A case of the chicken pox when you are a child may lead to a shingles outbreak -- which causes excruciating nerve pain -- as an adult. The virus that causes shingles lingers in your body, although no one knows what triggers its reemergence later in life. Some foods may help ease symptoms and prevent an outbreak of this painful disease, although you should follow your physician's instructions and advice.
Mushrooms
Include mushrooms in your diet to help treat shingles. This vegetable -- no matter what type of mushroom -- provides vitamin B-5, also known as pantothenic acid. Vitamin B-5 is helpful in the treatment of shingles. Adults need 5 mg of this vitamin each day, although pregnant and breast-feeding women need 6 or 7 mg, respectively. One cup of whole, white mushrooms provides you with 1.4 mg of pantothenic acid and 1 cup of sliced oyster mushrooms has 1.1 mg.
Hot Peppers
An article in the November 2008 issue of "Psychology Today" indicates that vitamin B-6 is helpful for easing nerve pain associated with shingles. Hot peppers are an excellent source of this vitamin, so include these spicy vegetables in your diet. One cup of sliced jalapenos provides you with 0.4 mg of vitamin B-6; adults need 1.3 mg per day, although those over the age of 51 require a bit more -- 1.5 to 1.7 mg. An article in the "American Family Physician" journal indicates that the capsaicin in hot peppers may also ease shingles nerve pain.
Beans
Beans are a good source lysine, an amino acid that may prevent outbreaks of shingles, as the shingles virus is technically a herpes virus. One cup of soybeans, for example, contains 5 g of lysine, while a cup of kidney beans provides you with 2.8 g. The daily recommended intake of lysine stands at 12 mg per day, although those with shingles may need quite a bit more to suppress outbreaks -- the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends 1,000 mg three times per day.
Licorice
Licorice may provide relief from shingles. Naturopathic practitioners believe licorice offers both antiviral effects and immune system protections that are good for fighting this condition. A naturopathic proponent from the Bastyr Center notes that topical application of licorice is also beneficial, able to clear up a shingles outbreak within a few days. Herbwisdom.com reports that it also positively influences inflammation. No scientific evidence supports the use of licorice for treating shingles.
References
- PubMed Health: Shingles
- MedlinePlus: Panthothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Mushrooms, White, Raw
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Mushrooms, Oyster, Raw
- "Psychology Today"; Eliminate Nerve Pain Naturally; J. Teitelbaum, M.D.; November 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
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