Foods That Can Increase Pain and Inflammation

Gluten

Gluten intolerance can lead to stomach and intestinal pain, but did you know that eating gluten can also cause all-over pain? A studies have showed that many people had a sensitivity to gluten in which the body saw gluten as a foreign pathogen and released inflammation to fight it. An inflammatory response can be very painful, and if you are gluten intolerant but ingest gluten on a regular basis, you may have chronic inflammation causing widespread pain. Gluten is a sticky protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and some processed oats. It is also in many processed foods. So the happy bi-product of resolving to go gluten-free also means you will also have to give up most of all processed foods! You will feel so much better without them.

Eggs

Egg yolks contain arachidonic acid, which studies have shown is one of the main fatty acids involved in inflammation. Diets high in arachidonic acid may lead to a constant level of inflammation, and thus, pain.

Meat

Meat, particularly red meat, can contribute to chronic pain in a few ways. First, meat is high in purines. When you ingest dietary purines, your body breaks them down into uric acid, which can cause the excruciatingly painful condition, gout. Likewise, meat is also high in fats containing arachidonic acid, which can cause inflammation and pain.

Milk/Dairy

Milk products can contribute to pain in a few ways. First, milk contains lactose, a sugar that is very difficult for the human body to digest. For people with lactose intolerance, consumption of dairy products can bring about gastrointestinal pain or discomfort. Milk products can also contribute to all over inflammatory pain because milk contains high levels of the protein casein. Because so many people have difficulty processing casein, it can lead to a painful inflammatory response in the human body.

Aspartame

Studies show that this artificial sweetener, also known as NutraSweet, can cause headaches.

Trans Fats

According to the Mayo Clinic trans fats may increase inflammation in your body, which can cause all-over pain and discomfort.

Beer

According to WebMD, research shows that drinking as few as two beers each week can increase your risk of getting the painful condition gout by a quarter. And the more beer you drink, the higher your chances of getting gout are – drinkers who had two beers per day had a 200 percent increased chance of getting the disease. That's most likely because beer is high in purines, which convert to uric acid in the body.

Fried Foods

Many foods are fried in oils high in omega-6 fatty acids. While your body needs a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, the key word is balance. Unfortunately, the typical Western diet lacks this balance. According to one study, the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio should be 1:1; however, in the typical Western diet it is about 1:15 or even more out of whack! Omega-6 fats at this high of a level in the human body are pro-inflammatory, which can lead to inflammation and chronic pain.

Processed Foods

These foods (those that come in a bag, box, package, or can) may cause chronic pain and inflammation for a number of reasons. Some of the pain causing ingredients you may find in processed foods include gluten, trans fats, high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, and artificial chemicals.