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Nutrition and Inflammation

By Dr. Jason Gold, DPM, FACFAS | Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus DPM, RPhs, FACFAS

How Nutrition Affects Foot Pain and InflammationYour diet affects more than your weight and general health. The nutrients you ingest every day can greatly influence your foot health. Certain foods may lead to foot tissue inflammation, which can cause plantar fasciitis (also called heel pain syndrome) and foot arthritis.

Do nutrients influence inflammation?

Certain foods may increase the chemicals in your body that lead to inflammation. It’s important to be aware of these foods and how much of them you’re consuming each day.

Common foods that influence inflammation:

  • Refined grains, sugar, and trans fats found in baked goods and junk food
  • Saturated fat found in red meat
  • Omega-6 fats found in vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, and sunflower oil

Other Causes of Inflammation:

  • Chronic allergies to common foods like wheat
  • Eating, in excess, foods that cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, like pasta, sweets, and white flour

How to Reduce Inflammation and Foot Pain through Nutrition

Taking a healthy approach to nutrition can help reduce inflammatory foot pain. Here are some general tips for reducing inflammation:

  • Eat more omega-3 fats. These can be found in fish, such as salmon, and in fish oil supplements. Generally, a person’s diet consists of far more omega-6s, so it’s important to get enough omega-3s to keep things properly balanced.
  • Following an overall healthier diet. This means eating more green vegetables, fresh plant-based foods, and reducing the amount of refined grain foods and sugary snacks that you consume each day.

It’s important to take the proper precautions when you first notice any sort of foot pain to reduce the risk of developing any more serious complications as a result. By reducing inflammation in your foot and heel through proper nutrition, you can improve not only the symptoms you’re experiencing but also your overall foot and body health as well.

Dr. Jason Gold, DPM, FACFAS

Known for his expertise in thorough diagnostic testing and a steady surgical hand, Jason M. Gold, DPM, is a leader in modern foot and ankle care and sports medicine. He’s one of a handful of doctors who’s board certified in foot and ankle surgery in Palm Beach County. Dr. Jason Gold cares for patients at Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center, a state-of-the-art practice with locations in Boca Raton and Boynton, Florida.

Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus , DPM - Podiatrist in Boca Raton, FL

Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus DPM, RPhs, FACFAS

Dr. Jodi Schoenhaus is a foot, ankle, and leg vein specialist practicing in South Florida. She is considered a leader and innovator for various procedures in her field, including fat pad and vein care. Dr. Schoenhaus grew up in southern New Jersey and she considers herself a true Philly girl. After graduating from the University of Michigan, having studied kinesiology and human movement, she went to Temple University in Philadelphia where she got her doctorate.

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