Chapter 6 J
INFECTIONS AND PAIN

 

As comes to different kinds of infections, pain, and joint problems, they can all have their origins in many factors. For example, ordinary backache can be caused by damage to the disks, squeezed nerves, wrong position of the joints or infection in the joints, inferior muscle condition, wrong working positions or also obesity, because it strains the backbone. In the same way, there may be numerous other causes to back pain and other pains.

   How then can various pains be prevented and alleviated? Diet can have its own important significance. It is true that no diet can help in all problems, but it can be of help in many areas. For example, the following diets have been found to be useful:

 

Fatty fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, herring, Baltic herring, whitefish, mackerel, sardine, tuna, etc. can alleviate infection and joint pains. There are plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish, which prevent infection and can remove pains and decrease the need of infection medicine. The same omega-3 fatty acids are also useful in the prevention of heart diseases; in addition, they have been found to alleviate symptoms of some skin diseases, such as psoriasis.

 

Plant oils, such as rapeseed, soy, olive, corn, sunflower, and evening primrose oil can prevent various infections (especially evening primrose oil has been observed to be useful in different rashes such as in the care of atopic dermatitis; other plant oils may have a similar influence). They contain the same omega-3 fatty acids as fatty fish and fish oils, and in those there is also plenty of vitamin E, which is an important ingredient in the prevention of infections. A small increase of these agents in the weekly diet can in no way be harmful, because they have been found to decrease blood cholesterol and also prevent cardiovascular diseases.

 

Vitamin E and selenium are ingredients "which can alleviate muscular pain. According to one American study, these ingredients eased paralyzing muscular pain and rigidity" (Readers Digest: Terveyttä vai sairautta ruoasta, p. 325).

   Good sources of vitamin E are, for instance, plant oils (sunflower, corn,  rapeseed, soy, and wheat germ oil), whole meal grain, avocado, eggs and nuts (already a couple of handfuls of peanuts can satisfy the daily need). Good sources of selenium are whole meal grain and meat (except not in areas where the selenium content of the soil is low), fish, tomato, onion, nuts, shellfishes, mollusks, and also many mushrooms.

 

Fresh food that contains a lot of berries, plants, fruits, and whole meal grain has been observed to be useful for those who suffer from joint problems. This kind of food, containing plenty of vitamin C and other vitamins, is certainly more useful to the body than refined food (sugar, white flour, etc) that is often eaten. Many people have healed from their joint problems and migraine when they have started to eat food that contains plenty of vegetables.