Treat Neuropathy Naturally in Traverse City: Foods + Supplements That Can Help

Neuropathy in Traverse City can be frustrating - for both the patient and the healthcare practitioner.

With a wide range of symptoms and causes, it’s often difficult for traditional medicinal doctors to effectively get to the root of the condition in order to stop it.

Many simple lifestyle changes can reduce inflammation throughout the body and control nerve damage. Although other treatments may still be necessary, these steps go a long way in improving your overall health and easing the uncomfortable and often disabling signs of neuropathy.

A Broad Range Of Neuropathy Issues in Traverse City

Neuropathy is a broad term - there are over 100 different types of neuropathy - and the experience of neuropathy can range from inconvenient to disabling. Generally speaking, neuropathy refers to symptoms triggered by nerve damage.

Signs of Neuropathy

Some signs of neuropathy include:

• Unexplained twitching
• Muscle weakness
• Paralysis
• Foot drop
• Tingling sensations
• Numbness
• Balance issues
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Belching
• Fainting
• Sexual dysfunction
• Bloating
• Rapid heartbeat

Whew…that’s a long list! As you can likely imagine, it can be difficult to determine a cause, and in some cases, a direct cause is never determined. Others are linked to toxin exposure, vitamin deficiencies, medication use, alcohol abuse injuries, and certain medical conditions like diabetes.

Eating To Ease Neuropathy Symptoms

A central goal in treating neuropathy is reducing any inflammation that is affecting the nerves involved. A diet that focuses on whole foods reduces inflammation and speeds up healing.

Focus on the following foods to ease neuropathy:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods high in antioxidants reduce inflammation and speed healing. Brightly colored produce is a great (and yummy) way to get a lot of antioxidants. Good choices include dark berries like blackberries and red grapes. They contain the antioxidant resveratrol, which, according to several studies, promotes nerve healing. Similarly, vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts contain the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid, which also promotes healing.
• Whole grains. Grains like quinoa, oats, and farro are high in B vitamins, which protect against nerve damage. Plus, many grains are good sources of vitamin B12 - a deficiency in B12 is a common cause of neuropathy.
• Beans. Add legumes to soups, sauces, and salads whenever possible. Many kinds of beans are high in magnesium, which promotes nerve regeneration.
• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 reduces inflammation and can play a role in nerve repair. Foods high in omega-3 include fatty fish like mackerel and salmon, nuts like walnuts, soybeans, and canola oil.
• Be smart with supplements. More research needs to be done on the efficacy of supplements in treating neuropathy, but scientists have determined the following can help:
  • Curcumin, a an anti-inflammatory substance found in turmeric
  • Fish oil, because of its high concentration of omega-3
  • N-acetyl cysteine, an antioxidant
  • Acetyl-L-carnitine, an antioxidant

Don’t let neuropathy interfere with your quality of life. A healthy diet and supplementation when needed can ease the symptoms. Give us a call if you’d like to take a careful look at your diet and the changes you could make to ease neuropathy symptoms.

Sources

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Kumar A, Negi G, Sharma SS. Neuroprotection by resveratrol in diabetic neuropathy: concepts & mechanisms. Curr Med Chem. 2013;20(36):4640-5. doi: 10.2174/09298673113209990151. PMID: 24206125.

Stein J, Geisel J, Obeid R. Association between neuropathy and B-vitamins: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Neurol. 2021 Jun;28(6):2054-2064. doi: 10.1111/ene.14786. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 33619867.

Kamboj SS, Vasishta RK, Sandhir R. N-acetylcysteine inhibits hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis markers in diabetic neuropathy. J Neurochem. 2010 Jan;112(1):77-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06435.x. Epub 2009 Oct 15. PMID: 19840221.

Sun Y, Shu Y, Liu B, Liu P, Wu C, Zheng R, Zhang X, Zhuang Z, Deng Y, Zheng L, Xu Q, Jiang B, Ouyang X, Gao J, Xu N, Li X, Jiang S, Liang C, Yao Y. A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral acetyl-L-carnitine for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Exp Ther Med. 2016 Dec;12(6):4017-4024. doi: 10.3892/etm.2016.3871. Epub 2016 Nov 4. PMID: 28105133; PMCID: PMC5228439.
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