We all know how important a healthy diet is to keep us feeling strong and healthy — but could your food choices also affect your nerve health? For example, can food allergies cause peripheral neuropathy or make neuropathy pain worse?
The many faces of neuropathy
There are hundreds of different kinds of neuropathy, the most common being diabetic neuropathy, which is caused by fluctuating blood glucose levels. But did you know that diabetic neuropathy can be broken down into different peripheral nerve syndromes?
One example of secondary neuropathy is metabolic neuropathy, which includes nerve disorders associated with metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, and nutrition deficits. Metabolic neuropathies can be managed by changing your diet, taking supplements or medications prescribed by your doctor, and controlling blood glucose levels.
Metabolic neuropathy causes
Diabetes can play a huge role in developing metabolic neuropathy, but it isn’t the only cause. Other factors that may lead to neuropathy include:
● Food allergies
Can food allergies cause peripheral neuropathy? Unfortunately, yes. An allergic reaction can trigger neuropathy and make the condition worse. Gluten allergies are one of the worst offenders when it comes to neuropathy pain. People diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity often find that eating gluten causes tingling, numbness, or other neuropathy symptoms.
● Alcohol
Alcoholic neuropathy is caused by increased alcohol consumption. Alcohol is toxic to your nerves and can cause extensive damage over time. Heavy drinking can also cause nutrient deficiencies, leading to or exacerbating neuropathy.
● Inflammation
Certain diets can lead to chronic inflammation, which can cause and worsen neuropathy. For example, diets full of refined grains, sugars, salt, and dairy make it more difficult to control blood sugar levels, making it more challenging to control inflammation. As a result, inflammation can damage nerves, increase pain, and cause other health issues.
● Nutrient deficiencies
Without proper nutrition, your body can’t grow, heal, or work well — and that includes your nerves. If your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, your nerves won’t be able to function properly, and you may develop neuropathy. Many people with neuropathy have vitamin deficiencies (most commonly B12 or B6).
Foods that help neuropathy
Thoughtful eating habits can go a long way toward preventing and managing diabetic neuropathy, metabolic neuropathy, and other health issues. Whether diabetic or not, both men and women can benefit from following these tips to help combat neuropathy.
- Consume a diet rich in whole foods, whole grains, fish and other healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables.
- Limit sugary drinks, artificial sweeteners, dairy, trans fats, saturated fats, processed foods, and fast foods.
- If you’re allergic or are sensitive to certain foods (i.e. gluten, dairy, aspartame, MSG, etc.), avoid them as much as possible.
- Limit foods and ingredients that cause inflammation (i.e. salty foods, processed foods, etc.).
- Take supplements and medicines as prescribed by your doctor, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a vitamin or nutrient deficiency.
- Stop drinking and smoking to protect your nerves and ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to function properly.
Find neuropathy pain relief at Viasox
Changing your diet to include healthier foods is one of the best ways to manage or prevent certain types of neuropathy and neuropathic pain. However, suppose you’re still experiencing tingling, numbness, or other neuropathy symptoms even with a different diet. In that case, you can turn to many additional treatment options to help manage your pain. One of the easiest and most convenient treatments is a high-quality pair of diabetic socks or compression socks.
Here at Viasox, we’re proud to stock some of the best diabetic socks in North America. Our products have been painstakingly designed to provide comfort and support to your feet and lower legs to help combat sensitivity and pain. Shop our entire collection online today for access to fun and funky patterns or more traditional designs. No matter what your taste, we’ve got the perfect fit for you!
