Menu
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result

Home > Nutrition > 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods That Will Help Reduce Chronic Pain

10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods That Will Help Reduce Chronic Pain

September 30, 2022
8 min read
By Shiza Khan, M.Sc. – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics | Dietitian/Nutritionist

In this article:

  • Top Foods That Improve Chronic Pain
  • Most-Asked Questions About Chronic Pain
  • Final Word

Constant pain in any part of the body can interfere with your daily activities. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects many people.

foods that help reduce chronic pain

Most pain, such as headaches and pain in the pelvis, abdomen, neck, or chest, is due to inflammation that persists and changes in the body. An unhealthy diet, excessive weight, smoking, and stress can all increase the intensity of chronic pain. (1)

By and large, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, proteins, lean meats, and whole grains can improve and ease the symptoms of chronic pain. Consuming added sugars, refined cereal products, and processed meat and low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables can lead to an increase in inflammatory substances in the body that can worsen pain. (1)

Top Foods That Improve Chronic Pain

Certain foods can help lower inflammation and relieve the symptoms of chronic pain. Consumption of these foods in addition to a healthy diet can therefore ease the burden caused by chronic pain.

Advertisements

1. Grapefruit

grapefruit can help reduce chronic pain

Since inflammation is the root cause of most chronic pain, polyphenol-rich grapefruit can have some beneficial pain-relieving effects. Grapefruit possesses antioxidant properties and can protect the cells of the body against toxicity. (2)

Grapefruit’s unique polyphenol naringin has a lot of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. (2)

In animal studies, grapefruit has been shown to enhance the activity and anti-inflammatory effect of painkillers. It can help in pain management by reducing the need for higher doses of painkillers. (3)

Note: Some risk is associated with excessive consumption of grapefruit juice, as it can interact with medications. Grapefruit juice can increase the amount of drugs (from medication) in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of liver or kidney damage. (4)

2. Tomato

tomato consumption can help deal with chronic pain

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and anatabine, both of which have anti-inflammatory effects on the body and can help reduce the intensity of chronic pain. (5)

Anatabine has been shown to provide relief against musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, and aches in various places in the body. Supplements of anatabine are available that can be consumed after consulting a doctor. (5)

3. Carrot

carrots can help reduce chronic pain

Carrots have many health benefits due to their rich nutritional profile. The beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, lutein, and other phenolic compounds in carrots have anti-inflammatory properties that can help in reducing pain. (6)

Advertisements

In Lebanon, carrots are used to treat gastric ulcers, muscle pain, and cancer. (6) Including carrots as part of a healthy diet can be beneficial in the management of chronic pain.

4. Chili peppers

chili peppers can help reduce chronic pain

Chili peppers are used in many cuisines all over the world, but they have more uses than just spicing up your food. Rich in capsaicin and carotenoid, chili peppers can help in relieving pain and inflammation.

Capsaicin causes a burning sensation and desensitizes the nerves. They are widely used in creams and lotions to numb pain. (7) Additionally, carotenoids extracted from dried chili peppers have shown anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and pain-killing activities. (8)

5. Grapes

grape consumption can help reduce chronic pain symptoms

Experts believe grapes can exert pain-relieving effects much like morphine. In animal studies, grape seed extract produced analgesic effects and reduced the feeling of pain at the site of induced injury. (9)

In one study, using whole grapes with peel and seeds was also helpful in wound healing, which can reduce pain at the site of the wound. (10)

6. Ginger

ginger can help reduce chronic pain

Ginger exhibits pain-lowering activity by influencing the pathways responsible for causing pain. It also has antioxidant activity that inhibits inflammatory substances in the body. (11)

Advertisements

In several studies, ginger has been found to be useful for painful menstruation, muscle soreness post exercise, arthritis, chronic lower back pain, and migraine. These results were observed in both topical and oral use. (11)

7. Eggs

eggs consumption can help reduce chronic pain

Eggs are a great food to consume and contain many nutrients and bioactive compounds. They can also be useful in reducing the intensity of chronic pain. Many of eggs’ bioactive compounds have anti-inflammatory functions. (12)

Persian traditional medicine has been using oil extracted from egg yolk as a natural painkiller. Studies done on oils extracted from egg yolk showed them to have potent anti-inflammatory actions and were effective analgesics. (13)

8. Yogurt

yogurt can help relieve chronic pain symptoms

Probiotic foods such as yogurt have plenty of benefits for human health. Some of their main uses are to improve the diversity of gut microorganisms, ease the symptoms of constipation, and bring about relief from abdominal pain due to difficult defecation.

Studies have reported supplementation with yogurt in people suffering from constipation improves abdominal and defecation pain. (1)

9. Fatty fish

fatty fish consumption can help reduce chronic pain

Fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and haddock are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce inflammation in the human body.

Advertisements

Studies have reported that supplementation with fish oil was effective in reducing pain caused by osteoarthritis. (14)

10. Devil’s claw

devil's claw can help reduce chronic pain

Devil’s claw is an herb that is traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments including pain. (15) Its many bioactive compounds are effective in reducing inflammation and providing antioxidant effects.

Several studies done on its pain-relieving property have shown devil’s claw to be effective in treating postoperative pain, chronic nerve pain, and arthritic pain. (16) While the ideal dosages of devil’s claw are still being studied, its dried roots can be made into a tea or tonic to relieve most chronic pains.

Advertisements

Most-Asked Questions About Chronic Pain

Are chocolate- or cocoa-rich foods bad for pain?

