If you’re prone to back pain, consider these diet tips:
Eat Your Vegetables to Fight Back Pain
A mostly plant-based diet that includes foods such as flax and chia seeds is probably best for avoiding inflammation, especially when consumed with omega-3-rich cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, black cod, tuna and trout. is your good option.
“Dark-colored fruits and vegetables are an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet,” says Dana Greene, MS, RD, LDN, a nutritionist in Brookline, Massachusetts. If you’re looking for nutrient-rich foods that can ease back pain, try carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, cherries, strawberries, grapes, and red wine, pomegranates, and watermelon, she says. Herbs and spices like basil, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, garlic, curcumin, onion, oregano, and turmeric tend to be especially high in anti-inflammatory substances, so season them generously. Also, drink healthy herbal teas and real teas (green, oolong, and white).
Olive oil, green tea, and brightly colored fruits and vegetables have all been shown to reduce inflammation of the cartilage in the spine, which can help control back pain and stiffness, Perry adds. When it comes to eating vegetables, think the greener the better, he says. Kale, spinach, and broccoli top the list for an anti-inflammatory diet, with their back-pain-fighting properties.
Other good food choices for an anti-pain diet: avocado; nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans and Brazil nuts); lean proteins like chicken and turkey; bean; and cocoa.
Avoid These Foods to Reduce Pain
Some people avoid nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, white potatoes, and peppers) as part of an anti-inflammatory diet, says Robin Barrie Kaiden, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian at Robin Barrie Nutrition in New York City. “But no research supports this,” she says. “To find out whether these vegetables are contributing to inflammation in your body, don’t eat them for two weeks and see if your symptoms go away—just as you should with other potentially sensitive foods.” Always talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian when making changes to your diet.
Other foods to avoid? Processed foods, fast foods and saturated fats. All this fuels inflammation. This includes white bread, pasta, rice, sugary drinks and snacks, fried foods, and anything containing partially hydrogenated oil, which is often found in long-shelf-stable, protectively packaged products like chips, crackers, and pastries. (When cooking, choose poly or monounsaturated oils such as canola or olive oil.). Perry also says stay away from caffeine and alcohol.
Calcium Factor
Another way to keep back pain at bay is to make sure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D. Bone is the body’s calcium storage depot. “As we get older, it becomes harder to maintain bone mass, which can lead to conditions such as osteopenia or osteoporosis,” says Perry. “These diseases can weaken the vertebrae in your spine. Calcium helps you avoid these conditions by contributing to bone mass.”
A 2010 report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) gave new guidelines for daily calcium supplementation. These definitions are often called the recommended daily allowance. According to the IOM, you shouldn’t consume more than 2,000 milligrams of calcium per day (via foods or supplements), says Kenneth Hansraj, MD, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine in Poughkeepsie, New York.
“Gone are the days when more was better,” says Dr. Hansraj. Studies show that if you take high doses of calcium supplements, you increase your risk of heart problems and atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Consuming too much calcium can also lead to broken bones.
Calcium should come from natural sources, says Hansraj. Natural food sources of calcium include yogurt, milk, and cheese, as well as leafy greens. If you’re not getting enough calcium from your diet, talk to your doctor about whether supplements are right for you. For example, teens need 1,300 mg of calcium per day, while older adults need about 1,000 mg per day, he says, but “don’t supplement more than 500 mg per day,” he says. Instead, Hansraj suggests trying to get more calcium from your diet.
Nick Shamie, MD, an associate professor of spine surgery at UCLA in Los Angeles and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, adds a caveat: When fractures occur, simply taking calcium supplements isn’t enough. “Consult an orthopedic surgeon and a musculoskeletal specialist to develop a complete medical plan to manage your condition,” Dr. Shamie says. “This regimen may include medications such as bisphosphonates, which help build bone, and regular exercise.”
Additional information from Denise Mann.