The pain that comes from nerve damage can be intense, and the weakness can be debilitating. But sometimes damaged nerves can heal, and certain vitamins can be valuable tools in that healing process. Taking supplements of these vitamins or regularly eating foods rich in them may help you improve the nerve damage you've suffered.
Folate
Folate, also known as vitamin B-9 and folic acid, helps the body make and maintain new cells. The National Institutes of Health reports folate has been shown to trigger DNA changes in rats with nerve damage in their spinal cords to promote healing, and researchers are hopeful folate may also improve nerve damage in humans once they can study folate's effect on human nerves. The daily recommended amount of folate is 400 micrograms for men and women over age 18 and 600 micrograms for pregnant women, says the National Institutes of Health, and foods rich in folate include green vegetables such as peas and spinach, citrus fruits such as oranges and limes, beans and fortified cereals.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is necessary for the nervous system to work properly. The National Institutes of Health states giving high doses of vitamin B-12 to rats with spinal-cord nerve damage has helped improve the damage by causing some nerve regeneration and expresses hope the same benefit may occur in humans once more research can be done into vitamin B-12's effect on nerve damage in people. What is known, says the NIH, is people who suffer a vitamin B-12 deficiency can suffer nerve damage as a result, and that damage can sometimes be corrected when people begin consuming enough vitamin B-12 again. The recommended daily amount of B-12 is 2.4 micrograms for people ages 14 and over and 2.6 micrograms for pregnant women, and good dietary sources of B-12 include milk, eggs and all types of meat.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin that helps protect cells from disease. The National Institutes of Health reports there's some evidence vitamin E can regenerate peripheral nerves in laboratory rats and the same result may one day be seen in humans after more research takes place on vitamin E's affect on nerves. The recommended daily amount of vitamin E is 15 micrograms for both men and women, and good food sources of vitamin E include nuts, vegetable oils and green leafy vegetables like spinach.
References
- NIH: Researchers Discover How Folate Promotes Healing In Spinal Cord Injuries
- NIH: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Folate
- NIH: Ultra-high Dose Methylcobalamin Promotes Nerve Regeneration in Experimental Acrylamide Neuropathy
- NIH: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12
- NIH: A Vitamin E-Deficient Diet Affects Nerve Regeneration in Rats
- NIH: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin E
