10 foods that offer natural pain relief

Food is the basis of good health. Food provides us with the nutrients we need for day-to-day life and protects us against disease.

Ancient cultures based all their medicinal knowledge on plants and food. Old books show that for each ailment there are certain types of foods that work as palliatives and that help to mitigate the pains.

This knowledge has been lost with the passing of the years and with the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry. While current medicine has other effective and quick ways to treat pain, food can be an excellent complement to support certain recovery and well-being processes.

Another great advantage of using natural relief is that it counteracts the side effects that certain drugs can produce in the body. Synthetic medicine can produce nausea, stomach and digestive problems or produce new diseases.

The natural way allows our body to recover in a more profound and lasting way, does not generate resistance processes as can happen with some drugs and contributes to improve the defenses avoiding that the pain is installed in a chronic way in the body.

When it comes to treating our ailments it is advisable to know the ingredients that nature gives us to keep us in shape. Here are 10 foods that offer natural pain relief. Particularly noteworthy are spices, some fruits and certain herbs and plants.

 Ten Natural Foods That Relieve Pain

1. Pineapple

Recent studies have confirmed the high presence of bromelain in pineapple . Bromelain is an enzyme that helps improve inflammatory conditions in the body. For this reason its consumption is especially recommended in the case of muscle problems, sprains and strains. Bromelain helps reduce pain in cases of osteoarthritis of the knee, carpal syndrome, and rheumatism.

Another advantage of pineapple is that it has a purifying and diuretic effect on the body, thus contributing to digestive health, mitigating the discomfort or risk of intestinal disorders, facilitating the expulsion of parasites and eliminating bile. It is recommended to eat abundant doses of this tropical fruit, especially taking care not to discard the heart area, where it is concentrated the largest amount of bromelain, as well as other vitamins or minerals present in the pineapple.

2. The Cinnamon

This is one of the queen spices of natural medicine. Cinnamon brings relaxation and helps the good circulation of the blood, two conditions that act in a positive way against inflammation and pain. Cinnamon can be taken with meals or drinks, just sprinkle a little over and that's it. Its most recommended use is to introduce an infused cinnamon sprig to take advantage of all its effects on pain.

Thanks to the presence of volatile oils in cinnamon, which include melatonin , tinan, cumaria and cinnamaldehyde, people can increase their body heat something that will be directly reflected in the decrease in pain. Especially in cases of osteoarthritis or muscular pains. Cinnamon also works great for relieving menstrual cramps. Know more benefits of cinnamon .

3. Turmeric

Turmeric is a main ingredient of curry, but can also be found separately. Curcumin, its central ingredient is a substance with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric works to prevent cancer . But it is also capable of improving inflammation problems and stomach aches. Turmeric is especially recognized for its analgesic properties.

Some studies suggest that turmeric may be more powerful than analgesics like ibuprofen . This spice, very popular in Indian cuisine, can be included in the meal, especially in the main courses and also in some soups and drinks. Discover 10 benefits of turmeric for health .

4. Cherries

Scientific studies have shown that cherries have excellent anti-inflammatory properties, as long as they consume at least 300 gr daily. Samples given to patients affected by pain for 28 days confirm that cherries lower blood congestion levels.

Cherries provide antioxidant properties to the blood, making it an excellent fruit for cardiovascular health. Taking a natural cherry juice helps relieve muscle aches, in fact, it is a very popular drink and highly recommended among athletes and athletes. Other red fruits such as blackberries and murtillas contain similar properties.

5. Herbs and plants

Widely used in traditional medicine, herbs and plants have been for millennia associated with physical well-being. Especially as it has to do with inflammation and the mitigation of pain.

Some of the plants most used for their anti-pain powers are: basil, oregano and thyme. A simple infusion with any of these components or with all, is able to reduce inflammation, provide a feeling of warmth and well-being and relieve pain. An infusion with one of these plants helps to improve menstrual pain in women, as well as muscle pain or headache ( known remedies to treat headache ), because in its composition there are properties similar to ibuprofen.

Another herb widely used to mitigate pain is peppermint. Its use to treat stomach pains (produced by indigestion, flatulence, colic, nausea, among others) and the discomfort produced by the flu is well known. Menthol present in peppermint helps mitigate nasal congestion and fight the flu virus .

6. Walnuts

One of the most recommended nuts since its properties are beneficial in every way. Walnuts not only have inflammation-attacking components, but also contain high levels of omega-3s, especially tryptophan acid that can relieve pain in less than 60 minutes. The anti-inflammatory properties of walnuts are not only effective in cases of arthritis, nuts also protect the brain by preventing inflammation that could contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's .

Here you can discover more nut properties for health .

Other nuts also contain high levels of tryptophan , not only nuts but also sunflower or sesame grains, hazelnuts, pistachios and peanuts are recommended, although antioxidant levels are often higher in walnuts than in any other Dried fruit.

7. Garlic

Garlic is one of those miracle foods that is used for everything. In traditional medicine garlic had a very important place because of its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic contains chemicals similar to those used to create ibuprofen, a drug targeted to the treatment of pain and inflammation.
Garlic provides benefits to cardiovascular health, protects the brain and prevents cancer, thanks to one of its magic components: the alcine.

Already a few days ago I commented on 10 benefits that this food provides for health . It is recommended to consume the garlic daily and preferably without previous cooking to conserve more its nutrients. You see how good and important garlic is for health

8. Green tea

It is the star drink of traditional Chinese medicine. According to this, green tea is a natural tonic and a comforting liquid for body and soul. The plant that makes green tea, ie the Camellia sinesis is full of antioxidants that fight against free radicals , preventing inflammation.

It is scientifically proven that green tea helps to slow the progression of arthritis and protect cartilaginous tissue. The anti-inflammatory and soothing power of green tea is so powerful that it is usually applied directly to areas affected by bloating. As in ancient times, it is also possible to make ointments made with green tea extract. In oral consumption, for its effects to be noticeable it is necessary to drink at least three cups of green tea a day.

Another of the benefits of green tea is that it promotes mental agility and tranquility, beneficial conditions in case of painful states because they help the patient does not lose mental clarity and not to be dominated by pain. In that sense, green tea helps control the pain. Discover 10 properties for green tea health .

9. Coffee

Contrary to popular belief, coffee can bring many benefits for some painful states. Caffeine is a natural building block that helps mitigate the pains caused by migraine . In fact, caffeine is a component in the formula of many medicines for the treatment of headache.

A patient taking medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve some pain, will do well to drink coffee to boost the analgesic properties of this type of drugs by up to 40%.

It is important to know that coffee is able to act benignly in cases where the person is not too accustomed to caffeine, then one or two cups can have a positive effect. For people who drink too much coffee, a very high or reduced intake can promote headaches because the body creates some caffeine addiction.

10. Ginger

This root has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to gingerol compounds. Why make it very used to relieve joint pain, sore throat ( known remedies to treat sore throat ), morning sickness ( medicines to treat nausea ), dizziness ( natural remedies for motion sickness ) and increase the immune system .

An easy and good way to take it is as an infusion, which can be prepared by adding a few slices of this root in hot water. Discover 10 health benefits of this sensational root .