, and when this acid is broken down in your body, it can contribute to the creation of inflammatory prostaglandins in some, but not all, people. Inflammatory prostaglandins can increase arthritis-related knee, hip, and back pain.
Saturated fat, which many experts believe is linked to increased inflammation and arthritic pain, is also present in eggs. Pain-inducing prostaglandins and leukotrienes may arise as a result of these saturated fats.
Since the yolk contains the majority of the fat and cholesterol in an egg, removing the center is one method to enjoy your egg. A big white egg that has had the yolk removed contains only 3% fat and no saturated fat. Saturated fat-rich egg yolks should be avoided if you want to lessen your arthritis discomfort.