We all know our diet either makes us healthy or contributes to us becoming unhealthy. With shingles it’s no different. Your diet can play a role in preventing shingles or helping you recover from this skin condition.
While there’s no specific ‘Shingles Cure-All Diet’, eating well can support your immune system, reduce inflammation, and help your body heal more quickly.
Having a strong immune response is crucial for managing the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) when it reactivates. Eating a balanced diet provides you with a variety of nutrients that your body needs, especially when fighting infections.
For instance, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc aid in the healing process. Foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory compounds also help in relieving pain and discomfort during a shingles outbreak.
Let’s take a look at some of the anti-inflammatory foods and superfoods that may help boost your immune system and provide immune support.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
If you want to prevent shingles or recover fast from this condition, it helps if you incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into your diet. They can help you manage your shingles symptoms and promote healing.
Some good options include:
Fruits and Vegetables
Eat fruits and vegetables. For instance, berries, leafy greens, tomatoes, and bell peppers, as they are packed with antioxidants and vitamins.
Whole Grains
Include brown rice, quinoa, and oats in your diet because they can help reduce inflammation. Complex carbohydrates contain more fiber, and whole grains provide more nutritional value.
Healthy Fats
Eat foods like salmon, avocados, nuts, and seeds. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
Spices
Spices don’t just make your food delicious, they’re healthy too. Turmeric and ginger are known for their anti-inflammatory benefits, as too is garlic, which is nature’s little medicinal cure.
Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. Ginger contains gingerol, which reduces inflammation and pain, and the garlic sulfur compounds have anti-inflammatory effects.
So spice your meals up and reap their anti-inflammatory benefits!
Legumes
Legumes are rich in plant-based proteins, so make sure that you include lentils, beans, and chickpeas in your meals. They’re also excellent sources of fiber and other nutrients that support a healthy immune system.
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are excellent for so many things! Yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut are all foods to add to your anti-inflammatory food list. The probiotics in these foods can help modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
Superfoods for Immune Support
A strong immune system is necessary for complete health. Without it our body is open to all kinds of disease and infections, which is why it is crucial for preventing and recovering from shingles.
Thankfully, we can help ourselves as there are certain foods that are especially good for strengthening the immune system. You can help your body fight off the varicella-zoster virus by including these superfoods in your diet.
Citrus Fruits
Eat oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, which are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C enhances the production and function of white blood cells, which are vital for fighting infections. It also aids in the production of collagen which makes your skin and tissues healthy and forms a barrier against infections.
Garlic
As I said above this is nature’s little medicine. Not only is garlic a great anti-inflammatory food, it is also known for its immune-boosting properties. For shingles, you can use garlic because it contains compounds including allicin, which have powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties. These compounds help the body fight off various pathogens, including the shingles virus and other bacteria.
Green Tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants and can help strengthen your immune system. The catechins in green tea can help enhance the function of immune cells. It also has natural antiviral and antibacterial properties that can inhibit the growth of viruses and bacteria. Another benefit of green tea is that it promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut, which in turn supports a healthy immune system.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms species such as shiitake, reishi, and maitake contain compounds that can help enhance immune responses. They contain antioxidants like selenium, ergothioneine, and glutathione that help protect immune cells from damage caused by free radicals. Mushrooms are also rich in B vitamins and vitamin D, which are crucial for immune function and help regulate the immune response.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds contain essential nutrients that can boost your immune function. They’re rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, proteins, fiber, and vitamins and minerals that can reduce inflammation and support the production of new immune cells.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Shingles
When your body doesn’t get the essential nutrients it needs, you become more vulnerable to infections like shingles. Certain nutritional deficiencies can also slow down your recovery. So, make sure that you’re getting enough of the following vitamins and minerals.
- B Complex vitamin supplement for nerve health.
- Vitamin C for immune function and skin health.
- Vitamin D3 for stronger immune system.
- Zinc for better immune response and recovery.
As you can see you can help yourself by eating right. By focusing on a balanced, nutritious, healthy diet, you can help support your immune system and improve your body’s ability to prevent and recover from shingles. It’s not hard if you just stay committed to eating the right foods and meeting your body’s nutritional needs.
