Top 10 Pain-Triggering Foods
How Foods Inflict PainTo understand how certain foods can trigger pain, you first need to understand
inflammation and the role that it plays in diet and disease.
Inflammation is a normal immune response that helps protect the body
against injury and infection. When you get a bug bite, for example, you
might start to notice a bit of swelling and itchiness as your immune
system springs into action.
Some conditions cause the immune system to set off this inflammatory
response even when there are no foreign organisms to protect against.
This causes the immune cells to attack the normal, healthy cells in the
body, resulting in tissue damage and pain.
Certain types of pro-inflammatory proteins also work by directly
activating nerve cells, which can both initiate and intensify pain. (
3)
Some conditions commonly associated with inflammation and pain include:
- Celiac disease
- Leaky gut syndrome
- Arthritis
- Food allergies and sensitivities
- Lupus
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Gout
- Headaches/migraines
So how does food play into all of this? About 70 percent of your immune cells are found right in your digestive tract. (
4)
Not only that, but your diet can have a powerful effect when it comes
to mediating the inflammatory response. Certain foods have been shown to
ease inflammation while others can set off symptoms and make
inflammation worse.
Strengthening your immune system by taking control of your diet can
be an easy and effective way to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Top 10 Pain-Triggering Foods
1. Dairy
Although most people are born with the ability to digest lactose, the
main type of sugar found in cow’s milk, it’s estimated that 75 percent
of people around the world lose this ability at some point. (
5) Consuming dairy products when you’re living with
lactose intolerance may result in symptoms like bloating, abdominal cramps,
flatulence or diarrhea.
Research also turned up some conflicting results about the role of
dairy in inflammation and chronic pain. One review published in 2012,
for instance, suggests that dairy consumption should be limited in those
with arthritis to decrease inflammation and alleviate symptoms. (
6) Conversely, a study in the
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming full-fat dairy foods was not related to inflammation. (
7)
Although more studies are needed, switching to a
dairy-free diet
may be worth a try if you suffer from chronic pain. Case in point: one
study showed that switching to a low-fat, planet-based diet
significantly decreased symptom severity and inflammation in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis. (
8)
2. Soy
Soy is commonly found in a wide array of products including
tofu, soy milk, soy sauce and vegetarian meat substitutes. Unfermented soy products contain phytic acid, a type of
antinutrient that impairs nutrient absorption and irritates the lining of the gut.
This could potentially result in increased intestinal permeability,
or leaky gut, a condition that allows particles to pass from the
intestines into the blood. Not only can this contribute to inflammation,
but it may also cause symptoms like
joint pain, nutritional deficiencies, skin rashes and changes in mood.
3. Nightshades
Nightshade vegetables
are a group of plants from the Solanaceae family, including tomatoes,
potatoes, eggplants, chili peppers and bell peppers. While these
nutritious veggies are generally healthy and safe for most people, they
can trigger a host of adverse symptoms ranging from joint pain to muscle
aches and mood swings in people who have a sensitivity.
Unfortunately, current research on nightshade intolerance is
extremely limited, and most of the information available is anecdotal.
However, testing out an
elimination diet may be worthwhile if you think your pain may be worsening after eating nightshades.
4. Gluten
Gluten-free diets
generate a lot of buzz, but many people still don’t understand basic
gluten facts. Gluten is a type of protein found in grains like wheat,
barley and rye. Besides being hiding out in bread and other wheat
products, it also winds up in many salad dressings and deli meats, too.
For those with celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, eating even
trace amounts can be a major pain trigger. While more research is still
needed, gluten may even cause pain or symptoms in individuals without a
sensitivity. Some test-tube and animal studies suggest that gluten may
increase inflammation and exacerbate
leaky gut syndrome by activating a specific protein involved in intestinal permeability. (
9,
10,
11)
5. Alcohol
While the occasional glass of
red wine with your dinner is okay, chronic alcohol consumption may not be so great for your health
or
your pain levels. Overdoing it can weaken the liver, amp up
inflammation and even worsen symptoms of conditions like inflammatory
bowel disease. (
12,
13)
If you do want to wind down with a drink at the end of the night, be
sure to skip the sugary mixers and high-carb beers. Also, remember to
keep it in moderation with less than five drinks a week; no more than
two drinks per day for men and one drink a day for women.