Cocoa is reported to have medicinal properties. Containing a wide range of phytochemicals, including polyphenols, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities and may benefit pain. (17)

But remember to choose dark chocolate as the added sugar in other types of chocolate or cocoa products may worsen the pain.

Does pain go away on its own?

Chronic pain is long term and usually does not go away without intervention. This can be in the form of lifestyle or dietary modifications or the use of medications. Consult your doctor for the best approach to chronic pain.

Can chronic pain decrease life expectancy?

If left undiagnosed and untreated, chronic pain can lead to early mortality.

Final Word

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that can interfere with many day-to-day activities. It prevents you from participating in social events and can affect your mental health severely.

Making changes to your diet to include more fruits and vegetables, nuts, and good fat is necessary to reduce inflammation, which is the primary cause of pain. In addition, consuming foods that are specifically recommended for their pain-relieving benefits can go a long way in improving your quality of life.

References
  1. Dragan S, Șerban M-C, Damian G, Buleu F, Valcovici M, Christodorescu R. Dietary patterns and interventions to alleviate chronic pain. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551034/. Published August 19, 2020.
  2. Zargar S, Al-Majed A-RA, Wani TA. Potentiating and synergistic effect of grapefruit juice on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of aripiprazole against hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress in mice. BMC complementary and alternative medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5865358/. Published March 23, 2018.
  3. Jargin SV. Grapefruit: Some perspectives in Pharmacology and Nutrition. Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580961/. Published May 30, 2017.
  4. Commissioner Oof the. Grapefruit juice can affect how well some medicines work. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/grapefruit-juice-and-some-drugs-dont-mix.
  5. Lanier RK, Gibson KD, Cohen AE, Varga M. Effects of dietary supplementation with the Solanaceae plant alkaloid anatabine on joint pain and stiffness: Results from an internet-based survey study. Clinical medicine insights. Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3825642/. Published October 21, 2013.
  6. Liu R, Choi HS, Kim S-L, Kim J-H, Yun B-S, Lee D-S. 6-methoxymellein isolated from carrot (daucus carota L.) targets breast cancer stem cells by regulating NF-ΚB signaling. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7583823/. Published September 23, 2020.
  7. Capsaicin – statpearls – NCBI bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459168/.
  8. Hernández-Ortega M, Ortiz-Moreno A, Hernández-Navarro MD, Chamorro-Cevallos G, Dorantes-Alvarez L, Necoechea-Mondragón H. Antioxidant, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory effects of carotenoids extracted from dried pepper (capsicum annuum L.). Journal of biomedicine & biotechnology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3468166/. Published 2012.
  9. Kaur G; Bedi O; Sharma N; Singh S; Deshmukh R; Kumar P; Anti-hyperalgesic and anti-nociceptive potentials of standardized grape seed proanthocyanidin extract against CCI-induced neuropathic pain in rats. Journal of basic and clinical physiology and pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26378488/.
  10. Nayak BS; Ramdath DD; Marshall JR; Isitor GN; Eversley M; Xue S; Shi J; Wound-healing activity of the skin of the common grape (vitis vinifera) variant, cabernet sauvignon. Phytotherapy research : PTR. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20066659/.
  11. Rondanelli M, Fossari F, Vecchio V, et al. Clinical trials on pain lowering effect of ginger: A narrative review. Phytotherapy research : PTR. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7754412/. Published November 2020.
  12. Andersen CJ. Bioactive egg components and inflammation. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586567/. Published September 16, 2015.
  13. Mahmoudi M; Ebrahimzadeh MA; Pourmorad F; Rezaie N; Mahmoudi MA; Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of egg yolk: A comparison between organic and machine made. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23467945/.
  14. Kuszewski JC, Wong RHX, Howe PRC. Fish oil supplementation reduces osteoarthritis-specific pain in older adults with overweight/obesity. OUP Academic. https://academic.oup.com/rheumap/article/4/2/rkaa036/5875620. Published July 23, 2020.
  15. Menghini L; Recinella L; Leone S; Chiavaroli A; Cicala C; Brunetti L; Vladimir-Knežević S; Orlando G; Ferrante C; Devil’s Claw (harpagophytum procumbens) and chronic inflammatory diseases: A concise overview on preclinical and Clinical Data. Phytotherapy research: PTR. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31273865/.
  16. Gxaba N, Manganyi MC. The fight against infection and pain: Devil’s Claw (harpagophytum procumbens) a rich source of anti-inflammatory activity: 2011-2022. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9182060/. Published June 6, 2022.
  17. De Feo M, Paladini A, Ferri C, et al. Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of cocoa: A review on future perspectives in treatment of pain. Pain and therapy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7203300/. Published June 2020.
  • Was this article helpful?
  • YES, THANKS!NOT REALLY
Spread the Love❤️
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements

Newsletter

Get our BEST updates delivered to your inbox:



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Categories

  • Nutrition
  • Wellness
  • Oral Care
  • Eye Care
  • Heart Health
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Women’s Health
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Respiratory Health

Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
eMediHealth

This site provides content for informational purposes only. The information provided is not intended for use as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of a medical concern or emergency, please consult your healthcare provider.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation.

Our Network: Little Extra

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Nutrition
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Wellness
  • Yoga & Meditation
  • Women’s Health
  • Heart Health
  • Allergy & Immunology
  • Bones & Joints
  • Child Health
  • Digestive
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Eye Care
  • Glands & Hormones
  • Health News
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Mental Health
  • Nervous System
  • Oral Care
  • Pain Management
  • Respiratory Health
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Urological Health

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.