If you’re anything like me, you love food. Whether it’s seasoned steak or Caesar salad – if it’s on my plate I’m eating it. Unfortunately, if you’re living with nerve discomfort you’ve got to be a bit more particular with what you allow into your body. There are certain foods and ingredients that, if consumed regularly, can actually worsen the feeling of unhealthy nerves.
It’s important to know what foods and ingredients are common culprits of aggravation as well as to keep a food journal to help determine which foods help or hurt you. To get you started, here’s a list of 4 foods or ingredients that everyone with unhealthy nerves should limit or eliminate from their diet.
MSG
Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavor additive commonly found in frozen dinners. It contains a compound, known as glutamate, which further hurts the nerves and intensifies the discomfort. Avoid any foods that contain MSG. Also, check food labels for variations of its name. Other names for MSG include sodium caseinate, glutamic acid, and yeast extract.
Aspartame
Think that diet soda is good for you? Think again. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener often found in diet sodas, artificially sweetened yogurt and in the little artificial sweetener packages at restaurants. It interacts with different neurons in the body and actually heightens our sensitivity to pain. Doctors have found that eliminating diet sodas can help reduce and even eliminate symptoms of ongoing pain.
Alcohol
Though I always enjoy a fine drink with my meals, I have to be careful about how much alcohol I drink. Excessive alcohol intake is a known cause of nerve discomfort. Alcohol contains toxins that can negatively affect your nerves. These toxins damage your nerve tissue as well as reduce the levels of certain nutrients that are critical to nerve health.
Added Sugars
Sugar can be a trigger for discomfort and anyone with unhealthy nerves should limit his or her sugar intake, especially avoiding foods that provide a quick boost in sugar (i.e. soda, candy, etc.). Increases in the levels of sugar in the blood can result in inflammation and increased nerve discomfort.
Though being particular about the foods you eat isn’t always easy – and is almost never fun, it’s certainly worth it. Eliminating any potential sources of increased pain and aggravation of symptoms can provide one with a foundation to start making other improvements to combat their nerve discomfort.
What foods or ingredients have aggravated your discomfort? Share your experiences below or post a comment on our Facebook Page.
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