Foods That Stop Pain

Take Two Cherries and Call Me in the Morning

You've heard that foods can heal you. Books such as Food: Your Miracle Medicine and Foods That Fight Pain tell you that what you eat can affect your health in ways you never imagined.

Cherry, Cherry: Studies show that cherries contain fiber, which traditionally lowers cholesterol and reduces risks of some cancers. Cherries also contain perilly alcool, which may prevent the growth of tumors. Also, a study at Michigan State University shows that a compound in tart cherries called cyanidin may be ten times more effective than aspirin. Tart cherries may also suppress enzymes that cause joint pain. In addition, tart cherries are rich in antioxidants, which help prevent cancer.
More On Fiber: Whole Grain for Health (WGFH), a UK organization, announced in February that consumption of whole grain food could save almost 24,000 lives each year. A survey conducted in Britain suggests that cereal or oatmeal may could reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, two leading fatal ailments in the British population, by a third.
Women: Drink And Be Merry-But Careful: Another British study earlier this year recommends that women drink two glasses of alcohol per day to reduce heart disease risk by 34%. However, if they drink more than two glasses, they increase their chances of high blood pressure by 68%. And high alcohol consumption impairs your memory, so that you may not remember making a second date with that less-than-appealing person...
Worth Its Salt?: Long-standing US federal government guidelines recommend that you cut the salt out of your diet. However, researchers dispute salt's role in causing high blood pressure.

And yes, foods can even take away your pain-your headaches, your backaches, and your arthritis.

Sound absurd? Not according to Dr. Neal Barnard, author of Foods That Fight Pain, published in 1998.

Eating Without Pain

Barnard's book contends that what people eat affects how they feel. Take headaches. Foods such as red wine, chocolate and cheese can cause migraines, and people who experience blinding pain after a wine and cheese party or a late-night Hershey bar soon learn to avoid these foods in favor of more soothing (although not as tempting) fare. Barnard believes that in order to have a pain-free diet, you must follow his three rules:

Choose pain-safe foods. The key often is not in adding new foods but in eliminating those foods that cause pain, while building your diet from foods that virtually never cause symptoms for anyone.
Add soothing foods that ease pain.
Use supplements if you need them.

So besides the Cabernet and the cheddar, what other foods can provoke those pains that plague your life? Barnard provides a list of suspects:

Apples (no wonder Snow White became ill)
Bananas
Bread and other foods with wheat
Citrus fruits
Corn
Dairy products, not just cheese
Eggs
Meat
Nuts
Onions
Pasta
Peanuts (which are actually legumes, not nuts)
Tomatoes

Pain sufferers may want to determine what their health needs are in order to maintain a healthy diet. While Barnard suggests you avoid "trigger" foods containing animal protein, remember that his prohibited list contains foods that can or are likely to cause pain. You must plan a diet that is appropriate for you. Consider balancing "trigger" foods with Barnard's "soothing" foods. Interestingly enough, cherries are high on his list:

Brown rice
Condiments: modest amounts of salt, maple syrup and vanilla extract
Cooked or dried non-citrus fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes
Cooked green, yellow and orange vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes, tapioca.

As any good doctor would, Barnard advises drinking plenty of water, carbonated or regular. He argues that other beverages, including herbal teas, can cause or aggravate pain.

Again, we contend that you must choose what you eat or drink according to your nutritional and health needs. But thanks to books like Barnard's, you can educate yourself about what those needs might be.