What To Eat & Avoid When You Have Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy implies different conditions, which involve damages to the human’s peripheral nervous system i.e. the communication network responsible to send signals from/to the central nervous system consists of the spinal cord as well as the brain and other parts of the human body. In general, peripheral nerves are responsible to send different types of signals to help in controlling our body functions, such as digestion, blood vessels and heart, sexual functions and the immune system. Hence, when peripheral nerves malfunction, complex functions in the body of a patient often grind to a halt.⁽¹⁾

If you experience peripheral neuropathy i.e. a type of nerve disorder, having a nutrient-rich diet is very much essential for you to manage your symptoms. Accordingly, you have to consume food items, which intend to boost the functions of your nervous system. These include the following-

• Set up your diet across fruits, veggies, whole grains, omega-3 rich foods, legumes and lean sources of protein.
• You should give preference to food items consists of whole wheat, such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and similar others.
• Inculcate your habit to have at least 5 servings of colorful yet juicy fruits to provide phytonutrients to your body. This may be anything, such as a 1 medium size of fruit, like orange or apple, ¼ cup of dried fruits and ¾ cup of juice.
• You should give preference to poultry items and lean meats, as they have low trans fatty acids and low saturated fats.
• We know that you need the consumption of a few of the dairy products to retain your body functions. In this situation, we recommend you to go with nonfat or low-fat dairy products.
• You should make your habit to have food items, especially veggies and fruits rich in fiber and antioxidants.
• You should choose for polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats in your daily diet, which you may easily get from nuts, fish and vegetable oils.
• Other than the aforementioned food items to eat for any peripheral neuropathy patient, one should make sure having food items, which absorb at a slow rate within the bloodstream. These include beans, nuts, fruits and veggies.⁽²⁾

We know that diabetes is one of the prime risk factors related to peripheral neuropathy. Considering this fact, we should recommend the following food items to avoid any individual suffering from a nerve disorder.

• Avoid the intake of food items rich in carbohydrates, like white bread, potato and any other similar type of starchy veggies.
• You should avoid having fruit juices; instead go with having whole fruit. This is because; fruit juices lead to a spike in blood glucose levels and in turn, make your condition worse.
• You should never have any of the artificial sweeteners, sweets, candies, cakes, cookies, sugar syrup, regular soda and so on. In addition, you should choose to have milk and curd instead of having condensed milk and yogurt.
• You should never have any food item that contains artificial sweetener or at least reduce consuming them. The reason for this is that added or artificial sugars have limited nutrients and hence they trigger nutritional deficiencies as well as many neuropathy symptoms.
• You should make sure to track your sodium intake on a daily basis. According to nutritionists, your salt or sodium intake should never exceed 2,300 milligrams in a day.
• You should avoid or reduce your alcohol intake, as toxic items create adverse effects on your nerve tissues.
• If you are type 2 diabetes, you should avoid food items, especially meats rich in saturated fats, as they may cause inflammation and increase your risk to cause peripheral neuropathy.⁽²⁾

To conclude, we should say that by following a proper diet plan consisting of fruits, veggies and essential nutrients, one can easily manage his/her condition related to peripheral neuropathy.

Reference Links:

1. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Peripheral-Neuropathy-Fact-Sheet#3208_1
2. https://www.foundationforpn.org/living-well/lifestyle/nutrition/

Also Read:

• Can Peripheral Neuropathy Go Away On Its Own?
• Life Expectancy Of Someone With Peripheral Neuropathy
• Best Exercises/Activities For Peripheral Neuropathy
• Home Remedies For Peripheral Neuropathy
• How Long Will It Take To Recover From Peripheral Neuropathy & How Long Does The Symptoms Last?
• Is Walking Good For Peripheral Neuropathy & What About The Usage Of Compression Socks?