One in five Canadians lives with chronic pain; the kind of pain that is induced by injury or disease, and persists beyond three months. This has a significant impact on the individuals’ quality of life, including their ability to work, exercise, and spend time with their family. Many of those who experience chronic pain are prescribed medications; however, long term use of pharmaceuticals is often associated with unwanted side effects and an increased risk of addiction.
Most individuals with chronic pain also show high levels of inflammation. In these cases, it is when inflammation persists that the condition becomes chronic and results in chronic pain. The good news is if you are suffering from chronic pain, improving your diet could help reduce inflammation and improve pain outcomes.
A recent study, published in 2019, suggests that dietitian-delivered dietary interventions can improve pain scores, and improve the quality of life in individuals who experience chronic pain. But how is diet related to chronic pain?
Anti-inflammatory Foods Can Help Reduce Inflammation
There are certain foods that have been shown to help mitigate inflammatory processes, which we mentioned to be an underlying factor for chronic pain. These foods have bioactive components, such as certain vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and fibre, which are known to be anti-inflammatory. For example, large studies have investigated the impact of high fruit and vegetable intake on the inflammatory biomarkers, and have noted that their levels were significantly lower in those that have a higher intake of these foods (here and here). This is why health professionals are so keen on increasing your fruit and vegetable intake! The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes the intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, fish, and puts less emphasis on meat and whole-fat dairy products, has become a gold example of a “healthy” diet. This is because individuals that follow this dietary pattern have also been shown to have low levels of pro-inflammatory markers.
Excessive Weight is Linked with Inflammation
Those with chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are always encouraged to lose weight as being within a healthy weight range improves patient outcomes. In fact, studies show that even a 10% weight loss help lower the levels of inflammatory markers. Therefore, another approach to chronic pain management would be following a diet that promotes weight loss.
So What Dietary Changes Would Help With Chronic Disease Management?
Following a healthy diet, helps reduce the amount of inflammation and possibly ease chronic pain. Here are some steps that you can take to decrease inflammation:
Eat more fruits and vegetables
You had probably guessed this one already! Aim for at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A single serving would look like a medium-sized fruit, half a cup of cut fruit or cooked vegetable, or 1 cup of leafy greens. Choose colourful fruits and vegetables, including at least one that is dark green and one that is orange. Remember that darker colours often mean more nutrients.
Snack on nuts
Nuts are nutrient-rich, offering you minerals, antioxidants, fibre, and healthy fats. Snack on a handful of nuts every day. Make sure you don’t consume more than ¼ cup since nuts are high in calories and their excessive intake may lead to weight gain.
Eat more whole-grains
Refined grains don’t have many nutrients to offer. Make sure at least half of your grains are whole-grains. Some great examples include quinoa, oats, bulgur, wheat and barley. When buying bread and pasta, look for options that are whole-grain.
Substitute meat with beans and lentils
Beans and lentils are a very good source of protein and fibre. Consider substituting meat with beans and lentils whenever possible. For example, you can replace half of your stew beef with beans. Try different bean salad or consider adding beans to your pasta sauce.
Eat more fatty fish
Try to eat at least two servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, and mackerel, every week. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish have been linked with lower levels of inflammation.
Avoid sugar
High sugar intake is thought to cause inflammation. Try to cut down on added sugar as much as possible. A very effective strategy would be to limit your intake of sugary drinks such as soda and juice.
Limit fast food
Regular consumption of fast food has also been linked with increased inflammation. This may be related to the use of trans fatty acids, excessive salt, and lack of anti-inflammatory nutrients (here and here). Avoid or limit your intake of fast food. If you do not have an alternative, choose options that are not deep-fried, such as grilled chicken burger.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that a healthy diet result in improved overall health. The results showing that a healthy diet improves pain outcomes and the quality of life in those suffering from chronic pain are very promising. Considering all the benefits that healthy eating offers, it would be wise to seek personalized dietary interventions as part of chronic disease management.
