Can Chronic Pain Come From Food Additives?

It is always amazing to me when I find a food substance that when taken in excess can cause pain the body. And sometimes these foods, and food additives that are regulated by the government, are supposed to be safe. When I test clients and their supplements, or ask about their dietary habits, or chemicals in their work environments, we often discover chemicals or foods that are causing their chronic pain symptoms. When these chemicals are removed, much of their pain subsides.

When I talk to clients, I often ask if they can decipher what foods tend make the pain worse or better, and if they crave certain foods in their diet. One of the foods I am always listening for are diet soft drinks with aspartame (Nutrasweet). From personal experience, I have been relieved of constant headaches when I was convinced to stop drinking Diet Pepsi. I was a regular user and once I stopped drinking it, the nagging headaches that I had for a long time totally cleared up. So if you are drinking diet soft drinks, STOP NOW, and see what difference it makes. I have had quite a number of clients feel much better just a couple weeks after abstaining from soft drinks.

Recently, we have been introduced to the new fake sugar called Splenda. Advertising for Splenda says that is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar. But this doesn't tell the whole story. Splenda is made by taking out 3 of the 6 molecules that make up sugar, and adding chlorine molecules. If you are avoiding chlorinated water because of chlorine toxicity, then you should be avoiding Splenda. You are getting chlorocarbons from Splenda that can cause immune system problems, such as thymus gland shrinkage, and other genetic and reproductive damage.

The FDA approved Splenda in 1988 as a sucralose sweetener that tastes just like sugar. But the sugar flavor is artificial, since Splenda is about 600 times sweeter than natural sugar, so the sugar flavor is forced out of the partial sugar molecule. And our body cannot use the sugar in Splenda as fuel for our brains. It does not turn into the glucose we need for brain function and energy production. Early studies show many of the same side effects, such as headaches and chronic pain, as found with aspartame.

Soft drinks have surpassed water as the number one choice of beverage in the United States. Aspartame is not the only problem. When you have fibromyalgia or any other autoimmune disease, you need good minerals in your diet to distress the immune system, and the phosphoric acid in the dark soft drinks will rob your body of calcium. The sugar version is not better for you either, since sugar stresses your adrenals, especially when it comes in concentrated doses, like it does in any sugar-laden soft drink.

Also all soft drinks are very acidic, with an average reading of 2 to 3 pH. Acid urine and saliva pH readings are related to immune system stress, and joint and muscle stress. So if you want to have your urine and saliva pH levels stay in balance (in the 6.4 pH range or higher) avoiding soft drinks is very important. Coffee is another acid drink, along with beer. Green tea is the only relatively popular alkalizing drink. Or you can add lemon or lime to your water (without sugar) for flavoring.

Other substances also can cause chronic pain. Fillers, preservatives, food additives and coloring agents in supplements can build up as toxins in the tissues. This often makes it harder to lose weight, and can create pain when these toxins are stored in your tissues disrupting your nervous system pain response. This is why it is important to use high quality nutritional supplements without a lot of fillers. Too many over the counter vitamins and minerals seem to have more fillers than nutrients on the label, and these are the ones to avoid.

When choosing foods for your daily diet, or supplements that support your daily diet, look for foods and supplements that do not have fake sugars, preservatives like propylene glycol, and any food colorings. By finding out what chemicals, processed foods, or supplements are causing your pain; you will also be able to see a remarkable difference in just a short period of time.

Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D. is a Traditional Naturopath and Doctor of Homeopathy in southwest Michigan. She is the author of "Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia" and "Natural Choices for Attention Deficit Disorder." She is a professional speaker on natural health topics. She can be contacted at DoctorOelke@aol.com or through her website at http://www.NaturalChoicesForYou.com

---

Herbs that Heal Naturally

The word herb is used to refer to any part of a plant used for flavoring or medicine. Herbs for relaxation so sleep will come, and relieving pain or water retention have the... Read More

You Are What You Eat, Do You Dig Your Grave With Your Tongue? Boost Your Immune System

I know that the headline is a oldie, but it really is a goodie and is so very true of most of us, in this age of fast takeaway foods giving us all... Read More

How Food Affects Mood

Everyone can benefit from understanding how food affects our mood "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," wrote the eminent Greek physician Hippocrates during the dawn of western medicine.... Read More

Whatever Happened to the Basic Four Food Groups?

