A lot of studies have shown that certain foods are capable of reducing inflammation, which is one of the most common causes of back pain. Tweaking your diet could then help you ease or even prevent back pain. If left unaddressed, inflammation would wreak havoc on your body, leading to all sorts of problems such as lower back pain. Consider these diet tweaks if you’re susceptible to back pain.
Eat the Right Foods
A diet that’s mostly plant-based, including vegetables and fruits, as well as chia seeds and flax seeds, is best to reduce inflammation in your body, particularly when eaten alongside fishes rich in omega-3. These include salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, tuna, and black cod.
Likewise, brightly colored veggies and fruits are known for being highly capable of reducing inflammation right in the spinal column cartilage, which aids in controlling stiffness and back pain. When choosing veggies, go for the greenest ones such as broccoli, spinach, and kale.
Other foods that could help you alleviate and prevent back include avocados, beets, carrots, berries, sweet potatoes, cherries, grapes, watermelon, and pomegranate. Lean proteins like turkey or chicken, beans, as well as certain nuts like almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans could likewise help in fighting inflammation. Spices and herbs like onions, garlic, ginger, basil, rosemary, turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, and curcumin are also packed with anti-inflammatory properties, so try to use these generously cooking.
The Importance of Calcium
You can also relieve and prevent back pain by ensuring that you get the right nutrients. But before you go ahead and buy spine health care supplements online, note that two of the most vital nutrients you need to combat back pain are vitamin D and calcium. Your bones are your body’s calcium reservoir. As you grow older, it becomes more difficult for your bones to maintain mass, resulting in conditions like osteoporosis or osteopenia, which are diseases that could weaken your vertebrae.
Fortunately, calcium helps in maintaining bone mass and can help you prevent these conditions. You could get calcium from natural sources such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and green leafy veggies. If for some reason, you’re not capable of getting sufficient calcium from diet alone, you might need to get more calcium in the form of supplements.
How Much Calcium Is Enough Calcium?
Around 2,000 mg of calcium daily, either from diet or supplements is enough for the average adult. It’s important to keep in mind that with calcium supplements, more isn’t better. Studies have shown that taking high doses of calcium daily could increase your risk of developing heart issues and atherosclerosis, a condition that leads to plaque buildup in the arteries. Additionally, too much calcium could result in bone fractures.
Maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet that contains the recommended foods above and taking the right supplements is crucial for managing back pain. But if these strategies don’t suffice, it’s best that you work with your doctor to create a strategy to help you manage your condition. This strategy might include regular exercise and medications, alongside an anti-inflammatory diet and supplements.
