Is Your Diet "Hurting" You?

Dr. Linda Foglia, DC

Probably yes!.... It is very possible that what we eat perpetuates our chronic pain symptoms. Pain is a response to inflammation. So first let me define inflammation and the foods that promote an inflammatory response. Then I will describe a diet that can reduce the pain cycle.

Inflammation is an immune system response to irritation or infection. It is associated with the following characteristics: PAIN, redness, heat, swelling, and dysfunction of the inflamed body part. When we get bruised it is easy to identify inflammation. However, if we are not in pain it is hard for us to imagine that a sub-clinical inflammatory process may still be occurring in our joints, bones, blood vessels and organs. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, etc., are all results of an underlying inflammatory condition. 1

Chronic inflammation varies among us due to our genetic makeup. However, just because we are genetically predisposed to certain inflammatory diseases, doesn't mean we will definitely get those diseases. Our lifestyle plays an integral role in determining whether or not those disease genes will get turned on. Diet and exercise are 2 very important factors determining gene expression. Evidence suggests that by eating an anti-inflammatory diet we can potentially avoid or minimize some chronic disease states, including chronic pain. 2

So what is an anti-inflammatory diet? This is a diet consisting of foods that minimize inflammation. Our diet should include more fruits, vegetables, raw nuts, and omega-3 animal products such as eggs, meat, fish, poultry. We should minimize consumption of refined sugar, grains, soy, beans, and dairy because these foods promote inflammation. We all should attempt to stick to this diet approximately 80-90% of the time. 1 Meaning you don't have to totally kiss those hot fudge sundaes good-bye forever.

Although studies indicate that diet will have the most dramatic effect, the following supplements can also be taken to reduce an inflammatory state. If you are currently taking medications, adding supplements to your diet needs to be coordinated with your medical doctor to ensure that there are no unsafe drug interactions. The following table lists supplements and their suggested amount. 1

Supplement	Suggested Amount
Multivitamin/mineral	Depends on product (Usually 2-3 pills/day)
Magnesium	400-1000 mg/day
Coenzyme Q10	100 mg/day
Alpha-lipoic acid	200 mg (2x/day)
Acetyl-L-carnitine	500 mg (2x/day)
EPA/DHA (fish oil)	1-3g/day
GLA (borage oil)	400mg/day
Vitamin D	1000-2000 IU/day
Ginger, Turmeric	1-2 gram/day of powdered herb extract
Garlic	5 mg/day

1. Seaman DR. Clinical Nutrition for Pain Inflammation and Tissue Healing. 1998. Privately published.

2. Nicklas BJ, You T, Pahor M. Behavioral Treatments for Chronic Systemic Inflammation: Effects of Dietary Weight Loss and Exercise training. Can Med Assoc J. 2005; 172:1199-1209.