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.