6. Meat
Emerging research indicates that limiting your consumption of red and
processed meats
could be beneficial for your health. Eating more red and processed
meats is associated with increased inflammation, which is believed to be
a major cause of chronic pain. (
14,
15,
16)
Some types of meat are also high in purines, compounds that can aggravate
gout
and cause pain. If you suffer from gout, it’s best to limit your
consumption of high-purine meat products like seafood, bacon, turkey,
veal and organ meats during flare-ups.
7. Sugar
Sugar is linked to an extensive list of deleterious effects on health, from heart disease to cancer. (
17) But did you know that your sweet tooth may also be contributing to pain as well?
Some research suggests that a high-sugar diet could cause alterations in your gut
microbiome, which could promote inflammation and influence on immune. (
18)
Loading up on sugar may also increase intestinal permeability, allowing
particles to pass through to the bloodstream, triggering leaky gut
symptoms, including pain. (
19)
8. Processed Foods
Unfortunately,
ultra-processed foods
make up a pretty substantial portion of the modern diet. One study
estimates that processed foods account for a whopping 58 percent of
total energy intake in the average American diet. (
20) This includes popular items like convenience foods, snack cakes, sodas, juices, potato chips and breakfast cereals.
A diet packed with processed junk could be the culprit behind your
chronic pain. A Harvard Medical School study found the traditional
Western diet (characterized by a higher intake of red and processed
meats, sweets, desserts, French fries and refined grains) was associated
with higher levels of inflammatory markers. (
21) Other studies show that trans fats, which are frequently found in processed foods, are tied to increased inflammation. (
22)
For this reason, minimizing your intake processed foods is
consistently recommended to help manage painful conditions like
arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. (
23,
24)
9. Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils like corn, safflower, cottonseed and soy oils are high in
omega-6
fatty acids, a type of fat that most Americans are eating in excess.
While most experts suggest sticking to a 2:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3
fatty acids, the typical ratio in the Western diet is closer to 20:1. (
25)
Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. Some research links excess omega-6s to pain. A study published in
The Clinical Journal of Pain associated
a diet high in dietary omega-6s with more pain, functional limitations,
pain sensitivity and distress in participants with knee pain. (
26)
10. Caffeine
Bad news for coffee lovers: if you suffer from frequent, painful
headaches,
it may be time to cut back a bit on the caffeine. While some studies ID
caffeine as a way to ease headaches, it appears that benefit occurs
mostly in people who rarely drink coffee. For chronic caffeine users, it
may actually increase the risk. (
27)
One study out of South Korea, for example, found that discontinuing
caffeine consumption helped treat migraines in 72 percent of
participants. (
28)
Caffeine isn’t just found in coffee, though. Other sources of caffeine include chocolate, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks.
How to ID & Deal
If you suffer from chronic pain and think your diet could be at the
root of the problem, there are several steps you can take to start on
the path towards pain-free living.
Testing is available for certain conditions, such as lactose intolerance,
food allergies
and celiac disease. These tests are a great way to pinpoint specific
problems and identify foods that you should be nixing in your diet.
Unfortunately, detecting other food sensitivities isn’t quite as easy
and sometimes requires a bit of detective work. The best way to
identify trigger foods is by using an elimination diet.
During an elimination diet, foods are cut out completely and then
slowly re-introduced over a period of several weeks to determine which
foods may be contributing to symptoms and which foods can be safely
added back in.
Remember: while identifying which foods may be causing your symptoms
is important, following an overall healthy diet is just as crucial. Even
if you feel just fine after polishing off a bag of candy, for example,
that doesn’t mean that you should do it. Pairing a diet rich in whole,
unprocessed,
anti-inflammatory foods with a healthy lifestyle is vital to maximizing health, minimizing inflammation and keeping pain under control.
Final Thoughts on Pain-Triggering Foods
- Diet, inflammation and pain are all intricately connected and can have a huge influence on your health and pain status.
- Certain foods may trigger inflammation and pain in certain people, along with other adverse side effects.
- However, keep in mind that not all foods affect everyone in the same
way. You may experience negative symptoms to one or two of these
foods; others may not affect you at all.
- Identifying your trigger foods through medical testing or an
elimination diet can be a powerful way to reduce chronic pain and
promote better health.