What Ever Happened to the Basic FourThe USDA was originally given the conflicting task of educating the public on agricultural matters while simultaneously working with food producers to provide a reliable and consistent... Read More

Post Workout Nutrition: Secrets to a Hard, Lean Body

As you've probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day. The reason is that when you're finished with an intense workout, you're entering a... Read More

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is the production of food using all natural methods - avoiding all synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms. Its' core philosophy is that of sustainability or 'zero impact'. The organic farmer... Read More

Allergy Approaches through Nutrition

Spring in New York City is a really magical time. Flowers and tree buds bring so much beauty to our coveted parks. I was walking through the park this past week and was... Read More

Magnesium 101

Magnesium is an important mineral that serves numerous essential functions in the body. There are more than 300 biochemical processes in the human body that require the use of the mineral magnesium. From... Read More

A Background to Dietary Fiber

Fiber is the part of the plant that is resistant to hydrolysis (A chemical decomposition in which a substance is split into simpler compounds by the addition or the taking up of the... Read More

Five Steps to a Healthier Heart

Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of fresh fruits and vegetables.Studies have shown that populations that eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables have half the cardiovascular disease rate of... Read More

How Does Glucosamine Chondroitin Help Your Body?

Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is necessary for the production of joint cartilage. As we age, producing enough glucosamine becomes more difficult and cartilage begins to detiorate causing stiffness... Read More

The Myths Associated with Human Growth Hormone

I would like to dispel some of the myths and worries associated with Human Growth Hormone Therapy, or HGH.First of all, a large number of people do not know what kind of treatment... Read More

How Essential Fatty Acids Improve Your Brain Power and Mental Health

What is your brain made ofOver 50% of your brain is made of good fat. Twenty percent of this good fat comes from EPA and DHA. Remember EPA and DHA comes from,* omega-3... Read More

Health and Nutrition

The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples awareness of the damage they have done to their bodies over the years becomes more apparent, both physically and through scientific evidence. Whats... Read More

5 Favorite Summer-Break Tips

You can trust me that I make sure to take care to have as EnergyRich? a vacation as possible (why come back from vacation feeling bloated, a few pounds heavier, experiencing heartburn etc,... Read More

What About Potassium?

Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document report 264 you'll life should be changed forever. You're going to discover that the biggest fallacy most people aren't aware of is that... Read More

Sugar Lovers Beware

It would be fair to assume that almost everyone on the planet loves sugar and sweet foods. Processed sugar is in many products and is a key ingredient for baking. It seems that... Read More

Seven Habits of Highly Healthy Eaters

"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional I hear these words often. It doesn't matter if the sentence ends with, "get bigger muscles", "firm up my butt" or "flatten my... Read More

Healthy Eating Myths Destroyed

Some of the things you think you know that just ain't so (these myths are not true):Eating Cholesterol does not increase your cholesterol levels Salt does NOT cause High Blood Pressure Eating Fat... Read More

Saturated Fat Diet Piles on Pounds Around Organs

Having a large amount of such "visceral fat" is associated with increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, said Dr. Kerry Stewart, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins... Read More

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a product of apple juice fermentation. Sounds like nothing extraordinary, but indeed its benefits are measureless. A.C.V. (Apple Cider Vinegar) health giving properties were well known long before our... Read More

Not all Fats are Bad

Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad for too long. Fat doesn't necessarily cause disease, and can actually cause a role in its prevention. The truth is that some fats... Read More

Introduction To Cocaine Addiction

Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant which instantly affects the brain after introducing it to the body. The effects of this drug are extremely pleasurable and give a... Read More

Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 1)

I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible and how to approach it? This is just my own opinion about possible procedures. I used certain techniques based on a theory. As... Read More

Calorie Deficit

I am sure you have heard you have to build more muscle so you can burn more fat. I'm sure you have also heard that you have to put your body into extreme... Read More

ACAI Berry Named Top 10 Superfoods For Anti-Aging by Dr. Nicholas Perricone

The benefits from eating healthy are endless. And, according to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, some foods can be eaten to help you look and age better! At the top of the list is the... Read More

Hidden Poison

Did you know that there might be poison in many of your favorite foods found on grocery store shelves everywhere? Breads, crackers, cookies, energy bars, tortillas, frozen pizza are just a few examples... Read More

When Is The Penny Going To Finally Drop For People?

Hi Readers,My message today is simple short and perhaps blunt to many of you. Our body's function very similar to a motor car and I see so often many many people over complicating... Read More

What about Potassium?

Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document report 264 you'll life should be changed forever. You're going to discover that the biggest fallacy most people aren't aware of is that... Read More