Foods That Fight Pain: Revolutionary New Strategies for Maximum Pain Relief [Hardcover]

Neal D. Barnard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 1998

Did you know that ginger can prevent migraines and that coffee sometimes cures them? Did you know that rice can calm your digestion, that sugar can make you more sensitive to pain, that evening primrose can ease the symptoms of arthritis?

Drawing on new and little-known research from prestigious medical centers around the world, Neal Barnard, M.D., author of Eat Right, Live Longer and Food for Life, shows readers how they can soothe everyday ailments and cure chronic pain by using common foods, traditional supplements, and herbs.

Dr. Barnard reveals which foods regularly contribute to pain and how to avoid them. He guides the reader to specific pain-safe foods that are high in nutrition but don't upset the body's natural balance, as well as foods that actively soothe pain by improving blood circulation, relieving inflammation, and balancing hormones. Complete with delicious recipes, Foods That Fight Pain is a revolutionary approach to healing that will transform your life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Foods have special effects on pain, and research studies substantiate this, says Neal Barnard, M.D., in Foods That Fight Pain, a book endorsed by fellow doctors Dean Ornish and Andrew Weil. You can use foods to fight pain in these ways:

1. Choose pain-safe foods. Reduce inflammation by avoiding foods that may be causing or aggravating your pain.

2. Add soothing foods that ease pain. Different foods may improve blood flow, relieve inflammation, or balance hormones.

3. Use supplements if needed. Herbs, extracts, and vitamins can relieve pain.

Barnard explores a variety of medical conditions, such as migraines, arthritis, digestive problems, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes, herpes, sickle-cell anemia, kidney stones, urinary infections, and back, chest, breast, menstrual, and cancer pain. For each, Barnard explains the causes of the pain and what dietary changes are likely to alleviate it, with exercise and lifestyle recommendations. Barnard backs up his points with 30 pages of research citations.

Most of the recipes are quick to prepare, and include an elimination diet to avoid trigger foods. A nutritional breakdown (calories, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and sodium) accompanies each recipe. Following the advice in this book will not only relieve your pain, but increase your overall health. Highly recommended. --Joan Price

From Publishers Weekly

Although the strategies laid out by Barnard have, despite the subtitle's claim, been presented in other health books, they've seldom been explained this succinctly. According to Barnard (Food for Life), certain foods and nutritional supplements can alleviate pain as well as or better than prescription drugs. From backaches to bowel problems, cancer to canker sores, Barnard offers clear explanations of the physical processes involved as well as practical dietary and nutritional advice. No matter what the problem, for starters he recommends a low-fat, high-fiber, strictly vegetarian diet, the same as the one prescribed for heart patients by Dr. Dean Ornish, whom he quotes extensively. Citing scientific studies as well as anecdotal evidence, Barnard tells how powdered ginger, for example, can prevent motion sickness, alleviate migraines and the pain and swelling caused by osteoarthritis. Vitamin B6 can be used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome as well as menstrual pain. Lists of "trigger" foods to avoid for various health conditions are valuable, if sometimes daunting: for example, the trigger foods for arthritis include all dairy products, all meat (including fish), wheat, citrus fruit, potatoes, tomatoes, nuts and coffee. A hefty section of menus and recipes by Jennifer Raymond makes it easier to practice what Barnard preachesAa technical sermon whose main message is: eat your veggies. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 347 pages
• Publisher: Harmony Books; 1 edition (May 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609600982
• ISBN-13: 978-0609600986
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Relative Pain, February 28, 2000

By 

Jack Thomas (Bali. Indonesia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foods That Fight Pain: Revolutionary New Strategies for Maximum Pain Relief (Hardcover)

I just wanted to post a quickie review of Foods that Fight Pain. One of my relatives recently read the book and has since found tremendous relief for her arthritis. She has suffered for many years, always wondering if food could be part of her problem. As often seems to be the case, her doctors discounted her suspicions, telling her that food could not be to blame. However, she got a copy of Dr. Barnard's book, followed the elimination diet in it, and discovered which her trigger foods are--dairy, coffee, and citrus. Since changing her eating habits, she's had substantially less pain and she credits the book with her turnaround.

I think the book is a wonderful addition to the growing library of information about how foods affect our health.

Top recommendations from this Amazon customer!

61 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read & heed the advice in this book!, December 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Foods That Fight Pain: Revolutionary New Strategies for Maximum Pain Relief (Hardcover)

It's been only about 10 days since I read this book. I cut dairy and most meat from my diet immediately. I had been eating 2 cups of yogurt a day and often cheese at night. And every joint in my body was aching all the time! By just eliminating mostly dairy, my back pain was better in just 2 days!! I'm still experimenting with the different trigger foods, herbs, and ALA & GLA oils, but I feel SO ENLIGHTENED. Nothing I have ever read before has explained so convincingly why we should all be "vegans." I'm optimistic that my joints will now start to repair themselves. I've been telling EVERYBODY about this miracle. I want everybody to know about it. And it was so easy! I wish I had had this information years ago. It would have spared me a lot of pain. I just can't say enough good things about this book. Thank you, Dr. Barnard; you have changed my life!

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, timely litany on whats wrong with a Western diet, June 24, 1998

By 

Jerry W. Vlasak, MD, FACS ([e-mail]) (Santa Monica, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foods That Fight Pain: Revolutionary New Strategies for Maximum Pain Relief (Hardcover)

Dr. Barnard comes through again with an common sensical explanation of how the typical American diet is destroyning the lives of so many people. He notes with simple clarity that eating foods that humans have never eaten during their 3 million years of evolution results in illness and disability. By eliminating these foods like dairy products, animal flesh and certain other items, it becomes possible to restore our bodies to health and become free of chronic pain.

I have prescribed a similar diet for my patients for many years, and like Dr. Barnard, the most frequent response I get, after often dramatic results, is "Why? Why didn't any doctor ever give me this information before?"

I know why; its because too much money is being made by the pharmaceutical companies, the meat and dairy industries, and yes, the medical profession by keeping people dependent on their products. If you or someone you love suffers from arthritis, severe menstrual pain, migraines or any other chronic pain, you could do nothing better than to read this book and heed its advice.

Jerry Vlasak, M.D., F.A.C.S.